CONS ERVATORI E S & OR ANGERI E S
The dawn of a new order – and new orders
Neville Gleed, operations director at Abcell, talks about the effect that the Coronavirus has had on our
industry, and how Abcell is supporting installers coming back to a new way of working.
There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind
that the Coronavirus has changed the
world as we know it. Although many
manufacturers, including ourselves, have
returned to limited production under strict safety
measures, the lockdown is still very much in place.
We are not expecting to go back to ‘normality’ for
the foreseeable future, and that normal might be
very different.
Indeed, when restrictions are finally loosened
and we can all start to emerge from our homes,
blinking in the sunlight like bewildered moles, it’s
highly unlikely that the world will ever look quite
the same again.
Our industry needs to prepare for a new
order. I’m not talking about a Mad Max-style post
apocalypse situation, but rather a new way that
we look at how we sell, how we install and how we
continue to keep each other safe.
For us, it’s not just a case of just going back to
selling the same products as before. One of the
last things that we did before the lockdown, was
to expand our roof options. Not only are we the
UK’s largest trade manufacturer of the Guardian
Warm Roof, we have now added the complete
Ultraframe range to the products we offer.
During lockdown, we have put together the
marketing and sales support so that we are ready
to help customers to make the most of these
superb new products.
WORKING FROM HOME
We think that it’s likely that sales of extensions,
conservatories and garden rooms will increase
massively after the experience of the lockdown.
Recent figures reveal that between ˆ‰-Š‰% of the
population have been working from home. Once
lockdown restrictions are eased, it’s predicted that
a large proportion of these people will continue to
work from home, whether it’s on a full-time basis
or split between there and the office.
Rather than being squashed into the box room,
using a laptop in the lounge, or typing away on the
kitchen table, many will be thinking of investing in
a conservatory, orangery or garden room to create
a proper home office.
It’s not just for working spaces, homeowners
have had a very long time to take stock of their
properties while they’ve been stuck inside and
assess what improvements could be made,
May www.ggpmag.com
“We think that it's likely that sales of extensions,
conservatories and garden rooms will increase massively
after the experience of the lockdown”
and an urge to add extra space is likely to drive
the market. The other prevailing factor here is
safety. As social distancing rules are expected to
remain in place for the foreseeable future, and
government guidance being contentious regarding
working inside properties and interaction with
homeowners, the installation of windows may be
a grey area.
The very nature of extension projects and
conservatories require installers to be on the
outside for the majority of the job, meaning a safer
working environment for installation teams and
extra peace of mind for homeowners.
With these projects in mind, Abcell is the
fabricator that installers need to know about.
We have been manufacturing the Guardian
Warm Roof range for seven years and it is still
proving an incredibly popular choice for the
replacement of old conservatory roofs as well as
modern building projects.
By adding Ultraframe’s range of roofs to our
portfolio, we’re providing an even more expansive
selection for our customers to support homeowners
who are looking to extend their properties.
For those looking for glass, there’s the Classic
conservatory for a traditional finish or Ultrasky
for a more contemporary appearance. Solid roof
options are covered with the innovative Livinroof
and Ultraroof systems. There’s also the Classic
Lantern, Ultrasky Lantern and the award-winning
Ultrasky Flat Skylight.
To offer even more support, we’ve been
working with Ultraframe to provide a portal for
our customers, giving them access to a whole host
of information and marketing materials that will
enable to promote the benefits of this range to
homeowners.
Installers can offer these products to create
additional space and avoid the issues of working
in people’s homes. The latest information from
Certass says that installation companies can work
on conservatory projects now. We will continue
to support customers in every way we can, to help
them back to work in the new order.
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