10 | NOVEMBER 2019
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
QUANEX MAKES MAJOR INVESTMENT AT
ITS MIKRON® WASHINGTON FACILITY
Quanex Building Prod-
By law, financial advisors
must get customers to assess
their attitude to risk before they
invest. Too many businesses
play down the probability of
something going wrong when
they see savings they want
to make. It’s easy to turn a
blind eye if no one can see the
savings they’ve made, if they’ve
skipped the reinforcement,
for example, used less than
the recommended amount,
or used a sub-standard,
cheaper grade of steel.
But some risks aren’t
worth taking.
Deceuninck, like other
systems companies,
spends a lot on de-
veloping and testing
windows and doors.
We design our systems
with the correct steel
reinforcement to make
sure they perform, and
we issue comprehensive
guidelines for manu-
facturing, storage and
installation to ensure
long-lasting, trou-
ble-free performance.
The idea that a fab-
ricator can value-engi-
neer our windows and
doors by substituting
non-approved steel
reinforcement on the
basis of steel suppliers’
bold claims of com-
pliance with PAS24
and other standards is
brave to say the least.
Non-approved means
they’ve not been tested
to see how they perform
in various configura-
tions and situations.
How would the steel
supplier know the risk
when they haven’t
done – couldn’t have
done - the development
and testing? How can
you know it’s not poor
quality or sub-stand-
ard? There’s a reason
substitutes cost less.
We offer a warran-
ty on all Deceuninck
products, but only if
manufacturers follow
our guidelines and use
Deceuninck steel rein-
forcement. If Deceun-
inck doors and windows
are not reinforced with
Deceuninck reinforce-
ment, you’re on your
own.
Rob McGlennon
Managing Director,
Deceuninck
ucts has announced a major
investment in its Mikron®
brand of uPVC window and
door profiles in the form of
new, state-of-the-art extru-
sion equipment at its Kent,
Washington, facility.
“We’re making this in-
vestment because we fully
believe in Mikron® and its
continued success,” said
Bob Daniels, president,
North American Fenes-
tration, Quanex Building
Products. “By driving new
efficiency in our manu-
facturing capabilities, our
customers will experience
the benefits firsthand in the
form of improved produc-
tion stability and overall
customer experience. The
new equipment will be first
and foremost safer, easier
to work with, featuring
cleaner, quieter and more
sustainable operations for
an improved plant floor
environment.”
The new lines are fully
digitised, enabling the pro-
duction team’s unprecedent-
ed insight into relevant data
and analytics to help drive
manufacturing efficiencies
at every level. Quanex
will continuously pursue
Industry 4.0 manufactur-
ing strategies that this new
equipment enables.
www.quanex.com
Lucie Miller Apeers as Southern
Regional Sales Manager
Ballymena based Apeer has
brought fresh expertise into the fold
with Lucie Miller as Southern Re-
gional Sales Manager. Responsible
for the Kent to Dorset south coast
quarter, Lucie joins as the company
looks to further promote its com-
prehensive Apeer door and Lumi
window ranges across the region.
As a stalwart of sales, Lucie’s
previous experience sits within
glazing, high end kitchen supplies
and lighting. Already impressed
at the attention to detail proffered
to Apeer’s quality control systems,
Lucie talked further about what
she hopes to achieve in the com-
ing months:
“I really like the products, and
the company’s ‘can do’ attitude,”
Lucie explained. “I’m good at
selling, and for me, maintaining
relationships to keep those sales
up is one of the most enjoyable
elements of the job.
“My focus will be on bringing
an awareness of the variety of
products we have, to new and
existing customers, ensuring that
we match products to people as
best we can.”
www.apeer.co.uk
Industry ‘hit for six’ by Glazing Summit
Almost 350 industry leaders
descended on Edgbaston Cricket
Stadium and Conference Centre
for the 2019 Glazing Summit – and
were hit for six by the event.
The Summit, in its second year,
attracted installers, fabricators
and suppliers from all over the
country.
They heard 25 speakers from
some of the industry’s most influ-
ential companies discuss some of
the biggest industry issues, includ-
ing sustainability and recycling,
navigating Brexit, fire regulations
and accreditations, innovation and
smart technology, and tackling the
skills shortage.
Keynote speakers included Adri-
an Webster, one of Britain’s leading
speakers on business, sales and
customer service, and RBS Bank
Director Neil Parker, a leading UK
economist and market strategist.
The audience were also able to
get involved and ask the panellists
questions thanks to interactive
app, Slido.
In the evening it was the turn
of the Leaders Dinner, which saw
200 VIPs enjoy an evening of
fine dining and networking, with
after-dinner speaker and Olympic
gold medallist Roger Black MBE
gaining rapturous applause.
www.glazingsummit.co.uk