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NEW YEAR MESSAGES
David Leng,
group CEO,
Customade
John Hewitt,
chairman,
Glazerite Group
2019 was another
positive year for
Customade Group
and we outperformed
the market with strong sales volumes
“20 years on, we’re proud to have
become a leading Veka fabricator,
producing a range of top quality
products including the Imagine
vertical slider and Halo
ush sash.
We’ve also expanded our portfolio to
include the likes of Solidor and the
www.ggpmag.com January 2020
achieved across the group.
There are a number of factors – namely politics and Brexit –
that will impact on end user confidence and therefore on the
fortunes of the industry, so who really knows what 2020 holds?
But, in light of the political and economic uncertainty, it’s fair to
say that we can all expect a lot of change and disruption during
the year.
With predictions of doom and gloom, consumer confidence
will weaken and market share shift will be difficult to achieve, so
it’s vital that we help our existing customers to grow. Our trade
installers will need more support than ever and that’s why we’ve
focused on developing new products and innovations that will
add value to their businesses and prepare them for any future
challenges.
The investments we’ve made over the last 12 months to
improve our systems, remove any manufacturing bottle necks and
develop our staff will enable us to give better customer service in
2020. All this means that we (and our customers) can approach
this year with confidence and optimism.
We set a new benchmark in the industry when we unveiled the
best homeowner guarantee on the market for PVC-U products
and we revolutionised how installers work with our unique lead
generation package – ‘Quote to Win’. This is the only app that
solves the perennial problem of how installers generate, manage
and convert leads. There will be more developments on these
resources this year.
We also introduced a cloud-based quoting and ordering system
for Real Aluminium and Duraflex customers and we delivered
more high margin opportunities for installers with the launch of
the Atlas Lantern 2.0 – the slimmest and best-looking lantern on
the market.
We’ve also improved on our manufacturing performance and
have boosted our production capacity and product range since
acquiring the assets of GMB Panels and Indigo Windows.
This year is very much about further improving on our
customer service and OTIF performance. We’ve invested in new
equipment to enhance our manufacturing processes and further
improve on the consistency and quality of products and we’ll be
introducing end to end scanning in all of our factories during
Quarter 1. 2020 may be a bumpy year but Customade Group will
be working hard with customers to overcome whatever challenges
it brings.
When Glazerite was
founded back in 2000,
group managing director,
Jason Thompson, and I set out to
build a fabrication business which would offer installers great
products and reliable service.
Our first product was the Veka Matrix 58mm, which we produced
from our original facility, a 1000ft2 unit in Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire.
20 years on, we’re proud to have become a leading Veka
fabricator, producing a range of top quality products including the
Imagine vertical slider and Halo flush sash.
We’ve also expanded our portfolio to include the likes of Solidor
and the Residence Collection, and grown our UK presence with
manufacturing hubs in Bolton, Peterborough and Wellingborough.
Glazerite’s success is thanks to our installer partners, employees
and suppliers and it’s them I’d like to thank personally for
supporting me through an extremely difficult 12 months. In
December 2018, I lost my daughter Kelly after she took her own life.
Since then, I’ve set up the charity We Mind & Kelly Matters, which
is dedicated to telling her story, and raises awareness and much
needed funds for mental health charities including Mind.
The industry has really shown its generosity and has helped us to
raise over £20,000 so far, with the likes of Independent Network,
Residence Collection”
Veka and many of our installer partners throwing their weight
behind the charity. It’s an amount we’re aiming to add to with
this summer’s cycling challenge, when a party of 12 of us – Kelly’s
Heroes – will cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End. With the
support of Gary from GM Fundraising, we hope to complete the
ride in just under two weeks.
In the meantime, and in amongst the Glazerite 20th birthday
celebrations and training for the Kelly’s Heroes ride, 2020 will
be a year for me to reflect both personally and professionally. I’d
urge you also to see the New Year as a chance to look ahead, look
around, to listen and talk to friends, family and colleagues, whether
that’s about your own mental well-being or theirs. It’s important to
keep talking and raise awareness.
“it’s fair to say that we can all expect
a lot of change and disruption”
/www.ggpmag.com
