DOORS & WINDOWS
Top of the class
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A BEAUTIFUL AND historic yet remote and weatherexposed building has been given a new lease of life thanks to Norscot , fabricators and installers of state-of-the-art PVCu window systems from The VEKA UK Group .
Abden House in Dornoch , on the east coast of the Scottish Highlands was built in the 1890s to house the vast art collection of a wealthy businessman . Later it became Ross Hostel , then Ross House , today acting as an occupied college and office building – part of the University of the Highlands and Islands ’ North Highland campus .
“ As is so often the case with old buildings , Ross House ’ s existing timber-framed sash and casement windows were in a state of decay , and far past their best in terms of thermal insulation and weatherproofing ,” explains Callum Grant , Commercial Director at Norscot . “ We tendered for the job through Public Contracts Scotland and were pleased to win the contract on the strength of our ability to independently manage both fabrication and installation , and our offering of industry-leading window systems from VEKA .
“ Working with educational institutions often holds strict time implications for contractors , dependent on term dates and the seasonality of the academic year . I ’ m pleased to report that we were able to deliver the entire 95 window project in the month from May to June , causing as little disruption to the college ’ s staff , students and visitors as feasibly possible .”
Norscot liaised closely with the college ’ s Estates Manager and people who regularly use the building , to determine the details of the systems recommendation . “ It was important that the new windows were styled sympathetically to the heritage of Ross House , especially as certain historic internal features of the building were specified to be retained ,” Callum continues .
“ Following a comprehensive on-site survey , 92 Tilt and Turn windows were fabricated using VEKA ’ s M70 profile . The
versatility of the system , both in terms of its non-intrusive styling and flexible methods of opening made it ideal for this job . The remaining three windows included two fixed casements and one circular ‘ bullseye ’ window , again using M70 profile , foiled white both inside and out .”
www . vekauk . com
40 years in the making
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LET ’ S FACE IT , RUNNING A business is hard work . So to have 40 successful years under your belt is a remarkable achievement and that ’ s exactly what Lister Trade Frames of Stoke on Trent has achieved this year .
Established in 1976 and operating from a shed at the bottom of the then owner ’ s garden , nobody could have foreseen the impact that Listers would have in the market place .
Mark Warren , Managing Director , takes up the story ,“ I joined Listers , fabricating PVCu windows , in 1987 bringing the workforce to just 3 people . PVCu was a relatively new product and we truly made hay whilst the sun shone , rapidly outgrowing and expanding our premises and eventually moving our factory into the centre of Stoke on Trent .”
Over the following 10 years Listers focus on quality products and effective marketing saw sales blossom from an annual turnover of just £ 200k to over £ 3million and employing over 50 staff .
“ We ’ ve had lots of competition over the years but our focus on building long lasting trade partnerships has always worked in our favour ,” said Mark . “ Often being the first in the UK to deliver new products and standards of service , our innovation and strategy has always kept us ahead , strong and successful .
“ Fast forward to 2012 and the Listers Director team completed a buyout , which allowed them the flexibility to push forward once again . And the results were almost instantaneous with Listers recording record sales in 2013 and 2014 .”
2016 sees Listers reaching the milestone of 40 years trading . With over 120 employees , new showrooms , a purpose built factory , a fully serviced trade counter , an £ 11m turnover and of course , a vision of expansion for the next 40 years . And what better way to celebrate 40 years of trading ?
A HUGE STAFF PARTY !
The company has converted its entire carpark into a funfair with all the games , concessions , rides and entertainment you could think of , along with full bar and catering .
It has been an impressive journey and what is immediately apparent is that Listers consider the last 40 years as only the start of what will become an even more remarkable history .
www . listertf . co . uk
56 » DEC 2016 » CLEARVIEW-UK . COM