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Their latest report suggests that a quarter of fenestration companies are trading at a loss.
For some, this will be their first year in which they have made a loss, so blaming the tough trading conditions is a valid excuse. But for some companies, this will be their second, third or even fourth year trading at a loss, so to blame the downturn in the economy will just be their excuse for not adapting to changing market conditions like other, better run firms have. You have to cut your cloth according to the market, for those companies who have been reluctant to cut costs, make redundancies and stream line the business in general, they are now suffering the consequences of poor business management.
For those who have made a loss for the first time this year, this might be the only occasion in which they make a loss. There has been a surge in business over the last two months or so, market conditions have certainly become a lot better. So we may find that this time next year, Plimsoll will give us something to read which is a bit easier on the eye.
