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THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 59 28th January 2003

The UK Residential Windows & Doors Market Development Report
After researching the UK Residential Windows & Doors Market Development and taking into account various other factors the following major conclusions can be drawn from MBD's report.
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Glassex Seminar Programme to Reflect Change
As befits the UK glass and glazing industry's leading event, the Glassex 2003 Seminar Programme will reflect industry trends with a varied and extensive agenda, say organisers EMAP Maclaren. The over-riding theme of the programme - details of which can be seen here - is change, accentuated by the sponsorship of the event by The Chrysalis Programme, a marketing initiative introduced by the Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB).
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Chrysalis Receives Warm Welcome to Glassex 2003
The organisers of Glassex have extended a warm welcome to the aluminium-focused Chrysalis Programme as sole sponsor of the Glassex Seminar Programme for 2003
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Get Down and Help Others at 'The Glassex Gig' 2003
The event that has now become known as the annual kick-off for the Glassex social scene, 'The Glassex Gig' will take place on the evening of Sunday 23rd March, with all ticket proceeds contributing to worthy children's charities.
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Eurocell Posts 17% Increase in Turnover for 2002
Eurocell Profiles, the PVCu systems company based in Alfreton Derbyshire has posted a 17% increase in turnover during the 2002 trading year, bringing in around £50.7m.
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IsoSystems Appoints New Sales Chief
The appointment of Tracey Walstra by IsoSystems has boosted new business by up to 40%.The company has undergone a transformation this year with a major re-branding programme under the Iso22 banner and the launch of products and services, including its complete conservatory package and a new in-line sliding patio door.
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Pilkington Expertise helps Achieve Ireland's first Skyscraper
The second and final phase of a modern multi-storey office development project in Dublin has included the installation of over 8000m2 of curtain walling panels manufactured using Pilkington Suncool™ glass. The Georges Quay Plaza, which incorporates over 400,000 sq ft of office space, is the first building in Ireland to be constructed using skyscraper techniques
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Silos Create Cost Efficiencies at Status
Investment in extrusion development at the Status Systems plant in Delph, Oldham has incorporated the installation of two 95 tonne silos to store the company's regular supply of Decom compound.
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The Truth is Out There Somewhere
The debate in the fastener industry has been hotting up in recent months. But UK Fasteners claims it has new evidence which challenges what the dominant voice in the market has been saying. 'UK Fasteners not only provides quality products but also sticks to the seemingly old fashioned view that the customer comes first.
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Record Times for Portal Products
Door panel manufacturer Portal Products is celebrating the best sales figures in its 11 year history.Despite an interesting year influenced by the summer's events, October and November 2002 saw the Cheltenham-based PVCu door panel and composite door manufacturer handle record orders. Now this year looks like breaking through new sales barriers too.
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Chalco and Alcoa Announce Revised Timetable in Formalising Pingguo Joint Venture
Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd (Chalco) and Alcoa Inc announced on December 17th that their joint venture at Pingguo will now be formalised in 2003. This revised schedule will allow the parties to complete the necessary commercial terms and to obtain the necessary government approvals for the joint venture.
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New Face For Eurocell's Poole Branch
Eurocell Building Plastics has refurbished another of it's main sites. Poole has now been brought into line with the other 48 branches, having had a new updated trade counter installed.
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Advantage Pyroguard
Pier Glass Woolwich Ltd, wholesale and specialist glass distributor, part of the RMG Group, is a stockist of CGI International’s range of Pyroguard fire resistant glasses, supplying a customer base covering London, M25 and the Home Counties.
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Connect 2 Increase Warehousing in Sheffield
Connect 2 National Plastics has further expanded and increased its stock. The Sheffield branch has moved to Riverside Park, where the Connect 2 premises have more than trebled in size.
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Door Panels to Create Network of Fabricators and Installers to Benefit from new Composite Product
'Ask any homeowner what they look for in choosing a new door and they will inevitably say security and good looks.' says Door Panel's Sales & Marketing Director, Ricky LeGrys 'With disturbing police statistics showing that over 70% of break-ins are gained via the door, Door Panels has developed the most advanced composite door to arrive in the retail sector.'
