Pro Installer October 2013 - Issue 07 | Page 3

3 PRO INSTALLER OCTOBER 2013 PRO NEWS @proinstaller1 New Window Of Opportunity For the first time since pre-recession days, Britain’s domestic glazing market appears to be returning to growth. Palmer Market Research (PMR), the industry’s most widely respected forecaster, is predicting five consecutive years of growth across almost all products, and an overall increase of 15% in market size to an installed value of £4.15bn by 2017. The 2012 market itself was not much to write home about, down on the previous year by 4.8% to £3.6bn, wiping out even the very small increase in value terms that caught the industry’s interest in 2011. However the five-year forecast provides some much-needed optimism to a sector all-too used to bad news, even though the predicted 2017 figure is a full quarter lower than the market’s 2006 peak. PMR Director Robert Get involved with your trade paper Send your work related pictures to pics@ clearview-uk. com, whether it’s an install job you want to shout about or something that made you laugh. Palmer projects growth for domestic glazed products in New Housing, and the crucial Home Improvements market, as more potent than expected government-driven schemes such as Funding for Lending and Help to Buy, plus increased consumer confidence, help to push up housing transactions. The glazing market in New Housing also continues to benefit from the move from flats to houses, with on average over twice the number of windows per dwelling. The Social Housing sector will continue to take a battering for a couple more years, as funding becomes ever scarcer, before starting to grow again in 2015. Although tiddlers in the market, bifold doors are the stars of the report. This is not just because they were one of only two products to show growth last year (alongside French doors), and because they are predicted to double in size over the forecast period, but because they look to be real market changers. According Roof Plant Closure Ultraframe has today announced it will close its Newton Abbot manufacturing facility at the end of this year. The Devon-based plant exclusively produces the Quantal roof system; all of this production will move to Ultraframe’s main production plant based in Clitheroe, which produces both Ultraframe and Wendland roof systems. Julian Slade, Ultraframe CEO comments on this move: “any decision directly affecting staff is difficult and we have given serious consideration to a range of options. However, we can best serve the Quantal brand and Quantal customers from Clitheroe. By moving production we will utilise our broader capabilities, which include enhanced research and development resources, as well as additional complementary products and services. “The Quantal brand is a key component of the Ultraframe business and we want to 6V?B6?V"?W76vRF???W"7W7F??W'2F?BF??2FV6?6???v????6?F?fV???7@?&?F?F?RV?F?&??b?@?F?R?fW&???ffW"f??&?RF??F?V??( ??F???W#?( ?F?R??G&?GV7F?????b&?f??BF??'2?26??vV@?F?R?&?WB&?F?f?"F???F??'2?B( b6??6W'fF?&?W2?F?R66W72F???&P??v?B???R?bF?R&V6??0?v??&?F?F??F??'2?@?6??6W'fF?&?W2?fR&VV??W&6?6VB??F?R7B??0???r&V6??R??&R&VF???f??&?^( ???6??fW'6V??F?R?Wp?f?wW&W2v???&RF?6???F?V?Bf?"F??6Rv??6p?V?6?W&v??r6?v?2?bw&?wF????6??6W'fF?&?W2?Bv??@?v??F?w2???7B?V.( ?2&W?'B?F?R7W&vR????7F??V@??&?6R6??v?'?6??6W'fF?&?W2??#?6?( ?B&VV??7W7F??VB??F??Vv?F?P????r?FW&?G&V?B7F??????G2?f?"gV??FWF??2f?6?@?F?RvV'6?FS?wwr????W&?&?WG&W6V&6???6??V???6??vR?b?v?W'6???WW&?6V??V?FVB???F?2?b7V7V?F???'?????V?6??r?G2?Wr?v?W"2F?R *3"?V&??????fW7F?V?B6??????"WV?G?'F?W'2??F?RFV?f????w2?V?wF??&?6W70?v?F?6WfW&???FW&W7FVB'F?W0???f??fVB&Vf?&R?"WV?G?'F?W'0?V?W&vVB2F?R&VfW'&VB7V?F?"?fW ?F?R7BfWrvVV?2??WW&?6V??( ?2&Wf??W2?v?W"?F?R''W76V?2?&6VBFW76V?FW&??w&?W??2V?&&?VB??6W&?W2?bF?fW7F?V?G2?@?&F????6F???&?w&??W2??&V6V?B?V'0?f????v??r6??vR??7G&FVv?2F?&V7F?????WW&?6V???2w&?v?WfW'??V"V?FW"FW76V?FW&??( ?2FV?W&R?B&V???2&?f?F&?P?'W6??W72?v?F?GW&??fW"?b *3S???????BV??????r&?V?B?SV??RF?&?Vv??WBF?RT???F?RFW&'?6??&R?&6VBd2?RW?G'VFW"?0??WGv?&??b#R??W2'&?6?W2?F???v?FP??B7F?G2F?v??g&???"WV?G?'F?W'>( ??W?W'F?6R??F?7G&?'WF???'W6??W76W2??.( ?0??'Ff????b6????W2??6?VFW26WfW&??WW&?V???Vf7GW&??r?BF?7G&?'WF????'W6??W76W2??W2F?RV??'B6"'G2'&?@???F?RT??WW&?6V???&VG??2G&F??r&V?F???6??2v?F??"w&?W6????W2??G&?6?&FV???4T??bWW&?6V???FV6?&VB?( ?( ??FV?v?FVBF?BvRv???&Rv?&?????rv?F??"WV?G?'F?W'2F?6??F??VR?W ?'W6??W72w&?wF???&V?WfRF?W&R&R6??P?W?6V??V?B7??W&v?W2&WGvVV?W2??FW&?0??b?W"?&?F???2?&V?Vg2?B&?6?F??'W6??W72?( ?WW&?6V??v???&V???2?WF?????W0?'W6??W72?Bv??????V?V?BF?RW??7F??p?f?fR?V"'W6??W72???v??6???6?VFW0???fW7F??r????&R6W'f?6R??&?fV?V?G2??FWfV????r??&R?Wr&?GV7G2f?"?V?6???fW"F?R?W?B"???F?2?B?V???r??&P??Wr'&?6?W2?G&?6?FFVB?( ??W"6???F?V?BF??V???r?W"7W7F??W'2w&?rF?V? ?'W6??W76W2v????6???B6??vR?v^( ?fRv?@?6??RW?6?F??r????fF???2???VB?fW"F?P??W?B"???F?2v??6?v???&?f?FRWW&?6V??7W7F??W'2v?F?6?v??f?6?B6??WF?F?fP?Gf?FvR?( ??