50
MARCH 2016 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
THE
UPRISING OF
SOMETHING
SPECIAL
FROM G-U UK
Gretsch-Unitas has been servicing the
fenestration industry for many decades,
and most will be aware of the company’s
brands including BKS and Ferco.
The German based organisation was initially founded in
1907 by Mr Viktor Gretsch.
In 1910, Viktor was joined by
Johann Maus as his partner and managing director.
Over the last century, the
company has been passed
down through generations of
Johann’s s descendants and
is still to this day a family
owned business.
Specialising in the development, manufacture and supply
of window and door technologies, employing more than 3,700
and operating in more than 35
different countries, G-U is inevitably one of the largest door and
window hardware suppliers in the
world.
Stephanie Wright, Pro Installer
Editor recently visited G-U’s new
offices in Coventry and spoke to
the company’s managing director Rob Rossall about how the
business has restructured to
accommodate the changes in the
UK marketplace and what exciting
new products Rob and his team
have been developing for the
fenestration industry.
Rob explains: “G-U has built
its reputation in the UK initially
for the manufacture and supply
of our comprehensive range of
multi-point locks. Since, the 1990’s
our G-U/Ferco range has been a
popular choice amongst fabricators, installers and locksmiths and
this can certainly be accredited to
the manufacturing excellence and
quality supplied by our German
colleagues.
“Over the last few years with
the downturn in both the UK and
European markets, it was to be
anticipated that G-U UK would
not go unscathed, and in 2010 the
decision was taken to relocate our
warehousing and administration
operations to accommodate the
decline.
“The restructuring included the
move to our current managed office suite and a more heightened
approach to the way we manage
stock into the UK from our foreign manufacturing and distribution base in Germany.
“Some claimed at the time, the
move to restructure our operating
facility was a strategic move to
withdraw from the UK market;
however, the decision was borne
out of ensuring the business
stabilised through the recession,
continuing to supply products to
our target audiences.
“Internally, the restructure enabled the business to revisit our
position in the UK market, which
on all levels was and continues
to be an important forum for G-U
to operate in. The restructuring
was a successful move that has
provided double digit growth over
the last three years and led to investment in product development
for the UK market.
“Since then, G-U UK’s focus has
been to further improve our approach through our supply chain
and the products we offer. Our
core range of multi-point locks
– Secury A and Secury Europa
Multi-point locks have always
been at the heart of the business-
es product offering and have seen
sustainable growth across the UK
for many years due to the quality
and engineering excellence shown
by the performance of the locks.
“The G-U Secury A represents a
high-end residential and commercial lock, with a fully automatic
locking feature as standard. The
lock has multiple applications and
offers users peace of mind, having been included in successful
security and document Q testing
as well as FD 30 and FD 60 fire
testing. Our GU Secury Europa
forms G-U’s mid range multi-point
lock offering. A traditional lever/
lever or split spindle product,
again meeting the requirements of
PAS 23/24 and document Q.
“In 2015, we added the GU
3000 range of multipoint locks to
target existing Asian imports and
other trade locks in the sector.
We experienced immediate success with the range and this has
continued to be the case since its
launch.
“The BKS range of mortise locks
and associated architectural hardware is one of the most comprehensive available, offering narrow
case and DIN case size mortice
locks; single point and multipoint
escape locks; electric solenoid
locks; motor locks; mechani cal
and electrically controlled escape
hardware; cylinder systems and
access control products.
“BKS products have been successfully securing the doors of
major commercial installations
in the UK for over 30 years and
are widely specified on an ever
increasing number of key projects
presently underway in the UK and
Irish market place.
“Our multi-point lock range has
been widely used in both the OEM
and replacement markets for many
years and both industries recognise the quality of fitting a G-U
Lock, which is why more recently
G-U UK has concentrated its efforts on creating more high-level,
highly specified range of products
for the replacement market including, the newly launched TS007 3*
BKS Euro cylinder.
“We have been developing a
range of new products over the
last few years, to be even more
suited for the UK market. The
new 3* Euro cylinder has what we
believe to be the qualities needed for the OEM and replacement
market. Not only is it stamped
with the BKS branding, needing
no additional prepping, anti-snap,
pick, drill and bump resistant, but
has a unique USP - with a LED
light fitted to the key case head,
for ease of use in dark or low light
environments.
“A single LED key is supplied
in with the cylinder, along with
two normal keys and two fixing
screws, giving the Locksmith the
opportunity to sell spare LED keys
to the homeowner. We believe this
to be a unique selling proposition
for the Locksmith, a chance to upsell with added benefits over their
competitors.
“Over the forthcoming months,
the industry will see more cost
effective products designed and
developed by G-U to help gain
additional sales and margins,
and with the business looking
at both direct sales and through
distribution to widen the products
sales areas, there is an opportunity to gain higher margin sales
from unique new products. ” Rob
concludes.
For more information
regarding G-U products visit
www.g-u.com/UK/en/home.html