This is the new Modus system from Eurocell. Many of you may have seen it at the FiT Show a couple of weeks ago. It is part of a new 75mm deep window, door, french doors and bi-folds timber alternative system that has gained great interest up to now. It has a challenging yet interesting set of woodgrain colours that I personally like quite a lot and the green and environmental USP’s of this product are pretty good. Very good in fact and far ahead of many others in the sector. You can see more of those stats here: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/2014/05/eurocell-launch-new-modus-system-and-you-can-get-it-from-john-fredericks/

However what we are looking at here isn’t just a new product being launched, but a see change in the way PVC systems companies and the wider PVC industry is going to operate.

What the Modus product signals is a profound change in the way PVC systems companies see the wider industry. Up until now, the timber alternative market has been forged by companies who have produced a product from scratch. Take Evolution for example. They were born in 2004 (if my memory serves me right) and in those ten years in business they have arguably created the style of timber alternative market we see today. Now, there are other on the market such as Residence 9 and Prestige. These are all brand new, dedicated products designed from scratch by start up companies. And this is great. It is from start ups that industry’s grown and become bigger animals.

But the launch of Modus is something different. This is (and again please correct me if I’m wrong here) the first dedicated timber alternative product, made from scratch, to be released onto the market by an already established systems company. This is probably a bigger moment than most of us appreciate. And a sign of the way things are going to change.

What the new Modus system actually is is a recognition that the PVC sector is changing, and changing rapidly. Only ten years ago we saw our first timber alternative product hit the market. Now it has gone from niche to full size market in double quick time. Those watching on the side lines had two option. The first was to continue to watch this niche grow and grow, leaving them behind. The other was to try and get into the emerging market quickly, before it became overcrowded, saturated and moderately profitable.

The systems companies on mass have really stayed quite quiet about the whole thing. Up until now, it has been left to small and medium sized businesses to blaze the trail and forge a new sector. However with the arrival of Modus, I think it is safe to say that the bigger companies have now finally peaked their heads over the wall and are now starting to understand where the PVC market is going in the next few years.

Driven by consumer demand for timber or timber-like products, the window and door marketing is going to continue to see a growing demand for timber-alternative products. Homeowners love the idea of low maintenance products, but not always the looks of PVC itself. But a timber alternative product, one that looks like wood but has all the advantages of PVC, might be just the thing that discerning homeowner is looking for.

I have seen this demand locally too. Our customers, especially when it comes to entrance doors, are going fore more traditional styles and designs, but still want to use PVC.

This demand I believe will grow, and grow for a very long time. As competition remains strong, the range of products out there will continue to expand, with many of them falling into the timber alternative category. PVC won’t be seen as that old fashioned, chunky white plastic for much longer. And it is the launch of something like Modus, by a systems company, which is going to herald a profound change in the way the PVC sector operates. It may not be a quick change, but lets see where we are in another decade. I can confidently say it will be vastly different, and hopefully, vastly improved.