PROFI L E S & SYS T EMS
Profine Group begins UK
manufacturing
Following the acquisition of essential assets from Aperture Group, formerly
Synseal, by Profine Group, we interview Gareth Jones, managing director of Profine
UK about the deal, the respective brands and what it means to them in the UK.
GGP: It’s widely known that you have been
looking for a UK extrusion facility for some time
now, which was mentioned by Dr Peter Mrosik
back at the FIT Show in 2 €. But how did the
deal come about with the administrators of
Aperture Group?
Gareth Jones (GJ): It’s been widely reported about
our interest in another systems house, and we’ve
also assessed the cost of a brand-new facility in the
UK. However, acquisition was always our preferred
route for several reasons, not least of having the
infrastructure and staff in place.
There were rumours circulating for a few months
about Aperture which alerted us and Profine Group
back in Germany, and so when the official news
came out through the administrators, we were quick
to move. It’s been challenging through lockdown,
as few could get involved in the acquisition and it
was ultimately down to a limited group to get the
deal done via phone, video conferencing and with
minimal site visits.
The administrators wanted the business assets
to be passed on to a group with a sound financial
platform and as a long-term view. The deal also
needed to be in the best interests of the local labour
June www.ggpmag.com
market, which has suffered with the demise of
Aperture since the beginning of the year.
GGP: How have you gone about getting staff
back into the business quickly and at a time
where we are still facing lockdown criteria?
GJ: Incredibly, we were extruding profiles less
than € hours after the deal went through, which
is testament to the staff and the way in which the
business was left at the point of administration. As a
further point, I’m keen to highlight the way in which
those Aperture staff left the business, in a dignified
and professional way.
There were ‚6 skeleton staff left within the
business and these key staff have continued with us
and have been joined with a further …† which were
recruited in just €8 hours. We have plans to further
recruit as the industry starts to pick up again.
Order intake has been remarkably strong, given
the fact that businesses are only just returning after
the enforced lockdown and there’s a genuine feeling
of delight throughout the newly formed business.
GGP: There are a number of brands now in
the portfolio for Profine UK, but how are you
looking to integrate these within the business?
GJ: The respective brands of Kömmerling,
WarmCore, Evolve and Legend all sit under the
umbrella of Profine UK, which is our ultimate
trading entity in the UK. Prior to the acquisition, we
spoke to a number of Aperture’s customers as part
of the due diligence process and we’ve been keen to
highlight that we’ll be investing across the business
and in all brands.
Collectively, all of our customers can now benefit
from an expanded product portfolio that’s part
of one of the world’s most trusted and respected
PVC-U systems houses.
So, while the short-term position is to manage
the integration of the business, we may look to
re-brand some of the inherited elements, but only if
it is right for our customers.
GGP: Have you got major plans to help launch
these brands to a wider audience in ‹ ‹ and
beyond?
GJ: We have got plans in place for the FIT Show
in †” already and it seems the perfect platform
in which to present all the Profine brands to the
industry as a whole. By then we will have a clear
Following on from the acquisition of essential assets from Aperture Trading, Profine
Group sold the finished window and door manufacturing facilities to Solar Norvik and
Solar Calibre Doors for an undisclosed sum. Pictured from left to right; Gareth Jones
with Carl Lewis, managing director of Solar Norvik and Solar Calibre Doors
/www.ggpmag.com