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Number One Distributor of Pyrobel in UK
C3S Securiglass Ltd., is a UK specialist processor and stockholder of safety, security and fire resistant glass. Based in Elland, it claims to be currently the number one distributor of Pyrobel in the UK.
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Top Gear for PatioMaster South West
Paignton-based PatioMaster South West has taken delivery of a new DAF 7.5 tonne sleeper cab for a more efficient and versatile delivery service within the South West and South Wales.
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WinStar Helps to Double Sales
Since changing to Business Micros Winstar software, Almark Windows has had the confidence and the manufacturing capability to more than double its production output.
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THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 58 21st January 2003

Highly Respected Speaker for the GPD 2003 Automotive Sessions
The global glass industry conference, Glass Processing Days (GPD), will take place on 15-18 June 2003 in Tampere, Finland. More than 900 of the glass industry's decision-makers from more than 60 countries are expected to participate. The automotive session of the conference will have highly respected and interesting speakers and will attract automotive glazing specialists.
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IMI sells Witton site to end an era
IMI plc - parent company of Polypipe/Premier - has sold its 95 acre industrial site at Witton, Birmingham to The Prudential for £27m. Completion took place on 20th December 2002. A joint venture between The Prudential, Frontier Estates and Opus Land will be developing the site and work is expected to start in July 2003.
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Making a Sound Investment with Pilkington Acoustic Glass
Due to changes in UK Building Regulations, developers are now demanding double glazing as the preferred choice in construction practice, including within fixed point glazing systems such as Pilkington Planar.
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Technal Supplies Windows to Tallest Building in NW
The £1.5m glazing contract for the tallest new residential building in the North West has been awarded to glazing subcontractor, Airedale Glass and Glazing, in partnership with architectural aluminium systems specialist, Technal.
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Alcoa Approves Building New Aluminum Smelter in Eastern Iceland
Alcoa announced on 10th January that its Board of Directors has approved plans for the construction of a 322,000-metric ton Fjaroaal aluminum facility in Eastern Iceland.
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Domino Cuts it with Oakland Glass
Oakland Glass, independent glass processor, has chosen Domino, the global coding solutions provider, to install the latest ink jet technology for its production line.
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Combilift is Fantastic for GAP's Plastic
General Allpurpose Plastics, better known as GAP, has replaced most of its previous fleet of sideloaders and counterbalance forklifts with a Combilift multi-directional forklift.
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C3S Securiglass Welcomes Malaysian Guests
C3S Securiglass is continuing to strengthen its relationship with organisations throughout South East Asia, particularly Malaysia. The company supplies specialist fire, safety and security glass to a wide number of industries throughout the world.
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Passive Energy: Slimline Thermal Insulation for All Generations of Housing
Munich is sporting two new passive-energy houses. Both houses employ not only state-of-the-art energy-related technology, but also a new category of slimline thermal insulation that substantially exceeds the stringent requirements of Germany's Energy Savings Ordinance.
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House Builders Require Versatility
A decision to offer consumers the option of a conservatory on their new homes seemed like a marvellous opportunity for a major, national house builder, until it faced the problems of supply and installation.
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GTL e-briefing highlights training and safety
Highlights of this month's Glass Training bulletin include evidence that the CoVE Programmes are working, counting the cost to business of Christmas excess, and the latest stats on workplace death and injury - and if that wasn't enough to look forward to - GTL now has a 90 minute course in preventing back problems through safe lifting.
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Marvin Enters Replacement Business with Fiberglass Line
A 50,000-square-foot facility manufacturing a new line of Infinity all-fiberglass windows for the replacement market has been opened by Marvin Windows & Doors in Fargo, North Dakota.
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THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 57 14th January 2003

Glassex 2003 Shows the Industry's Soft(ware) Side
With a buoyant UK conservatory industry prompting the creation of an increasing number of information technology solutions specifically designed for this sector, it is hardly surprising that this year's Glassex heralds the highest number of software exhibitors attending the event to date.
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New Information on Day Lighting and Design Trends at GPD 2003 Architectural Sessions
Architectural sessions of the GPD2003 conference will have highly respected architects, designers and glass specialists as speakers. Topics of the sessions cover present-day trends in glass buildings, new developments, glass as an indoor and outdoor building material and use of artistic elements and day lighting.
