3
EDITOR’S COMMENT
A happy new year to all – and what a year this could be, not
just for the window, door and conservatory industry, but the
country as a whole.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to waste too many column inches
trying to guess what I think will happen at the end of March –
suffice to say that, as with all decent games of poker, there’s a
very good chance that neither party will show their true hand
until the very last minute.
The fact that it is almost impossible to predict how it will
all play out though is undeniably a concern, especially for an
industry that thrives on consumers having the confidence to
splash out on big ticket items such as windows and doors. So,
it’s no surprise then that Brexit is a key topic of conversation
among the 32 industry experts who have contributed to GGP’s
2019 New Year Messages. However, while most agree that the
political confusion will have an effect in the short term, the
general consensus is that everything will work itself out in
due course, and a number of companies have even reported
record growth up to December despite all the doom and gloom
in the papers. Even Northern Ireland based Apeer – home to
the Lumi product range – which is more exposed to potential
border issues than most, is upbeat and looking past the March
deadline with big investment in capacity and machinery to
keep on top of expected demand.
It is worth noting that many of those who are especially
positive about the coming months are those with premium
products to sell, which are of course attractive to more affluent
homeowners who are in turn less likely to have the jitters about
what could happen in a post Brexit UK.
But still, it would seem that, overall, those contributing to
our New Year Messages believe that the ongoing skills shortage,
increased cost of labour and the temptation to compete on
price will present greater challenges for the year ahead than the
outcome of our government’s efforts to leave the EU.
What else does the year hold in store? Well, the FIT Show in
May is going to be a real highlight, that’s for sure, but I can also
announce that GGP will be hosting an exciting new awards.
Scheduled for 3 October, the Conservatory & Orangery
Awards have been launched to recognise the innovation,
talent and skill that has been the driving force behind the
transformation in this sector.
More details, including how to enter, will be made available
very soon.
In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the January issue and
here’s to a prosperous 2019.
make the smarter choice
Aluminium
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Editor
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