Clearview Midlands October 2013 - Issue 143 | Page 20

industrynews

BEATING COMPOSITE ON COST
FOR MERTHYR CARE HOME
Synseal’s Legend70 profile helped PVC-U
beat composite to a 100-frame contract for
a new-build care home at Merthyr Tydfil in
South Wales.
The main contractor and local authority
were originally looking to use composite for
the window and door frames at the home
in Treharris, as Sean Mullins, director of
fabricator/installer BWM Ltd explained:
“But when I showed them the Legend profile
and the cost saving over composite, they went
for it straight away. It had the right kind of
specification and the grey on white was just

the look they wanted and of course, we were
able to give a much better price.” BWM,
based in nearby Pontypridd, has been working
with Legend for about 15 years. Commercial
contracts now account for over two thirds
of its business and while Legend is designed
specifically for the commercial market, Sean
explained that the company finds it equally
suitable for all of its work:
“We are able to use the same system for
all our PVC-U. It does the job, whether it’s
commercial or domestic, and that keeps things
simple at the factory.”

‘It had the right kind
of specification’

BRITISH ECONOMY IS TURNING A CORNER
The British economy is turning a corner but many risks remain Chancellor
George Osborne has said in a keynote speech on the economy.
The Chancellor pointed to evidence
showing that the government’s economic
plan is working, but said that, “these are
still the early stages of recovery.
“The last few months have decisively ended
[the] controversy” about fiscal policy, he said.
He added that heeding calls to abandon the
government’s economic plan in order to spend
and borrow more would have undermined
the recovery and “would be disastrous” now.
The Chancellor explained in the speech a

detailed analysis of recent data to explain why,
although many risks still remain, the emerging
recovery is broad based and sustainable.
He add that many of the risks the UK
faces are international, but that the UK must
remain vigilant to any domestic risks that
could emerge and avoid the mistakes of the
past.
This includes using the government’s new
regulatory system to spot imbalances as they
emerge, staying the course with the deficit

reduction plan and following through with
far-reaching economic and structural reforms.
The Chancellor said: “Our economic plan
is the only sustainable way to raise living
standards.
“Low mortgage rates. A £10,000 Personal
Allowance. Fuel duty frozen. And soon tax free
childcare. These make huge, positive impacts
on the cost of living. And none of this would
be possible if we had abandoned our tough
spending plans.”

GLAZING BUSINESSES SEE VALUE IN
SKILLS SAYS NEW TRAINING PROVIDER
The Government’s continuing
support of Apprenticeships
and commitment to vocational
skills is having a positive effect

20

OCT 2013

at the sharp end of the glazing
industry, according to national
independent training provider,
4GE Academy.
In its first nine months
of operation, Essex-based
4GE Academy has seen a
significant uplift in the number
of installation businesses
undertaking some form of skills
development for their personnel.
Run by a team that possesses
over 50 years of experience within

the glass and glazing sector, 4GE
Academy has so far registered
more than 200 candidates
on vocational qualifications,
in a drive to boost workforce
recognition and showcase the
sector as a desirable career
choice.
According to Neil Robinson,
Director, 4GE Academy, who
has spent over 30 years in the
glass industry, there is a growing
acknowledgement that training,

rather than being seen as a cost to
the business, represents a sound
future investment:
“More than ever before, a
company’s fitting credentials
are under scrutiny and that
means a workforce must have
the right skills. We are starting
to see a culture shift where there
is increasing engagement in the
training agenda.”
www.4geacademy.com

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