Times are changing. Again. The past two years have been perhaps some of the best business our industry has ever done in decades. The pandemic and lockdowns brewed a perfect trading environment as far as our sector was concerned. A severely limited economy where our industry found itself as one of the few that [...]
Near the end of March, we saw a double-dose of bad financial news. First, inflation rose to 6.2%, which exceeded forecasts of 6%. Rising inflation has prompted the Bank of England to start to raise interest rates from record lows to 0.75%. The BoE is expected to keep raising rates until inflation comes under [...]
Earnings season is getting underway in UK fenestration, where some of the biggest businesses in our sector will start to report their full 2021 results. Eurocell has just dropped theirs and it's a demonstration of just how strong demand was during the course of last year. Here are some of the highlights from that [...]
This is an open letter from Deceuninck UK Managing Director Rob McGlennon: It has gone in the blink of an eye, but we’re already through the first quarter of the year. The industry has been buoyant, and volumes remain high going into Q2. There are, however, headwinds on the horizon. Our hearts go out [...]
As we headed out of the first lockdown back in 2020, Google Trends data was used as a tool to indicate an implied boost in demand as the general public shifted their spending patterns towards home improvements. Now, Trends data is pointing to a slump in demand. Matching the anecdotal evidence that is out [...]
As is to be expected, persisting and rising inflation, coupled with the commodity spikes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a new wave of material price increases are incoming. Unlike 2020 and 2021, where the industry was going through a boom period, these latest increases set to hit are against a rapidly changing economic [...]
I think it is fair to say that 2022 is perhaps not panning out quite how we thought it would. We knew that the industry was slowing down. We knew that price inflation was becoming a bigger problem. However, the "wall of worry" as some financial analysts like to call it, is stacking up [...]
This is a press release from Improveasy: Austin Barcley, CEO and original founder of Improveasy, has completed an MBO for a controlling stake in the business. Austin, along with key personnel Chris Antrobus - ECO Funding Division, and Jeff Poole - Consumer Finance, is aiming for continued growth for the Altrincham based business. Michael [...]
In another move in the events calendar, BAU, which was due to be held in January 2023 has now been postponed to April 2023. Below is a statement published by the show via their website: BAU, the world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems, has been rescheduled from January to April 17-22, [...]
This is a statement from REHAU with regards to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and their operations in Russia: We have seen the development of the crisis and the suffering of the people in Ukraine with shock and great concern. As a company that operates in Ukraine, as well as in Russia and [...]
The war in Ukraine grinds on, and with each day the humanitarian crisis grows. Millions of people are being displaced within the country and are fleeing to their neighbours in Eastern Europe. But as the war in Ukraine continues, the fallout of the conflict is now very much working its way into various markets [...]
profine Group and their KÖMMERLING Better World Stiftung foundation have pledged €150,000 towards a humanitarian effort involving the purchase of urgent goods for the people and communities of Ukraine. They are now urging the UK fenestration market to get behind #FenestrationForUkraine through a dedicated JustGiving page at justgiving.co.uk and by searching for FenestrationForUkraine. As [...]
It seems rather frivolous and frankly quite pathetic to be talking about glass energy surcharges when you consider the carnage and suffering that is being endured by the Ukrainian people right now. But the war in Ukraine is a conflict that will have effects around the world, and UK fenestration will not be immune [...]
I don't know about you guys, but I am selling a lot of flush windows right now. Comfortably more than during the same period last year. Literally, every job I am selling and pricing up right now is in flush. Whether it's White or foiled. At the start of the year, we had an internal [...]
In a major deal for the fabrication sector within UK fenestration, it has been announced that European fenestration giants Inwido have acquired a 70% stake in Dekko Windows. Statement from Dekko Windows Inwido, Europe’s leading window group with 29 business units across 11 countries, has acquired a majority stake in Dekko and now own [...]
In the weeks to come, as the industry scrambles to get ready for revised Building Regulations coming into force from June 15th, there will be a massive increase in debate around the rules, their implementation and whether we need to be providing homeowners with a choice when it comes to trickle vents. The fact [...]
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