10
NEWS
A ‘good year’ for GGF Commercial
www.ggpmag.com January 2020
In brief
• Following news that
Northampton-based
Panoglass has entered
administration, Panoramic
Group has offered
reassurance that the other
divisions within the Group
continue to trade successfully
and nancially securely.
Alan Rees, the company’s
managing director, said:
“Despite signi cant and
ongoing injections of cash
since we acquired the
company a year ago, it has
been impossible to bring
Panoglass to pro tability
and the decision to place the
company into administration
to stem substantial losses
became inevitable.
“Although we had introduced
a number of innovative new
products together with
advanced manufacturing and
management processes, the
UK market for insulated glass
units remains dif cult in terms
of uctuating demand and
the ongoing con ict between
low prices and demand for
ever higher product quality
and service, something that is
well documented and which
has brought a number of other
similar companies to their
knees. We regret that we too
have been unable to overcome
the deeply rooted dif culties
facing this sector.
“The other divisions of
Panoramic Group are
unaffected by the decision,
continuing to enjoy strong
demand for high quality,
innovative products and with
an excellent nancial base.
With the political unrest now
apparently resolved we expect
demand for Panoramic Group
windows and doors to grow
sharply.”
Anda Gregory, managing director
of the Glass & Glazing Federation’s
Commercial Group, has said that
2019 was ‘a great year, with so much
more to come’ at a recent press
event, during which she offered an
overview of the achievements and
future plans of its brands.
Discussing each of the
Commercial Group’s brands, which
include Fensa, BFRC, Installsure
(formerly GGFi), Borough
IT and RISA, Anda said that
cooperation and unity between the
commercial businesses “has been
unprecedented…helping us to make
more of each company, in terms of
promoting each other’s businesses
and lending expertise to deliver the
best service possible.”
A record year
Referring to the rebranding of
the former GGFi to Installsure,
which was carried out, in part, to
remove confusion between GGFi
customers and GGF membership,
Anda reported that 2019 has been
a record year for applications
to join the specialist insurance
and fi nancial services provider,
facilitated by better marketing,
improved communications within
the Group, the digital distribution
of documentation and the simple
provision of an online application
form.
Inspections and audit body, RISA,
was the next to receive attention.
Anda reported that crucial changes
were made to how the team
operates with subtle yet highly
effective changes such as renaming
‘inspectors’ as ‘assessors’: “This has
fundamentally changed how we
do things so that the assessors now
develop personal relationships with
the Fensa approved installers in
their area,” said Anda, “improving
customer service, and delivering
a higher number of on-site
assessments with the fi tters and a
greater level of effi ciency with fewer
miles covered.”
Borough IT continues to offer
bespoke IT development services
to the glass and glazing industry
as well as the wider construction
sector, recently working with LABC
(Local Authority Building Control)
to support government on receiving
necessary data from Competent
Person Schemes such as Fensa. The
main focus of Borough IT, said
Anda, has been the provision of
delivering on a large number of
big IT change projects for the other
businesses within the group
The British Fenestration Rating
Council – BFRC – has also
undergone signifi cant change,
reported Anda, including a new
rebranding and website designed
to promote BFRC as the best way
for companies to prove the energy
effi ciency performance of their
products. BFRC is also expecting
UKAS accreditation and a number
of new product developments are
expected in 2020.
BFRC will also be organising a
further Fabricators’ Forum early
in 2020, with an emphasis on the
anticipated revisions to Approved
Document L of the Building
regulations, and how it will affect
the UK fenestration industry.
Fensa continues to be the
highest profi le brand of the GGF
Commercial Group, a position that
has been extended during 2019.
Anda reported that despite
the diffi cult trading conditions,
uncertainty and economic worries,
Fensa job notifi cations remain
buoyant with around 570,000
installations in 2019, mirroring the
number reported for 2018.
Anda stated that it had been
recognised during a review in 2018
that customer service had to be
improved and big improvements
have taken place, with the team
strengthened with recruitment and
training.
“Safety glazing failure rates
haven’t been showing any signs of
improvement, so we’ve had to take
a tougher stance on this to start
moving the dial,” she added, “so
we’ve started a campaign to reduce
the incidences of failures due to
safety glazing, which is fundamental
to keeping homeowners safe in their
homes.
“Partnerships with training
providers have also been established
to offer upskilling for installers
across the industry, with more to
come in future months.”
The GGF Commercial Group MD
ended her address with reference to
the Fensa TV commercial. Combined
with sponsorship, she reported that
the advertisements have reached
63% of the adult UK population,
with each person seeing the
messaging an average of 8.1 times,
equating to more than 247million
viewings.
The TV campaign, together with
social media, a new and improved
website and increased activity
through PR and press advertisements
has signifi cantly improved the
visibility of Fensa. “Fensa had rested
on its laurels for too long,” admitted
Anda. “Although brand recognition
by homeowners was okay, it wasn’t
as high as we needed it to be for
the good of our Fensa approved
installers and there was confusion
around what Fensa actually did or
meant.”.
Anda fi nished by saying that
activity for all divisions will be
stepped up during 2020: “Despite
the signifi cant achievements of 2019
we have no intention of reducing
the intensity of change throughout
the GGF Commercial Group, and
we will continue with a range of
initiatives for each division, all of
which will be designed to increase
the effectiveness and in turn of
course, commercial competitiveness
of each brand.”
Alan Rees
“Although brand recognition by
homeowners was okay, it wasn’t as high as
we needed it to be”
Anda Gregory
/www.ggpmag.com
