21
PRO INSTALLER MAY 2015
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
North West
Gathers
Growth
Momentum
Portal to
Marketing
Success
Network VEKA is known across the industry as the
pinnacle support organisation for installers, and recent
figures from its technically-advanced Marketing Portal
have further demonstrated that this online system is
a welcome element of the organisation’s offering.
Colin Torley, Sales
and Marketing Director for The VEKA
UK Group, explains:
“The Marketing Portal
is an online facility
which we developed
to assist our members
in creating marketing
materials at the click
of a button.
“This system is populated with professionally-designed items that are
automatically personalised
with the member company’s own logo and contact
details. There is a wide
range of items to choose
from, including adverts,
brochures, pull-ups, mail-
ers and more and members can further personalise the items themselves
with their USP’s or details
of special offers.
“Because Network VEKA
has already commissioned
the creative aspects, all
that’s left to pay for is the
printing and postage.
“We’re delighted to
see that in the last four
months alone, the Network VEKA Marketing Portal has supplied more than
15,728 items to members.
This is a sure sign that
member companies are
making good use of the facility and appreciating the
benefits it brings. Branded
workwear and vehicle
livery can also be accessed
through the portal.”
Steve Hancox, Managing
Director of Goliath Homeworld, added: “We ordered
the new Network VEKA
retail brochures through
the Marketing Portal, with
the accompanying leaflets,
personalised with our logo
and contact details. We
were impressed with all
the items available, they
are all very professionally
designed and ideal for our
customer base.”
For more information visit
www.networkveka.co.uk/
trade
Construction activity in the North West has been
gathering momentum over the last two years,
with firm growth in output, new project starts
and detailed planning approvals. The value
of detailed planning approvals granted leapt
31% in 2013, a further 5% rise last year.
The strengthening development pipeline has
fed through to an increase in work on-site.
The value of underlying
project starts rose by
10% in 2013 with the
pace of growth accelerating to a 15% increase
last year. Output has
also strengthened, rising by 13% in 2013, with
a further 13% increase
recorded by ONS during
the first nine months of
2014.
Manchester is increasingly being seen as
the UK’s second city
in terms of investment
into commercial space,
and its reputation is
being bolstered by high
profile schemes such as
Manchester Airport City.
James Lang LaSalle report
that, in line with the other Big 6 cities, the vacancy rate for Grade A office
space has fallen below
2%. This has prompted
an increase in detailed
planning approvals for
new office space.
Liverpool has weathered the recession rela-
tively well, with a strong
private sector replacing
jobs lost in the public
sector. Construction
activity stabilised in 2012
before turning around
during 2013. The last
year has seen the upturn
in project starts gather
momentum with further
growth forecast for next
year and into 2016.
The North West consists
of the following Counties: Cheshire, Cumbria,
Greater Manchester,
Lancashire, Merseyside,
Isle of Man.
North West Construction (£ million)
Sector
2012
2013
2014
2015 ytd
Community & Amenity
21
53
67
24
Education
259
671
549
102
Health
255
256
166
93
Hotels & Leisure
129
278
569
156
Industrial
166
278
279
142
Infrastructure
127
379
432
176
Offices
90
159
254
185
Private Housing
682
816
1,266
461
Retail
123
121
271
99
Social Housing
176
603
423
110
Utilities
62
79
418
227
Underlying value of construction projects starting on site.
(Excludes individual projects of more than £100 million and framework agreements).
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