21
PRO INSTALLER JANUARY 2015
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
Young
Workers
Needed
One of the North’s
leading window
manufacturers is
warning about
a severe skill
shortage hitting
the manufacturing
industry.
Building Product Solutions
currently has five job openings and is yet to receive any
interest. The growing business believes this is down
to the current lack of skilled
workers in their industry.
Managing director, Ian Harrison,
said: “It’s an exciting time to join
our growing team; we’re expanding the premises, investing heavily
in marketing and PR, and securing
sizable contracts, yet we’re still
struggling to fill these excellent
positions. If our industry can’t
keep pace with the construction
industry, it could affect the UK
economy as a whole.”
A recent survey of 616 businesses by The Prince’s Trust and HSBC
found 43%think Britain’s recovery
will slow down during the next
12 months due to a lack of skilled
workers, while 35% fear their businesses will fold as a result.
The survey revealed that, like
Building Product Solutions, half of
all businesses polled were already
having trouble filling vacancies.
Ian added: “There is a huge opportunity for young people as the
manufacturing industry continues
to grow exponentially. Manufacturing and construction in particular
offer plenty of career progression
and continued professional development.”
The industry requires 82,000
people alone just to cover retire-
‘There are currently
737,000 young
people unemployed
in the UK’
ments over the next two years and
with 45% of businesses citing their
ageing workforce as a concern
Building Product Solutions is keen
to encourage more young people
to come in to the industry.
“There are currently 737,000
young people unemployed in the
UK. Now is the perfect time for
businesses to do more to encourage these young people into the
manufacturing and construction
sector. Here, we’re keen supporters of the apprenticeship scheme
but it’s shocking to know that only
18% of fellow businesses are.”
Building Product Solutions
design, manufacture, deliver and
install bespoke windows and
doors which are made to fit each
builder’s architectural plans for
a range of property styles across
new estates.
The company achieved a turnover of £2 million in the year up to
May 2014, trebling its turnover in
just five years of trading.
It now has £7.5 million worth
of jobs on its books after winning
long-term contracts to supply
major housing developers such as
Taylor Wimpey, Gleeson, Persimmon and Redrow Homes.
Scaling up: DMD Installations commercial director Peter Statham and founder Dean
Peruzzi have modelled their business to support large projects.
Roofline product
Specialist sees
significant growth
Leading Norwich-based roofline installer DMD Installations
is reporting a significant upturn in business as the company
takes on increasingly large contracts across the UK.
The Kestrel Registered Installer says it has seen double-digit growth year on year
since it was set up in 2003,
and now worked on around
1,600 properties in 2014.
Founder Dean Peruzzi said: “We
are laying half a mile of roofline
weekly and have recently recruited four more teams to add to the
nine we already had.”
98% of the company’s success
hinges on its focus on larger commercial projects.
“Concentrating on larger projects, in particular with housing
associations and local authorities,
has made a huge difference to our
business,” Dean explained. “Since
setting up we have seen annual
growth of 10-30%, even during the
recession.”
DMD Installations is part of
the Kestrel Registered Installer
scheme. Once accepted to the
scheme installers can gain an NVQ
qualification and offer extended
guarantees on Kestrel products.
“We have had a long relationship
with Kestrel b X