Clearview National August 2017 - Issue 189 | Page 26

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Three Squares; One Sash Window
» » IN SOUTH WALES, JUST PAST
Swansea, Victorian Sliders is putting the
finishing touches to an extension of its
facilities that will more than double its current
massive size. In just seven years, the company
has grown to become Europe’s largest
specialist manufacturers of PVCu
vertical sliding sash windows. The
appetite for heritage windows has
seen demand for these products
increase and the Victorian
Sliders proposition has fared well
in this growing market. Now,
the company best positioned to
maximise the opportunities today
and into the future as this trend
increases.
Clearview met Managing Director, Brendan
McCambridge, for a tour of the impressive
Victorian Sliders’ operations and found
out more about the company’s ambitious
expansion plans…
The 13-acre site near Ammanford is set
in the Carmanthenshire countryside, three
miles from the M4 Motorway network and
near the Ffos Las racecourse, as we would later
discover when we were treated to an evening
of hospitality in the company’s own private
box. This invitation is also regularly extended
to Victorian Sliders’ customers and suppliers,
once the daytime business formalities have
concluded.
The original 110,000 sqft building,
was previously a vast clothes distribution
warehouse, purchased by Victorian Sliders in
July 2014. The racking was cleared out and
the site prepared with the installation of with
three electrical substations to cater for the high
voltage electricity requirements, new air lines,
water chillers, offices and factory lighting were
built and installed to make it operational.
Manufacturing commenced here in February
2015, when the company relocated from its
previous 60,00 sqft premises some 10 miles
away in Hendy, where it had been based since
2010.
The building is now unique in the UK for
window manufacture.Virgin PVCu powder is
extruded into our custom designed profiles,
large sheets of glass are cut, prepped and
100% toughened in our glass plant and large
scale window assembly takes place on modern,
fast and accurate German built Schrimer
cutting centres and Urban Quad welders.
26 » AUG 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Victorian Sliders
concentrate on
the manufacture
and distribution of
PVCu vertical sliding
sash windows, most notably
the ECOSlide vertical sliding sash, which the
company continues to supply to the trade at
an unfaltering £199+VAT on a standard unit
in any size up to 1300mm and 2400mm. This
bold strategy has certainly paid off, particularly
in a climate of economic uncertainty, which
has seen trade prices from their competitors
generally increase year on year.
What immediately stands out is the absence
of stock, windows manufactured day one are
put on a HGV same day and transported to
one of the regional depots within 12 hours
and to the Customer within 5 days of signing
the order. Brendan explains that since all
manufacturing takes place under the one roof
including arch bending and bespoke colour
spraying and profile foiling, they can literally
operate as a lean manufacturer, only producing
what has been ordered, while maintaining
an impressive 5 day turnaround on standard
products. This is no mean feat, considering
that average weekly output on a single shift
here is 2000 windows.
This capacity is soon to be doubled. Earlier
this year, work commenced on an additional
130,000 sqft building, taking its footprint
to almost 240,000 sqft. This new purpose-
built factory has been constructed to the
most exacting and up-to-date specifications,
allowing for increased performance, efficiency
and output, all the while maintaining the
Victorian Sliders secret formula that its
customers love. Three additional electrical
substations, airlines, sprinkler systems,
lighting, utility trenches in the floor, etc, the
list is huge have been part of the extension
build.
But what exactly is that for? As Brendan
explains modestly, “We’re very good at
making three PVCu squares (Frame, Top
sash and bottom sash) and delivering to our
customers on time in full across the UK.”
And by sticking to what they’re good at,
Victorian Sliders has gone from strength-
to-strength, offering what is often regarded
as a niche product but at a quality level and
price point unequalled in the industry by our
competitors.
The increased capacity and performance is
forecast to double Victorian Sliders’ sales in
the next 12 months. To support this growth,
the company’s nationwide infrastructure is
also growing, with more regional distribution
depots added and the appointment of over
14 new sales people with professionally kitted
out Demo vans in each region nationwide,
offering added levels of service and support to
Our Customers. All-in-all, this expansion is
expected to create several extra jobs across the
business.
Seeing the vastness of the newly created
space and the precision of its execution, it is
easy to appreciate what a massive undertaking
it must have been. But Brendan remains
unfazed, quietly confident about their
achievement. “The extension is approximately
96% complete,” he tells us. “Once a few
finishing touches have been made, the next
task is moving several of the large and complex
machines into their final position in readiness
for the next chapter of increased sales for
Victorian Sliders over the second half of
2017 and beyond. A further £2.5 million of
machinery is scheduled to bring the complete
factory up to full scale production. The net
result will be arguably the most modern
window factory anywhere in the UK and
possible Europe with over 95% of all key
capital investments less that 2-3 years old and
many within the past 12 months.