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Tests Show PVC with Calcium Zinc Lasts Better and Longer
'Weathering tests conducted for PVC compound supplier, Doeflex-Vitapol, the PVC division of Vita Thermoplastic Compounds Ltd confirm that products based on calcium zinc stabilisers significantly outperform lead-based alternatives.' says the company.
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Learning from History? - The Wired Glass Debate Hots Up
Tom Ritchie of CGI International comments: 'As a fire glass manufacturer based in Europe, we have for some months been following the 'debate' between the wired glass v safety lobbies. This is a serious matter and our comments are not, in any way, seeking to deny the existence of the problem.
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Morty to Spend more Time with his Family
Gary Morton, Chief Executive Officer for Deceuninck Holdings (UK) Ltd, is taking a new role within the UK operation from January 2003.
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Alcoa Acts to Lower Costs; Announces 4th Quarter Loss; Awards Dividends
Alcoa Inc. announced on 8th January actions designed to accelerate its cost reduction initiatives and further focus its business portfolio to increase long-term earnings power. These fourth quarter actions include significant restructuring efforts, particularly the sale of certain non-core businesses. For the fourth quarter 2002, Alcoa announced a net loss of $223 million
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Government Tackles Noisy Neighbours Through Tougher Building Regs- but what about acoustic glazing?
In a move to deal with the misery of noisy neighbours, the Government is demanding more robust building standards to improve soundproofing in new homes and schools. However, there appears to be a conspicious absence of any mention of acoustic glazing as a solution to the problem of noise.
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Draft Report on Quality Mark Business Plan
Government officials have welcomed a draft business plan to develop the anti-cowboy builders initiative the Quality Mark Scheme, from external specialists Atkins Management Consultants.
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Family Business goes Nuts for Hometrim
Family-run business, Chestnut Roofing, is the latest company in the North West to be appointed as a registered stockist of the Hometrim range of PVC roofline products from LB Plastics Ltd.
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Masterdor’s Pioneering Partnership
Manse Masterdor ltd has entered into a pioneering partnership with Calderdale's largest registered social landlord, Pennine Housing 2000 on a five year project that will involve thousands of tenants and properties in Halifax.
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Interframe makes Capital
Interframe Ltd, the Paignton-based manufacturer of Rehau Tritec PVCu windows and doors has recently expanded into the South London area.
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Glass Training News
Some interesting snippets from the last couple of Email Bulletins from Glass Training Ltd include courses on Glass Fusing from Pearsons Glass, a course designed to improve your Report Writing Skills and an insight into Pyschometric Testing in staff recruitment.
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Chrome-Free First for Qualicoat UK
Strathclyde Powder Coatings (SPC) of Cumbernauld, Scotland is the one of the latest companies to gain full approval by Qualicoat - the independent quality label for architectural finishing - and become a member of Qualicoat UK.
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Ornamental Fence from Bufftech Combines the Appearance of Wrought Iron with the Durability of Composite Technology
Bufftech, a brand of CertainTeed Corporation, introduces the Prestige™ Series line of ornamental composite fencing. Prestige fencing brings composite technology to the fencing industry, combining the classic look of wrought iron estate fencing, with the contemporary maintenance-free and durability features homeowners expect today.
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Chemetall Adding Value to Glass
Chemetall's Glass division is involved in the development, manufacture and sales of chemical specialities for adding value to glass.
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THE GL@ZINE ISSUE 56 7th January 2003

Saint-Gobain Sekurit to Sign Joint-Venture with Central Glass for Sale of Automotive Glass in Japan
Following the successful marketing alliance established in April 2002 by Saint-Gobain Sekurit and Central Glass in the automotive glass business, both companies have concluded an agreement to establish a joint company to market and sell automotive glass on the Japanese market.
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Glassex Online Manual Cuts out the Hassle
Stand managers for companies attending Glassex 2003 should find their organising tasks simpler, quicker and more convenient following improvements made to the show's online exhibitor manual.
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Thoughts for 2003 from the GGF's Chief Exec Nigel Rees
It would be wonderful to begin with a statement along the lines of, 'there will be no further changes and initiatives for the Industry in 2003'. Unfortunately I do not think we are even going to get close to such a statement.
