Annual Predictions
POSITIVE MOMENTUM
Mark Schlotel , Marketing Director , Victorian Sliders makes his predictions for 2017 …
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WITH INTEREST RATES keeping low and consumer confidence remaining fairly stable , I predict that the distractions of Brexit are set to continue throughout 2017 , with debates ringing around the UK about immigration , currency impacts and supplier cost inflation .
As far as immigration is concerned , in recent years this has been a success story for us at Victorian Sliders – our manufacturing team in Wales includes a strong contingent of men and women from Poland and these hard-working , enterprising colleagues are part of the backbone of our company .
In terms of underlying market demand , we anticipate some
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growth for the window industry in 2017 . Let ’ s hope Britain plc will start building more new affordable homes for both young families and the elderly , as recently announced by the eager new-look Government !
2016 has been a year of positive momentum for Victorian Sliders , continuing the sales growth trend that we have enjoyed for the last five years . Success has come from relentless hard graft in the face of tough market conditions .
Across our window industry I predict that there will be even more focus on high quality , improved product offerings and value for money , to the benefit of Professional Trade Installers and their Homeowner retail clients .
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The FIT Show in May 2017 will provide the ideal showcase for innovation . There will be further consolidation , as more fabricator / installers choose to stop fabricating and focus purely on installation .
There is undoubtedly a strengthening interest in our PVCu vertical sliding sash windows , which are increasingly seen as a viable commercial alternative to standard casements . That ’ s good , but to sustain success we must deliver the best products / service and assist our customers by growing the vertical sliding window sales category . That ’ s why we are in investing in more eyecatching mobile product demo
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vans to take the VS story to UK homeowners .
We ’ re looking forward to a busy New Year and certainly thinking big - building works are currently underway at Capel Hendre to double the size of our ECOSlide sash window manufacturing facility to 230,000 square feet . Continued major investment in infrastructure means that we will achieve even greater economies of scale , to maintain unchanged prices to our customers again for the sixth calendar year in succession .
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ARCHITECTS AND BUILDING SPECIFIERS HAVE SEEN BREXIT-RELATED PROJECT DELAYS
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BUILDING DESIGN PROFESSIONALS are already feeling the impact of the Brexit vote , with almost two thirds ( 60 per cent ) of architects and building specifiers experiencing delays to projects as a result , according to a new report .
The survey of 100 senior architects and building specifiers from across the UK , commissioned by glass manufacturer , Pilkington United Kingdom Limited , reveals the industry is divided on its view of the longterm impact of the EU Referendum result . Nearly half ( 45 per cent ) of respondents anticipate that Brexit will have a negative effect on foreign investors ’ appetite for UK construction projects , with less than one in three ( 29 per cent ) believing the referendum result will increase foreign investment into domestic developments .
Views on the overall outlook for the industry were equally uncertain . When asked whether they believed Brexit would slow the rate of construction over the next five years , a third of respondents ( 34 per cent ) said yes , while half ( 47 per cent ) disagreed .
GROWTH OUTLOOK
Despite the uncertainty , architects and building specifiers are bullish about their growth prospects , forecasting an average growth of 14 per cent over the next two years . A fifth ( 20 per cent ) of specifiers and one in ten architects ( 8 per cent ) are predicting growth of more than 20 per cent during the same period .
The positive outlook of building design professionals is backed up by healthy levels of forecast investment in research and development . On average , respondents are planning to invest 10 per cent of revenue in it over the next two years .
BUILDING REGULATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY
The majority of architects and specifiers gave their seal of approval to current building regulations , with almost two thirds ( 63 per cent ) saying they feel existing regulations are fit for purpose .
When asked about the challenges faced when designing or specifying for nearly-zeroenergy buildings , which the UK is committed to achieving on all new builds from 2021 , 56 per cent said a lack of government incentives is a barrier . Just 17 per cent called-out cost as something holding them back in this area .
Phil Savage , Commercial Contracts Sales Manager at Pilkington said : “ Architects and specifiers are towards the beginning of the supply chain , and the health of their businesses can be a bellwether for the wider building industry .”
Ian Ritchie , of Ian Ritchie Architects , added : “ While it ’ s encouraging to see the confidence among architects and specifiers , it ’ s important to remember that they are not in a position to drive the industry forward when the economy is somewhat stalled . That role falls to those who fund projects .”
Building Confidence , is available to download at : http :// www . pilkington . com / en-gb / uk / architects
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