Clearview National April 2016 - Issue 173 | Page 38

DOORS&WINDOWS

GLASS AND GLAZING SUPPLY CHAIN TO DO MORE
TO SUPPORT FUTURE GROWTH OF THE SECTOR
»»FABRICATORS, INSTALLERS AND
manufacturers across the glass and glazing
supply chain must do more to promote the
benefits of high-performance products to
homeowners if they are to secure the future
growth of the industry, according to a new
report published by Pilkington United
Kingdom Limited.
With a significant amount of R&D taking
place across the domestic glazing sector, a
number of innovative products are coming
to market. Despite this, key industry figures
believe more needs to be done to promote
products with properties such as advanced
energy performance to consumers.
Speaking in ‘Framing the debate: What
does the future hold for the domestic glazing
market?’ Mark Catchpole, sales director
at SWC Trade Frames, said: “Product
development and innovation is happening
rapidly, and the energy performance that
windows can deliver is getting better and
better.
“However, what does not seem to be
happening are these products filtering into the
market with any speed, and we, as an industry,
should see this as a major point to address.”

38 » A PR 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

Elsewhere in the report, developers’ focus
on low-cost products rather than quality
solutions, and this is highlighted as a
concern by fabricator and installer
Dave Jones, managing director at VEKA
plc, said: “The hesitance of the UK market
to adopt triple-glazing is due in part to the
fact that 70mm frames are still the standard
offering here, while on the continent they
moved to 82mm+ systems as standard long
ago.”
Despite these challenges, those in
the supply chain recognise a number of
opportunities that the industry can capitalise
on, including an increasing demand for
products with a premium appearance.
With consumers moving away from white
PVCu frames, designers are increasingly
specifying silver or dark grey frames that
give the appearance of metal and highend aluminium alternatives while offering
the affordability of PVCu products. This
growing demand for a wider range of colours
has the potential to create new revenue
streams for the industry.
John Spiby, national sales manager –
domestic products, Pilkington United

Kingdom Limited, says: “The latest Palmer
Market Research report made for unsettling
reading for those of us in the domestic
glazing sector. While it predicts some growth
in demand, the rate predicted is significantly
lower than it was a year ago and there are
clear challenges facing the industry.
“However, it’s not all doom and gloom
and, while demand from existing housing
stock looks set to continue at the slow pace
we have seen in recent years, the new build
sector shows promise.
“Within this report, we have spo ken to
a number of key figures from across the
industry to gauge their thoughts on the
current market and address some of the
issues businesses face. It’s clear that the sector
is going through a period of change, and
while there are challenges to navigate, the
opportunities for growth are promising.”
A full copy of the report is available to
download: https://www.pilkington.com/~/
media/Pilkington/Site%20Content/
UK/News%20Insights/1602%20%20
Framing%20the%20debate%20web%20
pdf%20%20APPROVED.ashx