Pro Installer February 2017 - Issue 47 | Page 6

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PRO NEWS

FEBRUARY 2017 PRO INSTALLER
www . proinstaller . co . uk

BOOT BRAND OF THE YEAR

The mild autumn weather didn ’ t dent demand for an all-weather , all-season safety footwear product which was conceived , developed and CE tested and certified by independent safety footwear brand , Buckler Boots . Now that winter is upon us however , the company ’ s renowned Buckbootz BBZ S5 safety boots come right into their own .

WHICH ? FIRMS TO TRUST IN THE GLAZING INDUSTRY

A recent Which ? survey has confirmed what the Network VEKA team has maintained for 20 years - that homeowners prefer to work with independent , local companies , rather than major , national firms .
A combination of neoprene and rubber and a host of safety features plus Cold Insulation certification has created a safety boot which has been voted Europe ’ s Number 1 product in this category . Speaking from its offices and design and distribution centre in Dundee , the company ’ s managing director and co-founder , Andrew Duncan said : “ This is a tremendous accolade for an independent locally owned business and brand like ours . The votes which took us all the way to the shortlist were cast by people working in the construction sector . The company started in 1998 and there has been a stage by stage approach to building a brand and profile which competes successfully against multi-national big budget brands . Our focus on marketing , design quality , innovation , testing , service and employing top quality personnel has been key to elevating the company ’ s profile in the sectors we supply .”
www . bucklerboots . com
The article , published in November ’ s Which ? Magazine opens : “ The UK ’ s major double-glazing firms have been thoroughly trounced by independent brands in our latest survey . Customers rated the independents in our survey as excellent , giving them five stars for the majority of sales and installation factors , such as quality of products , staff knowledge and the quality of the installation . By contrast , none of the major brands achieved five stars on any measure .” The VEKA UK group ’ s new marketing director , Dawn Stockell , commented : “ It ’ s very important to us that people understand that Network VEKA is not a franchise . It is a not-for-profit organisation , and all our local member companies keep their own unique identity . These are knowledgeable , local , completely independent firms , committed to raising standards across the industry . “ Network VEKA simply provides the tools and training to allow these smaller , local companies to compete on a level playing field with the big firms . We offer them marketing support to help them reach potential customers more effectively and a host of technical and business support services . Because members must undergo such strict vetting before being allowed to join Network VEKA and also during the course of their membership , we are able to vouch for their high standards and allow them to offer a fantastic Ten Year Insurance-Backed Guarantee to safeguard the homeowner ’ s investment . “ Member companies are held to a strict code of conduct , and in this way , people know ‘ at a glance ’ that they can trust a company that carries the Network VEKA logo .” Network VEKA celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 and reached a cumulative sales milestone of £ 1bn this year , while still upholding the principles it was founded on two decades ago . It was launched to give homeowners a hassle-free way to choose home improvements that come with peace of mind built in . Collectively , members share a customer satisfaction rating of 97 % compared to the industry average of 83 %.
www . networkveka . co . uk