Pro Installer January 2014 - Issue 10 | Page 28

28 JANUARY 2014 PRO INSTALLER PRO PRODUCTS www.proinstaller.co.uk Game, Set & Match The brand new greenteQ catalogue is now available from VBH (GB). Specialist products strengthen portfolio Following a successful amalgamation and re-launch in 2010, Carl F Groupco reports that specialist products are playing a key role supporting its growth. Sitting alongside staple lines, specialised fittings support the company’s ability to provide tailored hardware solutions and an added value advantage. Statistics from 2013 show an upward trend in Carl F Groupco sales for F UHR’s CE marked 870/871 emergency and panic multipoint door locks, with some lines increasing in sales by up to 90%. FUHR stable door hardware has also proved popular with sales up by 66% during 2013. Commenting on the specialist sales statistics, Carl F Groupco’s Sales Director Norman Berrill said: “Carl F Groupco provides a comprehensive portfolio which enables us to offer hardware solutions which cater specifically for individual needs. Specialist products are part of our one stop shop service which is designed to take the pain out of hardware purchasing. “The expanding interest in, and sales of, more specialist hardware is interesting: it illustrates that many of our customers are now seeking broader ranges.” greenteQ is VBH’s own brand of hardware and ancillaries that sits alongside the company’s third party premium branded product lines. The range includes a wide selection of British-designed window and door hardware, as well as a number of lines from the International greenteQ range, including construction chemicals and gaskets. All handles, hinges and furniture are suited to provide a perfect colour match across a customer’s doors and windows. Standard finishes are PVD gold, polished, satin and smokey chromes, white and black. VBH Technical Manager, Melvin Hutton, is responsible for developing the range and he says, “Traditionally VBH has only distributed other peoples’ products and we were, and still are, very good at that so it was something of a sea-change to start developing our own range. Happily the first products, the Gamma cylinder and Sigma hinge were both very well received, and we have continued from there. “With the arrival of the Omega letterbox we are able to provide UK fabricators with a complete suited door and window furniture range, with perfectly matching colours and a consistent design throughout.’ Saint-Gobain Glass has launched Glazing Options, a major innovation aimed at helping consumers create the perfect living environment by making the right choices when it comes to window glass. As an independent distributor, Carl F Groupco provides one of the largest hardware product portfolios in the UK. Follow Carl F Groupco on Twitter using the handle @ Carl_F_Groupco Issue 3 ‘Traditionally VBH has only distributed other peoples’ products and we were, and still are, very good at that so it was something of a sea-change to start developing our own range’ The catalogue can be requested via the Contact Form on www. vbhgb.com. Backing installers with glazing options initiative ‘customers are now seeking broader ranges’ Tel: 01733 393330, Email: contact sales@carlfgroupco. co.uk, www.carlfgroupco.co.uk greenteQ Window & Door Hardware & Ancillaries ‘the chance to differentiate from others in a competitive market’ Offered through Saint-Gobain Glass’ Network of 800 Planitherm installers, Glazing Options sets out a clear range of glass combinations matched against their functions and benefits, all backed by extensive POS and marketing literature. Having been designed to give Planitherm Network installers the chance to differentiate from others in a competitive market, consumers are presented with six named and labelled ‘Options’, each with a series of visual icons showing consumers what benefits they can expect from each. Saint-Gobain Glass Residential Market Manager Craig Dodsworth says: “Most homeowners know a little about things like energy saving and noise reduction but Glazing Options spells out all the choices our products offer and the benefits they bring, in a way that is clear and easy to understand. It not only means the consumers will be able to make the right choices but also help the installer to guide them towards those choices.” The initiative is backed up by showroom POS material, including window labels outlining each of the Options, a consumer brochure and factsheets. Visit www.saint-gobain.co.uk.