As we head towards the end of the year, I have been asking some of the MDs of the sponsors on DGB to give us their insights on this year, how they believe they have done this year, and what they expect to see in the coming new year. To kick things off is Debbie Hendry, Director of colour spraying experts Kolorseal. These are the questions (not too taxing) that I put to her, and the answers in return.
1. In comparison to 2014, how would you say business has been this year?
Well, in 2014 we hit the ground running in January and stayed busy almost all year. However, this year has been very up & down for the first 7 months, but then from August onwards we have hardly had chance to catch our breath.
2. Given your position at the head of the market, where do you see colour going in the window and door industry over the next 5-10 years?
I think that colour can only grow. It will become more and more popular as the homeowners begin to realise how vast their choice of colour really is.
3. What makes your spraying process better than others?
I don’t know if our spraying process is particularly better than anyone else who use the right product and prepare their product in the correct manner. I think the reason Kolorseal stands out is that we are organised. We collect and deliver if required. We turn things around in 7 days. We schedule jobs into different booths, we check every item through every stage from arrival through to prep, paint, protect and despatch. Even every individual roof part gets checked.
4. What is the most popular colour you have sprayed this year?
I think most people could guess that RAL 7016 (Anthracite Grey) is the most popular colour at present.
5. Which material have your sprayed more of this year; PVCu or aluminium?
We have sprayed most PVCu but composite panels are a very close second place. Aluminium and glass are far behind in comparison but I do see the Aluminium on the rise.
6. How do you expect the colour market to perform in the UK fenestration sector in 2016?
I expect colour to have huge growth year on year for the next few years. It is still an unknown option to a lot of home owners and builders alike.
I think the answer given to the first question is telling. It’s not the first time someone has said that this year hasn’t been as busy as perhaps we all thought it might be. Great to hear that in the latter part of the year things picked up.
I also agree with Debbie completely about the strength of growth in coloured products over the coming few years. As she remarks in the final question, many home owners are still unaware about the possibility of colour, and that they don’t need to settle for the same old same old.
