JANUARY 2019 | 45
Business
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
SLIDERS UK REPORTS SUSTAINED
GROWTH ON THE BACK OF INVESTMENT
Sliders UK has reported
sustained growth recording
record year-on-year growth
of as much as 45%, driven
by demand for aluminium
and growth in sales of com-
posite doors.
According to the door
specialist the average weekly
increase in sales for the year
to date has been around the
33% mark, also recording
several record highs, with
weekly year-on-year growth
in excess of 45%.
“To have achieved average
year-on-year growth of 33%
so far in 2018 is a signifi-
cant achievement in what
remains a competitive and
challenging market”, says
Steve Mines, Sales and Mar-
keting Director, Sliders UK.
“That doesn’t mean we
have always hit growth tar-
gets each week, and there
have certainly been one or
two weeks where, as sales
director I’ve been biting my
nails looking for those late
Friday afternoon orders.”
Growth coincides with
major investment by Sliders
UK in its infrastructure and
W20 STEEL WINDOWS SHINE
IN JEWELLERY QUARTER
CONSERVATION CONTRACT
The retention of a four-storey
façade has been one of the main technical
challenges for the project team involved
in the redevelopment of a former factory
located in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery
Quarter; with a member of the Steel Window
Association (SWA), REA Metal Windows,
having supplied and installed a package of
custom-built W20 windows to replace the
original frames.
Kettleworks on Pope Street is part of St
George’s Urban Village – Birmingham’s larg-
est residential development – and consists
of 292 spacious homes across a 2.67 acre
site, where Colmore Tang Construction is the
main contractor, and Building Design Group
(BDG) are the architects.
REA Metal Windows is the SWA member,
which won the contract from Colmore Tang
Construction under competitive tender, to
produce a total of 88 horizontal pivot win-
dows, exactly replicating the old medium
universal section fenestration. Having carried
out an accurate site survey of each opening
over the four floors of the old brickwork
elevation, REA began fabricating the W20
frames, ready to be glazed with 16 mm
Krypton filled IG units as part of a tightly
coordinated installation programme.
manufacturing capability.
This includes the launch of
a new night shift, boosting
production capacity on al-
uminium bi-folding, French
and sliding door lines, plus
its composite door line by
60%.
The specialist door manu-
facturer has also launched a
new in-house spray-painting
facility, increasing flexibility
of finish and shortening
lead times on special order
composite door colours.
The purpose-built facility,
gives Sliders UK the flexibil-
ity to offer composite doors
in any RAL colour. These
are sprayed in high perfor-
mance and environmen-
tally friendly, solvent-free
water-based paints and
www.steel-window-association.co.uk
www.sliders-uk.com
Rapierstar’s environmental drive
to shrink carbon footprint
Window and door sector fastener
As the main contractor’s operatives
removed the old corroded frames, REA’s
experienced fitters followed closely behind
ensuring the building was kept secure and
weather-tight.
Members of the Steel Window Association
offer a UK wide service for the repair and
replacement of various types of old metal
windows, doors and screens, as well as
being able to manufacture new fenestration
which fully meets the requirements of the
Building Regulations.
come with a full 10-year
guarantee.
specialist Rapierstar has embarked on a
number of new initiatives to help reduce
the environmental impact of its operations
and further strengthen its credentials as a
responsible supply chain partner.
Implemented as part of its latest envi-
ronmental strategy are a series of changes
at its Star Business Park HQ, warehouse
and distribution centre in Cheshire. Here,
better management of waste water has been
prioritised with the installation of three
new water treatment plants, which will turn
waste water from the complex into drink-
ing quality water for release into a nearby
brook. An additional new oil capture tank
that recycles brown water for further treat-
ment from the large car parking area has
also been installed.
Inside the building, Rapierstar has
installed a dynamic lighting solution
throughout its warehouse – where more
than one billion window and door fasteners
are stocked – and packing area. This has
provided an energy saving of over 90%, by
operating at only a sub 10% background
lighting level before responding immediate-
ly to any vehicular or personnel movement
and switching to full luminaire level. And,
packaging now utilises recycled packing
chippings in all customer orders that are
despatched, helping to reduce reliance on
new packaging materials.
With transport being one of most sig-
nificant contributors to carbon emissions,
Rapierstar’s environmental strategy works
to both inspire behaviour change and utilise
new technology.
As electric vehicle technology advances
rapidly, Rapierstar has ensured that drivers
of 100% electric vehicles – visitors and staff
– can now charge up whilst on site with the
installation of a new rapid charging point.
This has also enabled the company to add
a plug in electric vehicle to its fleet, which
will be used to provide emissions-free
transportation for the many visitors to Star
Business Park who travel via Manchester
Airport or mainline railway stations.
www.rapierstar.com