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Getting Totally Bigger by the Day
Total Glass, the Merseyside based window fabricating operation, has announced further expansion plans. Total Glass has seen major growth over the last 18 months and it's a trend that is set to continue according to Managing Director Frank Deary.
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Alcoa Sheet Operations Swansea Opens a New Production Line
The Alcoa aluminium rolling operations based in Waunarlwydd, Swansea announced on Friday 13th December 2002 the opening of a new production line which is part of a several years' investment program to upgrade the company's ingot, hot rolling, cold rolling and finishing lines at this facility.
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Government Proposes more Weather Proof Building Standards
Tougher regulations that will provide better protection for new buildings from extreme weather, moisture and natural land contaminants were published for consultation on 10th December 2002 by the Government.
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First CE-mark Declarations by European Window Manufacturers
The Italian company Finstral is the first company in the European window industry to declare conformity of its PVC window system 500 with the European product standard.
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A Leading Force in Innovation Meets the Market Leader in Quality
As of 1st January 2003, Siegenia and Aubi - two of Europe's major hardware companies - became one. Siegenia Aubi Ltd will supply hardware and ventilation solutions to the UK market through the two companies' existing distribution networks.
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Hallmark Group is One in a Million
Hull-based door panel, GRP and laminated products manufacturer Hallmark Group achieved its first 'Million Month' in October 2002, selling over £1 Million across all its divisions - and then topped this performance with yet another record-breaking month in November.
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Dupont Benedictus Awards Names Distinguished International Judging Panel for 2003 Competition
A prominent international jury has been named to judge the 2003 DuPont Benedictus Awards, an international architectural competition that recognises the innovative and significant use of laminated glass.
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Deceuninck Group Shuts Down Uniplast
The Deceuninck Group announced on December 5th 2002 that it is closing down the production activities of its Uniplast subsidiary. The machines and customer database have been sold and the site and buildings are up for sale. A restructuring programme has been arranged for the 14 staff.
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The Laird Group plc Issues Trading Update
The Laird Group has issued for the first time what will be a regular Trading Update close to the end of its Financial Year on 31 December.
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IMI Trading Update
In accordance with its normal practice, IMI plc - Polypipe/Premier Profiles parent company - issued a trading update on 18th December 2002 in advance of its preliminary results announcement for the twelve months ending 31st December 2002, due to be published on 10th March 2003.
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Global Market Leader in Polysulphides: Akzo Nobel Thioplast Chemicals
With an annual production capacity of more than 12,000 t (2002), Akzo Nobel Thioplast Chemicals (Greiz, Thuringia/Germany), a business of Akzo Nobel (Netherlands), claims to be the global market leader in polysulphides.
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Masco Corporation Announces Common Stock Repurchase Programme and Agreement in Class Action Lawsuit
Masco Corporation announced on 13th December 2002 that its Board of Directors has authorised the purchase of up to 50 million shares of its Common Stock in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise.
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Pilkington T Glass - The New Name in a Tough World
From February 2003, the Pilkington Toughened Safety Glass range will be given the new specifier-friendly name of Pilkington T glass.
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Stockable - Clear and Wired Laminated Fire Resistant Glass
J. Preedy & Sons has provided London and the Home Counties with a range of constantly developing glass and glazing products and services since 1913, when Joseph Preedy established the company in Marylebone in the West End of London.
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Carlton Plastics Opens the Door to Further Growth with New Factory Premises
Long-standing Hallmark Door Panels customer Carlton Plastics has moved to new factory premises, allowing the tripling of its production capacity overnight
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Assuring the Future of Wood Windows
Wood windows have now stabilised at a 30% share of the European market after a decline in market shares. How to maintain this position and which measures are necessary to improve the competitivity of wood windows were one of the items discussed at the annual meeting of FEMIB, the federation of the European joinery industry, which took place in Barcelona.
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Results of the Squeeze-Out Offer for Glaverbel
The squeeze-out offer of Asahi Glass Co., Ltd (J.AHG) for the remaining Glaverbel shares closed on 16th December.
Asahi Glass now fully holds 100% of the capital of Glaverbel.
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