Notice Board
Why We Don’ t Do Emergency Call-Outs
We don’ t do emergency work anymore, but that was a conscious choice. I’ ve got a young family, my wife and I have been together since we were 15, and we’ ve got two kids, Sunny and Grace. Family comes first.
Sunny’ s the same, he’ s got his partner, his dogs, and life outside work. We go on holidays together, his family and mine, we’ re a social bunch.
Emergency work can dominate your life if you let it. We decided to focus on planned work, installations and repairs. It’ s still security work, just a different model. If you’ re in the security market, there are loads of branches you can go down. We chose repairs and replacements.
Fastest Growing in Essex, but Still Grounded
We’ re fast becoming one of the biggest and fastest-growing double glazing firms in Essex. Each year we’ ve moved onwards and upwards. Growth for us isn’ t about chasing volume at any cost, it’ s about evolving without losing what made us successful in the first place. If it’ s not broken, don’ t fix it.
We’ re happy with the product range we’ ve built. Now it’ s about getting our name out there more and promoting our values. Sunny built our website himself. We’ re adding an aluminium windows section to it next.
Social media is something we’ re building back up. Our Facebook got hacked, so we’ re starting again. Instagram’ s ticking along nicely, Sunny’ s other half is brilliant on there and helps us push content.
We don’ t overcomplicate it. We focus on quality installs, clean repairs and looking after people properly.
The Reality & Fun of the Trade
It’ s not all smooth sailing. I hate traffic in London. Parking fines around Walthamstow are brutal. The travel can be tough, and traffic wardens don’ t care that you’ re trying to secure someone’ s home.
Then there are the funny stories you never forget. I once changed a barrel for a bloke who wanted the highest security
More info ELG is an Essex-based firm specialising in uPVC window installations, composite doors, aluminium systems, and locksmith repairs. Operating with three Certass-registered fitting teams and maintaining a strong locksmith division, the company offers both installation and maintenance services. All installations are backed by a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee and deposit protection scheme.
with coded keys. Twenty seconds after I handed him the keys, he dropped them down a drain while going out to his car, when his newly barrelled self-locking door shut behind him. He barely spoke English, and I thought I was going to have to drill out another brand-new cylinder and climb over his fence. Luckily, it was a thumbturn on the inside and I managed to get back in without too much drama, but I did have to drill the French door cylinder. It certainly keeps you on your toes.
Advice to Others in the Trade
If you’ re thinking about expanding into other related trades, just give it a go!
There’ s opportunity in window repairs, composite doors, aluminium systems and glazing installations. They’ re natural extensions that link back to security and property maintenance.
If you already have the skillset to strip a multi-point and change a cylinder, you’ re halfway there. It depends on your aspirations. If you fancy it, try it.
I was lucky I learned glazing and security work side by side from the start. A mate of mine, Stuart Pearson, who’ s in the army reserves, taught me a lot about glazing and repairs. We worked together doing jobs before he went on to run his own business.
Pride in the Process
What I love most? Working with my best mate. Being a business owner. The pride in seeing what we’ ve built. It’ s stressful, but it’ s worth it.
Every day is different. Different people, different characters, different challenges.
To me, it’ s an adventure with my best mate; we’ re building something together that will last, for both our families’ futures.
www. elgltd. co. uk 01371 499 826 info @ elgltd. co. uk
MARCH 2026
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