Fenestration Industry - Blog Roll

Darwin And The Survival Of The Least Fit A very experienced senior manager said to me this week that he was seeing in the window industry what he had seen in the steel industry when he worked there and it was evolving and altering under the squeeze of competition and price pressure. He described it as a situation where the strong got stronger [...] ..[ more ] Our Industry Needs to Put Suppliers Under The Microscope As our industry sees yet more big-name closures, installers need to take positive measures to protect themselves. This is the alert sounded by Mark Warren of Lister Trade Frames, a company which seems to be riding the storm with little sign of discomfort. “There’s no doubt the market’s going through a difficult time,” says Mark, [...] ..[ more ] Climbing the Google rankings for ‘conservatories’ Climbing the Google rankings for ‘conservatories’ I’m feeling quite chuffed with things today, as a lot of the hard work we have put into SEO for our Conservatory Outlet website is gradually taking effect.  We’re gradually getting more visitors each month to the site, and crucially the number of conservatory leads we are getting has been [...] ..[ more ] Green Credentials On hearing of the latest attempts by one of the Glass & Glazing industries more high profile companies to raise their brand awareness, it prompted the question of what does ‘Green’ really mean? Most of what is now surely commercial hype seems to be just a collection of cynical ploy’s to frighten the public [...] ..[ more ] Energy Efficient Windows really make a difference! Over 23% of heat lost from the home is lost through poorly insulated windows. And while one third of Britain’s housing stock still has only single glazed windows it means that, as a nation, we are throwing away some £1.5 billion every year, and pumping needles CO2 into the atmosphere. I have been arguing for [...] ..[ more ] Renegade Conservatory Guy stats - May 1, 2008 April has been a good month for the Renegade Conservatory Guy website.  I seem to be getting regular visitors to the site, and I’m delighted to say that during the month of April I have made a few friends and lots of enemies! The following image shows the number of visitors I’ve been getting since I [...] ..[ more ] Everest fined for putting fascia and soffit fitters at risk Everest has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £15,963.25 costs after its workers were found to be repeatedly exposed to the risk of falling from height during roofline installations. Everest had previously pleaded guilty to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, after an HSE inspector twice spotted Everest workers performing roofline refurbishments on [...] ..[ more ] Rogue Customers - Nigel Gray launches a new website RogueCustomer.com A few weeks ago I posted the story about Nigel Gray the builder who pulled down a conservatory in Shoreham because a ‘rogue customer’ would not pay for the work he had completed. Nigel contacted me on this website and we spoke on the phone, and he told me about all the publicity he had received, including [...] ..[ more ] Complaints about Safestyle UK, Anglian Windows, Everest and fighting the online PR war. Complaints about Safestyle UK, Anglian, Everest and fighting the online PR war. One of the main features of the development of the internet is the ability for unhappy customers to air their dissatisfaction (or satisfaction) for the world to see.  I have kept my eye on a few of the review sites out there to see how the [...] ..[ more ] Would a ‘How to run a Double Glazing Company’ website be useful? I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately… And the question that is occupying my mind at the moment is…. would a ‘How to run a Double Glazing Company’ website be useful? I’m quite sure that I’m the only person in the world currently thinking of this, which could mean that there is no need for such a website.  [...] ..[ more ] Plastics firm in administration The business is based on the Aberaman Park industrial estate A south Wales valleys plastics factory, which employs 140 people, has gone into administration, it has been confirmed. But it is hoped Aberdare-based Everwhite Plastics will be sold as a going concern by the end of January, administrators have said. The firm, which makes UPVC building products, got [...] ..[ more ] Interview with Nick Dutton of Synseal In the first of a series of interviews with key individuals from the double glazing industry, below is an exclusive with Nick Dutton, the face of Synseal and the guy responsible for the rapid growth of the company over the last decade.  • There have been a number of high profile casualties in the industry over the [...] ..[ more ] Interview with Andy Jones of Edgetech In the second of a series of interviews with key people from the double glazing industry, today we hear from one of the biggest names - Andy Jones. Andy is the MD of Edgetech and has been at the forefront of the move towards Energy Rated windows in the market, with the phenominal growth of Super [...] ..[ more ] Help me choose a new logo. Help me choose a new logo. I’ve decided it’s time I invested in my Renegade Conservatory Guy website and get a new logo sorted out. And I need your help! I submitted a contest on the 99designs.com website - a great resource where designers from around the world compete to design logos, websites, in fact any type of design [...] ..[ more ] Fit the Best? - Everest TV campaign Fit the Best? - Everest TV campaign It’s great to see Everest on TV with a new campaign pushing A-Rated Energy Efficient windows.  The advert shows new Energy Rated windows fitted at the highest pub in Britain - Tan Hill Inn. I must admit, it’s a very well produced advert which gets across the message, and I’m [...] ..[ more ]