15
PRO INSTALLER MARCH 2016
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
HOW THE COMMERCIAL
SECTOR SHAPES UP
It’s unusual for a company like Sovereign Group to open its doors to a trade magazine, due to the scope of
the audience it normally attracts being set in commercial sectors rather than trade customers. However, the
company which is in its 44th year of trading invited Pro Installer’s editor, Stephanie Wright to get a feel for
the type of criteria needed from a fabricator which solely supplies on a massive scale into the public purse.
Since 1973, Sovereign Group
has built its business focusing on the supply of windows
and doors into the commercial sector; local authority,
housing association, mixed
tenure new build, health
trusts, the MOD and further
education accommodation
providers and education
authorities.
Manufacturing its PVCu windows
utilising VEKA UK profile systems and a variety of aluminium
window suites from its 180,0002
feet head office site in Nelson,
Lancashire, the business holds on
tight to the legacy it established
back in 1973 and only produces
its products from the industry’s
elite providers of composite doors,
hardware, profile, gaskets and
glass.
After just an initial 20-minute
Health and Safety introduction on
arrival, it was evident to see how
the business is under pressure and
continuous scrutiny working as a
commercial window and door fabricator and supplier. Every visitor
has an introduction by the H&S
department as if it is their first day
in a new role.
This, you would assume, forms
part of the need to comply with
standards and procedures needed
to trade into its chosen sector.
However, after further questioning it was apparent that this is
just one of many initiatives and
activities Sovereign has implemented internally out of choice to
ensure it takes responsibility for
its own business on an end to end
process.
With mixed tenure new build
homes continuing to rise over
coming years because of government backed schemes and
ever increasing demand on the
public secure resources, the push
towards creating homes with low
“Every employee is responsible
for QC, on their production section, leaving little scope for problems at the end of the production
line and enabling us to keep to
tight deadlines.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
John Park-Davies
Sales Director
carbon technology and the Code
for Sustainable Homes, likely to be
integrated into Building Regulations, you would consider this
good news for Sovereign.
However, working on local
authorities and social housing
contracts is definitely not a bed
of roses and I picked up the story
with John Park-Davies, sales director for Sovereign Group.
“With a series of rigorous procedures to continuously abide to,
even at the start of the process
of tendering for both resident in
occupation or mixed tenure new
build contract, each sector is definitely not for the amateur.
“Every element of our operation
has to comply with exacting standards set down by the end user
client, which normally consist of
having every detail identified from
the initial contact to maintaining
and repairing tenants damaged
properties.
“Winning contracts for the sector
involves real challenging scrutinising of our health and safety, quality,
design, production, manufacturing,
distribution and development procedures, ensuring the highest level of
visibility and our responsibility to
each area of the supply process.
“For example; employees are
given information, instruction and
training continuously to aid them
perform safe work activities, and all
of this is recorded and documented
for inspection. We work with all
our employees, managing safety,
suitable supervision and facilities to
ensure individuals are fully competent to deliver the work needed
both on and off site.
“Supporting this culture is our
accreditations for ‘Investors in
People’ and BSi ISO9001.
“Our manufacturing facilities are
also always under strict checks,
and there is even more emphasis
on commercial contract to run efficiently and supply on-time.
“With our mix of 2,000 windows,
doors and composite doors running
through our production facilities
weekly, tight lead time are demanded; add to this the highest level of
quality inspections required at each
section of the production line, we
have to ensure all aspects of production perform in unison.
“Each product from the start of
production to the end is labelled
with brightly coloured labels reflecting the day in which it needs
to leave the factory. The label
reference forms part of the jigsaw
puzzle needed to bring together
frames, sashes, doors, glass and
associated hardware, all the way
down the line.
“Part of our social responsibility to the environment has also
meant the company being awarded BSi ISO14001, and we are
constantly looking at opportunities to reduce the businesses carbon footprint. This has involved
bringing many of our production
processes in-house and working
with our suppliers.
“As VEKA’s first UK manufacturer, we work with them constantly
seeking new ways of how the
two businesses can improve
environmental responsibilities.
This has included ‘VEKA Recycle’