News
12 | MARCH 2017
News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
SHOWROOMS BACK IN VOGUE
PROUD TO HELP RACHEL HOME
When The VEKA UK Group heard how a Northumberland woman was left stuck in hospital after a devastating fall , the team was keen to help .
Rachel Rudd , whose husband Darren works for Renolit , fell down the stairs at their home in Bedlington in April . She suffered injuries including a broken jaw and severe bruising to her spinal cord , which left her paralysed from the shoulders down .
After several months , she was transferred from the specialist James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough to a nursing home in Cramlington where she was forced to remain , as the family home was not suitably equipped for her needs .
Darren tried to secure a grant to cover the cost of modifying the house to Rachel ’ s new circumstances , but was unsuccessful . At this point , friends and neighbours began raising awareness of Rachel ’ s plight - and community-wide fundraising began , to build the ground-floor extension that the family needed in order to get Rachel home .
The VEKA UK Group quickly offered to provide the PVCu profile required , and VEKA customer BMW Windows kindly volunteered to fabricate and install the new windows and doors free of charge . Managing director John Jefferson explained : “ Our business development manager at VEKA informed us of Rachel ’ s accident and asked whether we might be able to help with organising the windows and
doors . We soon spoke to our other suppliers and , like The VEKA UK Group , they offered their full support to the project without hesitation .
“ VEKA provided the PVCu profile ( free of charge ) in anthracite grey , for five casement windows , one three-part bay window , a set of French doors and a residential door . Donwood ’ s Ltd supplied the double glazed units free of charge and North East Panels Ltd supplied the door panels free of charge .
“ Our contribution was the cost of fabrication , hardware , trims and fitting , which meant that the job was supplied and fitted at no cost to the Rudd family . I hope that , with the help of our partners in business , we might have played a small part in making a difference for Darren and Rachel and we wish them every bit of luck moving forward .”
Local building surveyor Michael Lucas was involved initially with the design of the project and Ritchie Wharton , of local developers Arch , acted as unpaid project manager .
www . vekauk . com
The number of double glazing showrooms has increased from 3,460 to 3,764 in the last two years , with an average of 12 new show centres opening every month across the UK - and the trend is set to continue .
Andrew Scott , managing director of Insight Data which revealed the trend , said :
“ In the 1990s every high street had a string of double glazing showrooms , but we saw a decline from the early 2000s as margins tightened and installers cut costs . The financial crisis of 2008 coupled with consumers moving from high-street to online accelerated the decline , but this trend is now reversing .”
A shift in consumer behaviour and an evolving market are key factors . While high-street visitor numbers have dwindled , new destinations that combine shopping , leisure and entertainment are booming .
“ Out of town shopping , large garden centres with plenty to see and do , and leisure parks are all attracting consumers and proving lucrative to savvy retailers .
DWL Windows , Doors & Conservatories - Millbrook Garden Centre , Staplehurst Road , Kent , TN12 9BT - 01622 831 541
It ’ s about creating a consumer experience , a destination , not just a shopping trip .”
Another major factor is product development . The industry has seen an upsurge in product innovation with aluminium back in vogue , timber gaining more popularity and a raft of new window and door products on the market .
While consumers will do their research online , most will want to
JUST THE JOB FOR TRACEY
Victorian Sliders has promoted Tracey Ervine to fulfil a newly-created role of customer care manager , based at the company ’ s manufacturing headquarters in Carmarthenshire , South Wales .
Having studied extensively at Neath Port Talbot College and Swansea University and gained post-graduate qualifications at the University of South Wales , Tracey ’ s work experience as a former
see products before buying , especially if they are new or include innovative features . Show centres at busy destinations , such as large garden centres , give installers the best of both worlds - excellent foot-fall and the opportunity to demonstrate exciting new products .
For more information contact Insight on 01934 808293 or visit www . insightdata . co . uk
assistant tutor at Swansea University and a project assistant at local South Wales charity community resource centre Canolfan Maerdy has well-prepared her for this dynamic new hands-on role at Victorian Sliders .
Tracey can be contacted from 8.30am to 5.00pm by phoning the Victorian Sliders reception desk on 01269 846200 and asking for her by name .