24
JANUARY 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
INNOVATIVE TIE BAR
SOLUTION - MAKE
A FEATURE OF IT
Over the last 30 years Charles H Cowards foundry in Sheffield has
been making components for the conservatory sector and has been
instrumental in many aspects of the designs and components used.
The foundry has a diverse
customer base and makes
cast components in a range
of metals for various industries including railway, energy and marine. But through
its trading division, Conservatory Cast Systems, the business continues to enjoy the
fast paced and ever evolving
conservatory Sector.
Whilst many other businesses
are consolidating Cowards has
invested well over £100k in new
plant and machinery over the
last 6 months to make it one of
the most technological advanced
operations in its sector and Peter
Hogan, the Company’s Managing
Director, comments, “Dubious
overseas products have blighted
this sector and as a business we
are not prepared to compromise
on our high standards of quality
and service so investment has
been critical.” He adds, “To meet
the resurgence of this division
we need to stay competitive and
I firmly believe our investments
will ensure that conservatory
buyers and installers can fit safe
in the knowledge that the often
load bearing parts are fully traceable and fit for purpose”. It’s a
claim that Peter and the Company
believe cannot be matched.
Not being one to rest on it laurels, the Company expanded its
board in 2013 with the introduction of a well-known industry
figure, Anthony Wareing. Anthony
joined the business bringing
a wealth of knowledge of the
conservatory sector, manufactur-
‘Tie bars are often an unwelcome but
necessary addition to a conservatory’
ing techniques and supply chain
as well as being able to meet with
industry leaders to speak with
confidence about the Company
and its plans. Under this influence the Company has recognised
the growing consumer gap and
has focused its sales solutions to
KEEP IT QUIET
Pilkington Optiphon™ has been granted the seal of approval
by Quiet Mark the international mark of approval from
the Noise Abatement Society Charitable Foundation.
Launched in 2012, Quiet
Mark supports technological innovation for quieter products and awards
a stamp of approval to
products or schemes that
minimise noise.
Products that have been awarded the purple Q stamp of approval include kettles, blenders,
hairdryers and washing machines,
hotels, silent musical instruments
and now glazing.
Following a request from the
Managing Director of Quiet Mark,
Poppy Elliott, Pilkington Optiphon™ featured in The Quiet
House designed to introduce the
Quiet Mark scheme and showcase
the award winning products at
the Ideal Home Show this year.
The Quiet House was developed
to help consumers understand the
importance of choosing carefully
the appliances they buy and share
their homes with, empowering the
UK to re-tune the sounds around
them and de-stress their personal
space.
Pilkington Optiphon™ laminated
glass is the ideal solution for
reducing noise levels in buildings.
Using a special PVB (PolyVinyl
Butyral) interlayer, Pilkington Optiphon™ is a high quality acoustic
laminated glass that offers excellent noise reduction without compromising on light transmittance
or impact performance.
deliver a differential in its range to
appeal to all sectors.
This year will see the Company
launch its new range of “Decadence” products. The first product
in this range is the new larger tie
bar boss, “Tie bars are often an
unwelcome but necessary addition
to a conservatory as they interfere with the vaulted open space
the homeowner is craving” said
Anthony. “But with the continued
trend towards glass roofs they are
becoming more common than
ever so our new larger boss turns
this perception on its head and
can now be a desirable and practical style feature”. The larger boss
can be fit as 3-way in the normal
configuration but it can also now
be installed with the boss horizontally. This means that a fully
functioning clock can be installed
or light can be integrated as a
direct light source or an ambient
light source. “Feedback has been
overwhelming with many saying
if you have to have a tie bar then
why wouldn’t you upgrade to
this,” beams Anthony.
conservatorycastsystems.co.uk
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