PRO INSTALLER OCTOBER 2016
@ proinstaller1
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PRO NEWS
A RETURN TO LOCAL BUILDING PRODUCTS?
With imported building products becoming more expensive in the aftermath of Brexit, it’ s no wonder that some experts have predicted a rise in construction costs by up to 12 %. But as imports are becoming less competitive, could some British manufacturers profit from it? Andrew Scott, MD of marketing agency Purplex, looks at the numbers.“ We believe there will be a strong favourable trend in the domestic market towards building products manufactured locally over the next couple of years,” said Andrew. |
According to the Building Materials and Components Statistic published by the Office for National Statistics, last year electrical wires were both the most imported building products – with a total value of £ 1.55billion, as well as the most exported, accounting for £ 684million. One of the main reasons is that products manufactured in Britain are often a higher grade or quality and therefore more expensive than what the local construction market requires or is willing to pay. Timber window frames are another example, as Andrew explains:“ We have a strong tradition of manufacturing them in |
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the UK, but many constructors prefer imports from countries like Poland, although they accept that the arrangement comes with some disadvantages. At the same time, British joineries will export their production to other markets at higher prices – a recent study by Barclays shows that the‘ Made in Britain’ label commands premium rates overseas, and we believe that trend will continue undeterred.“ But with cost gaps between imports / exports closing, the UK construction market will turn its attention more firmly to what the local manufacturing sector has to offer. This is an excellent opportunity for building product companies to grasp more market share through effective branding and positioning,” added Andrew.“ Obviously many British building product manufacturers import their raw materials and components, which has already pushed some of them to roll out price hikes after the Brexit announcement. However in the longer term we will potentially see them bringing more stages of their production back in the UK, and sourcing their components more locally,” said Andrew. He concluded:“ A big part of what we do at Purplex, as marketing experts for the construction industry and the building products
Managing Director – Andrew Scott
sector, is to spot market trends and changes in demand and supply, and strategically use this information to increase our clients’ commercial advantage.”
www. purplexmarketing. com
ROOM WITH A SEA VIEW
PatioMaster customer Millennium Windows and Doors has recently finished a sliding door installation on a modern coastal property – with spectacular results. Sales manager Steve Rushton explained:“ The customer did originally want bi-folding doors, but we recommended he look at sliders as the view would be obscured with bi-fold pillars. The 2 x four pane and 2 x two pane doors now maximise the view and flood light into the property, giving a complete wall-to-wall view of the sea.“ The customer also choose 6mm self-cleaning glass, as due to the property’ s location it gets a lot of spray from the sea. Extremely pleased with the finished result, the customer requested an additional 4 pane door be fitted around a built-in outdoor BBQ area, which complements the overall look brilliantly. Millennium Windows has been working with PatioMaster for around 14 years now, and as Steve says, has never experienced any production issues.“ PatioMaster offers a premium quality product, with superior performance and design flexibility, and that suits our brand in PVCu perfectly.“ The wide range of colours enables us to colour match to our windows and other PVCu products and we like the motion of the doors, plus the guarantees are great, with ten years on mechanisms. All these factors attribute to us using, and recommending, PatioMaster doors. We install a lot of PatioMaster sliding doors and never experience issues with installation or the production.”
PatioMaster works through a small network of local craftsmen, to offer homeowners the reassurance of a trusted major brand, with the support and knowledge of a local company. With low profile frames, quality construction and security features, PatioMaster inline sliding doors are available in a range of 28 colours and finishes, from anthracite grey and rosewood through to vibrant pastel shades and Irish oak. To find out more visit www. patiomaster. co. uk.
For more information about Millennium Windows, call 01534 491108 or visit www. millenniumci. co. uk
Tool distribution transfer
Xpert Tools, known throughout the fenestration industry for its range of air tools, hand tools, and glazing tools has transferred sole distributorship of its products to major UK distributor Window Ware.
Window Ware has been distributing a wide range of Xpert Tools for a number of years but felt it was time to become the sole distributor of the Xpert product range. All customers who previously purchased Xpert branded products, and other brands such as Lowe, Stanley, Marples, and Thor from previous distributor WIC Ltd, will be now be looked after by Window Ware. Window Ware’ s managing director Samantha Nuckey said:“ We are entering an exciting new phase where we are widening our product portfolio in direct response to the needs of our customers. The opportunity for sole distributorship of Xpert Tools is going to be a
key factor to allow us to serve and support our customers even better than before, not only by offering a wider range of goods, but with our recent technology investments in our website, warehouse, and purchasing systems, all to enhance our service offering.”
The full range of Xpert products is available from Window Ware. Visit www. windowwware. co. uk / brands / xpert