We live in modern times do we not? The internet and associated technologies have allowed almost anything to be a reality right now. Even drones are about to start delivering our goods to our door. Not sure if that’s a tad lazy to be honest, but the technology and the brains behind it are impressive. And the same goes for our own industry. When you look at the products out now, and the ones about to hit the industry in the coming months, this is clearly the most innovative and advanced our industry has ever been.
Onslaught of new products
Sit back for a few minutes and consider the range of new products and innovations you know of now, that you didn’t know 5-10 years ago. I bet you could name at least ten. I know I can.
Recently we’ve had WarmCore bi-folding doors from Synseal, Rustique 3 triple glazing from John Fredericks, seamless glazing from Apeer, the Modus window and door system from Eurocell. We’re about to see Sage Glass’s excellent solar control glass hit the market in the UK very soon.
Thinking a little further back we’ve had the New Wave Swing and Slide door to rival the bi-folding door. The explosion of the timber alternative niche into a proper market sector has been impressive. The Ultion high security door cylinder has taken the market by storm. Italian company AGB launched their Imago door product to the UK this year too.
The composite window seems to be bubbling away nicely now. The solid conservatory roof sector has boomed in recent years too. Even within existing product portfolios the options list has been getting longer at a quick pace, with colour options becoming even more varied, hardware suites are constantly expanding, hardware finished are doing the same too.
Frenzied
Have the R & D departments in the window and door industry ever been as frenzied or as busy as this? I’d wager a few quid that they haven’t. I’m sure their staff are really earning their wages right now.
There is real hard competition between systems houses and fabricators to keep one step ahead of their competition. Whether it’s in new products, new services or marketing support, companies are doing their very best to keep their noses ahead of their rivals.
Whilst this is a good thing in general terms for the industry, it simply cannot last forever. It’s great that our industry is willing to try everything to see what works, and inevitably some new ideas and products will become successes. But some will not. I believe that right now we’re in a very experimental phase where the industry is deciding what works and what doesn’t.
It’s this extreme product development and experimental phase that will shape how our industry looks and operates in a few years time. We don’t really know what or how many of these new innovations will succeed and stick around. But one thing is for sure, it is driving forward quality and standards in our industry and that can only be a good thing for everyone involved, including home owners.
