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FEBRUARY 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Five a Day Campaign
Targeted at the Door
and Window Industry
Door and window companies are being encouraged to focus on their
‘five a day’ to get the industries fitter and healthier this year.
Karla Greenhalgh
New role
to maintain
Excellence
Total Glass, one of
the UK’s leading PVCu
window and door
fabricators, has further
strengthened its sales
team with the promotion
of Karla Greenhalgh to
Area Sales Manager.
Having joined the Liverpool-based
fabricator five years ago as a Production Planner, Karla brings an indepth knowledge of Total’s extensive
product portfolio to her new role.
She is responsible for generating
new business as well as visiting existing customers.
Phill Cresswell, Trade Sales and Marketing
Manager for Total Glass, comments: “Looking after the Yorkshire and Midlands area,
Karla will be strengthening our external
presence with all our customers while also
maintaining our excellent service levels for
both new and existing ones.”
Karla said: “I’m enjoying the challenge of
bringing in new business and promoting
the fantastic range of new products we can
offer, such as our coloured PVCu profiles
and an updated Total Glass Composite
Door range. It’s also great to communicate
with customers face-to-face, having only
ever spoken to them on the phone over the
years.”
For more information, contact Total Glass
on 0151 549 2339 or visit the website at
www.totalglass.com
This is not about fruit and vegetables, but the new campaign from
the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), outlining five activities
that it believes are essential to
the health and wellbeing of the
sector in the run up to this year’s
General Election.
Iain McIlwee, chief executive of the
BWF, explains the five essentials for
2015:
1. Stay safe
“I don’t need to remind the industry just how hazardous it can be in a
workshop or on a construction site.
We all need to commit to a culture that
promotes our employees as our most
valuable resource and keeps them safe
and well.”
3. Inspire the next generation
The Government’s Chief Construction
Adviser, Peter Hansford, is calling for
every business in construction, big and
small, to adopt a school. So this year,
says the BWF, why not offer to go in and
give a talk about what your industries
and why they are attractive to school
leavers.
Dave Campbell explains: “Where is the
nearest school to you with a Design and
Technology teacher? Give them a call and
see if there is anything you could do to
help towards their curriculum and inspire
the youngsters about future career opportunities in woodworking and joinery. For
older students, consider offering work
placements, factory or site visits, and a
process to recruit new apprentices.”
“If we miss this opportunity it’ll be another five years before we’ll get another
serious chance to influence politics in
this country and the policies we need for
industry growth. This year’s General Election looks like being the most interesting
for a generation.
“Now is the time to contact your local
MP and the new Prospective Parliamentary Candidates hoping to be voted in this
May. Invite them to come and see your
business and learn about the importance
of the doors and windows industries to
the British economy, environment and
society.” Iain comments
5. Get recognition for
how great you are
The BWF’s final challenge to the industry is to get better at its own PR: “No
more modesty in 2015, this is the year to
get your best projects celebrated through
the BWF Awards. And if you start the
process now, you won’t run out of time
when entries close in June.” concludes
Iain.
2. Keep on learning
Dave Campbell, manager of the Woodworking Industry Training Forum, the
training arm of the BWF, says:
“Despite hard times, ours is an industry
that continues to look to the future. We
have the best track record of any industry in our provision of apprenticeships,
a record we can be very proud of. But
we must continue to invest in skills and
training.”
4. Don’t waste a
good Election
Image courtesy
of the BWF
For more information visit,
www.bwf.org.uk
Delivering the full package
Respected glazing industry organisation Network
VEKA has posted figures
showing how its members’
businesses far surpassed
the average market rate for
growth in 2014. Their successes are reflected in the
Network’s unprecedented
membership renewal rates.
Experiencing business growth
at more than double the rate of
the rest of the market in 2014,
Network VEKA’s member companies have understandably been
keen to re-sign with the organisation, helping to fortify its position as the industry lead er for
the promotion and provision of
the highest standards of PVC-U
installation.
The VEKA UK Group’s Sales
and Marketing Director Colin
Torley commented: “We’re delighted to start the year spurred
on by such an encouraging set
of figures. Network VEKA pioneered standards organisations
in the PVCu glazing industry and
stats like these affirm that the
package we’ve honed over the
past 19 years really delivers.
“Being a member of our organisation can clearly be seen
to have a positive effect on
business growth. Companies see
that benefit, gain a deeper understanding and commitment to
the standards we promote and,
therefore, have no hesitation in
continuing their membership.”
Central to the Network’s
customer-centric approach has
always been its package of insurance-backed guarantees, reassuring homeowners that any work
carried out by a Network VEKA
member company is covered for
the next ten years. Its comprehensive marketing support
offers a significant incentive for
installation companies looking to
broaden their market. Members,
in turn, commit to maintaining
the Network’s exacting standards, regularly being audited to
demonstrate that they do so.
Colin continues: “Membership
renewals stand at 99.2% for the
past year, an unprecedented
uptake that further confirms
how well our offering fits the
bill. We continuously consult our
members to ensure that we provide everything they need – from
customisable marketing materials
to supplementary products from
carefully selected affiliate suppliers and, of course, with the
benefits that come from being
part of The VEKA UK Group.”