46 | DECEMBER 2018
Business
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
HODGSON SEAL A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
This year Hodgson Sealants
has celebrated their 50th year in
business after the company was
founded in 1968 by Peter Hodg-
son and today remains a family
business, managed by Charles
Hodgson, the current managing
director.
Over the last 50 years the
company has seen fundamental
changes in glazing and the way
in which sealants are used in
manufacturing and installation
processes. The company is also
a founding member of the GGF,
long-standing member of the BWF
and will be exhibiting at the FIT
Show in 2019.
AB GLASS WINS
CONTRACT FOR TAUNTON
SCHOOL PROJECT
Award-winning aluminium
manufacturing and installation
company AB Glass has been
awarded a contract by Willmott
Dixon to carry out works on a
new primary school project in
Taunton.
The Swansea-based company
will provide the design, manufac-
ture and installation works at Ner-
rols Primary School in Taunton,
Somerset. The 14-class, two-storey
school will meet growing local
demand for pupil places.
The aluminium systems being
used for the project include AA100
curtain walling, AA720 windows
and doors, and AA190 doors.
Nerrols Primary School is due to
open in September 2019 follow-
Today the company boasts an
impressive range of sealants,
glazing tapes and heritage putty
with all products carefully tested,
certified and manufactured in the
UK. With all the discontent and
business risk surrounding Brexit,
Hodgson Sealants are perfectly
placed to supply the aluminium,
PVCu and timber sectors with
proven products and have grown
to be the largest independent
manufacturer of sealants in the
UK.
Charles Hodgson, managing
director of Hodgson Sealants com-
mented: “50 years is an incredible
achievement for us as a family run
business during which time we’ve
seen considerable change.”
www.hodgsonsealants.com
Plan-it Windows expands
at rapid rate with
support from Purplex
One of North West England’s most highly-
rated window, door and conservatory
suppliers has been expanding at a
rapid rate with the help of Purplex.
Since joining up with the
ing a £7 million development. AB
Glass is anticipated to start work
on the Nerrols Farm site on 17
December 2018.
Chris Haines, design director at
AB Glass, said:
“This is a very exciting project to
be a part of, particularly as this new
primary school will be a positive ad-
dition to Taunton’s growing popula-
tion. We are thrilled to be appointed
once again by Willmott Dixon, who
we are proud to have a long-stand-
ing working relationship with.”
https://www.abforglass.co.uk/
leading full-service marketing
agency, Plan-it Windows have
opened a new showroom, celebrat-
ed a record sales month, invested
in more company vans to sup-
port the increased workload, and
tapped into new market locations
– all in the space of five months.
Gary Pennington of Plan-it Win-
dows is absolutely delighted with
the results since appointing Pur-
plex to come up with a winning
digital strategy for them.
He said: “We couldn’t be happier
with the work Purplex have done
for us. We had a record sales
month in September, and from
July-September we hit the same
volume of sales compared to the
whole of last year – it’s quite stag-
gering really.”
With more than 20 years’ expe-
rience in the industry, the residen-
tial glazing and roofline specialists
have made their name as the
‘go-to’ company for economical
yet high-quality home improve-
ment products across Bolton and
Greater Manchester.
www.purplexmarketing.com
MACKENZIE GLASS INVESTMENT TOPS HALF A MILLION
Mackenzie Glass’ in-
vestment programme has
topped more than half a
million pounds in less than
a year including new lam-
inate cutting capability, IT,
fleet and processing equip-
ment, plus the creation of
new apprenticeship roles.
Global giant, NSG, sold its
Pilkington Bristol business
to Mackenzie Glass at the
end of last year. Supplying
more than one million square
metres of flat glass a year
with a turnover in excess of
£5m, the deal saw assets and
employees transferred with
Mackenzie Glass also assum-
ing new status as the first
Pilkington Regional Partner.
Now fast approaching
a year in, Mackenzie has
completed a major invest-
ment programme, including
significant spend on a new
Boterro laminate cutting
table, fire saw, CNC, special-
ist lorries as well as, major
investment in new IT infra-
structure and recruitment.
This has included the
recruitment of eight new ‘col-
leagues’, bringing the Mac-
kenzie team to 50. This in-
cludes two new glass cutters,
new finance and customer
service team members, plus
apprentices, with an ambition
to expand its programme so
that 10% of employees are
apprentice recruits.
The new Mackenzie Bristol
site supplies more than 300
tonnes of glass each month,
the lion’s share of which is
supplied for IGU manufac-
ture, with Pilkington KS (soft
coat) a key staple.
It’s value added products
and technologies, however,
where Mackenzie Glass has
placed greatest focus since
its takeover.
This includes decorative
ranges and the acid etched
Oriel range; mirror options
including OptiMirror; fire
and impact rated Pilking-
ton Pyrostop and Pyrodur,
which carry Class 1 BS EN
12600 ratings and Pilking-
ton Optiview.
www.mackenzieglass.co.uk