8
JULY 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
FORD INVESTS IN
MACHINERY AND IT
Sheffield-based Ford Windows continues
to go from strength to strength, qualifying
as a member of the Yorkshire Fastest 50
– the comprehensive list of Yorkshire’s
fastest-growing companies – two years
on the trot, in 2015 and 2016.
Turnover virtually doubled
between 2013 and 2014 and
Ford has invested significantly in plant and expanded its
operations to comfortably
accommodate such rapid
growth.
Ford Windows currently produces 2,000 frames a week from its
premises in Catley Road, Darnall,
yet has recently taken on an extra
1300m2 factory in nearby Tinsley.
Three years ago it also expanded
into the Scottish market, recruiting
staff and leasing factory space in
East Kilbride, in a successful move
to capitalise on the vibrant fenestration market there.
“We dipped our toe in the water
there with a three-year lease and
broke even in the first year. We
made a small profit in the second year so in the third we’ve
taken on the premises next door,
doubling the size of the factory,”
says managing director Philip
Shackley. “For us fenestration is
booming both in Scotland and
England and house builders really
appreciate that we supply and fit
everything.”
The company numbers some
of the UK’s top house builders
among its clients – Barratt Development, Persimmon, and Taylor
Wimpey are three. “We believe in
adding value and reacting quickly,” Philip says. “If there is a problem then we aim to get it sorted in
24 hours.”
The company also requires the
same agility from its suppliers,
which is why it values its close,
13-year relationship with Eurocell.
Julian Thorpe comments: “It’s a
very innovative business and we
have a healthy relationship so that
on the rare occasions we might
have an issue, it is quick to react
and we have access to senior
people.”
The Scottish operations output is,
while relatively small, now at the
same as Ford Windows was when
Philip joined the business in 2003
- 300 frames per week. At that
point Philip was production manager, having switched from a career in personnel. That experience
in what is now dubbed ‘human
resources’ has not been forgotten
– his style as MD is hands on and
informal.
His ‘open door’ policy is literal – with his office door firmly
wedged right open – and he is a
Philip Shackley, managing director, left; and Julian Thorpe, financial director, right.
big advocate of ‘walking the floor’
as production starts in the morning, meeting everyone on first
name terms. The company also
places a lot of stock on building
the team by organising corporate
events such as racing, bowling or
golf days and upmarket evening
functions for its staff through the
year.
When the downturn of 2008 hit,
no one was made redundant any
more than when glass production
was outsourced.
The company is now investing
even more in production, after
Philip and Julian acquired 50%
of the business from the original
owners, Roger Sidebotham and
Dennis Taylor in May last year. The
management is spending the best
part of £1 million in introducing
new IT systems and, most recently,
a top-of-the-range Stuga ZX4 sawing and machining centre.
The computer-controlled machine can produce an extra 800
to 1000 windows per week but
needs only two operators compared to the 10 required to man
existing machines. Initially it will
be dedicated to producing Eurocell Eurologik 70mm windows in
response to demand from house
builders for improved U-values,
which the six-chambered design
delivers with ease as it is one
of the first windows to achieve
the UK’s highest possible energy
rating: A++.
Importantly, the Stuga ZX4
can be configured to manufacture other Eurocell windows as
housebuilders turn to windows for
differentiation in a highly competitive market, where models such
as Modus will come to the fore.
Modus is specifically designed
to meet the growing demand for
premium PVCu windows from
discerning homebuyers who want
distinctive properties that present
a traditional appearance while
meeting modern performance
standards.
Although this investment is considerable it is, as Julian points out,
all part of the company’s plan for
steady growth and is easily within
its means. “The investment might
be a new step in terms of the pace
and size of development but we
haven’t had to use external sources to fund this investment so we’re
very secure financially,” he says.
Tel: 0114 261 7519
www.fordwindows.co.uk