Sheffield based fabricator and installer, Ford Windows, is celebrating a new milestone in its continuing growth and development – its 40th year in the industry. And, despite its maturity, the company is continuing to grow.
“Our business has seen double-digit growth over the past four years and we’re currently on target to maintain this through 2017,” said managing director Philip Shackley.
The company now fabricates 2,000 windows a week with 180 staff in Sheffield, producing another 400 a week at its East Kilbride satellite operation, which serves the Scottish market.
And that commitment to service is reflected in a 60-strong customer base that includes some of the UK’s top house builders among its clients – Barratt Development, Persimmon, and Taylor Wimpey to name just three.
“We believe in adding value and reacting quickly to what the customer wants,” Philip says. “If there is a problem then we aim to get it sorted in 24 hours.”
The management team has just overseen an investment programme of nearly £1 million that includes the acquisition of two Stuga ZX4 sawing and machining centres that can produce an extra 800 to 1,000 windows per week with only two operators each. These produce Eurocell Eurologik 70mm windows in response to demand from house builders for improved U-values, which the six-chambered design delivers with ease as it is one of the first windows to achieve the UK’s highest possible energy rating: A++.
Philip Shackley believes that Ford Windows’ strong relationship with Eurocell has been a key factor in the company’s success.
“We chose Eurocell because of its excellent reputation for fabricator support and innovation. It’s thanks to its excellent product and our own commitment to best-in-class customer service that we have been able to grow to this size and still expand,” he said.
