30
NEW YEAR MESSAGES
Martin Thurley,
group MD,
Liniar
Andrew Scott,
MD, Purplex
marketing
I begin this message by
wishing a Happy New Year
to Liniar fabricators, fitters,
families and friends, as
well as our contacts in the industry.
2019 has been a very successful year for Liniar
and Avantek Machinery, despite tough market conditions. We’ve
achieved double-digit growth and excellent statistics in terms of
service, support and sustainability.
2020 brings with it a renewed commitment to our core values:
safety, investment, innovation, quality and service, sustainability
and people. At the centre of it all are the people who work
tirelessly to ensure Liniar remains an industry leader.
Safety is our number one operational objective and we remain
committed to ensuring the safety of all Liniar employees and
visitors to our facility. We can’t allow ourselves to slip into
complacency. There are always ways to improve – and we will.
We’re delighted to announce that our parent company Quanex
has agreed to record levels investment in 2020, supporting future
growth in the business and helping Liniar to push forward
into future endeavours. Since acquisition in 2015, Quanex has
invested approximately £40m into the business.
If 2019 has taught us anything as an industry, it’s that
investment is essential to the prosperity of all businesses. A lack
of long-term investment can do irreparable damage to a business
– effecting everything from the quality of extrusion and products
to customer service, support and delivery.
Known for industry-leading ideas, Liniar’s design and
development department will use the next 12 months to continue
to create new, exciting sustainability-focused products whilst
further enhancing thermal performance for windows, doors and
conservatories. Watch this space!
We’re overjoyed that our ‘On Time, In Full’ delivery record
is at an exceptional 99% – and we’re focused on maintaining
and improving those numbers in 2020. Liniar is committed
to continuing to provide world-class customer service and the
unparalleled support we’re known for.
With Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)
beginning April 2020, it’s essential everyone in the fenestration
industry remain focused on improving their sustainability
numbers and the size of their carbon footprint. It’s everyone’s
collective responsibility to take sustainability seriously – and for
Liniar this translates into expanding our recycled product line,
continuing to develop our recycling capacity as well as additional
initiatives across the business to reduce personal waste.
At the centre of these core values are people. Liniar’s people
make it possible for Liniar to provide the level of service and
product development that it does. To support people within the
community and the business, Liniar will continue to boost the
number of apprentices it employs – currently at 13 and invest in
personal development plans for current employees.
The industry has had a
challenging three years since
the referendum in 2016 and
overall volumes are down across the
industry, with some industry leaders saying there has been an
8-10% year on year decline while others have said it’s as high as
15%.
But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom, as an increase in order
values through premium and niche products, and single-storey
extensions compared to conservatories, have helped bolster the
industry.
Given the recent political outcome there will be a lot of work to
do around Brexit which will still mean some uncertainty, but once
we get past this then we can expect to see consumers loosening the
purse strings.
It’s likely to be a trickle at first, but this will lead to greater
confidence as we move forward through the year and the floodgates
will open, and we should see an increase in sales and new business.
Added value products will continue to grow, particularly large
span patio doors, while we have seen consumers move away from
“It’s likely to be a trickle at rst, but
this will lead to greater condence
as we move forward through the year
and the oodgates will open, and we
should see an increase in sales and
price to quality so, in that respect, companies with showrooms,
where they can demonstrate products, will be winners.
The Government setting a target of net-zero carbon emissions by
2050 also presents the industry with a wonderful opportunity.
Consumers are far more environmentally aware about the drive
towards more energy efficient homes and home improvement
companies are well positioned to maximise this.
Companies must constantly keep adapting to their market – as
well as thinking about windows, doors and extensions they should
start thinking about other home improvement products that add
energy efficiency in homes as an added opportunity.
Businesses that look at investing to grow will be the ones that are
the most successful in 2020.
2020 will also be an interesting year as we have three huge
industry events – Fensterbau, FIT Show and the Glazing Summit.
As an industry we like to connect, and these events are so
important for that.
From our point of view, we have seen a huge uptake already in
interest in the Glazing Summit, which takes place on Thursday, 8
October at Edgbaston Stadium and we are promising several new
developments and initiatives for it which we are excited about.
www.ggpmag.com January 2020
new business”
/www.ggpmag.com
