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Clear Thinking Software" Clear Thinking Software celebrate 25 years at the
Think 1986…. - Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey. The world's worst nuclear ...[more]

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MBA Associates Limited" Standardises on sales-I for Sales and Customer Int
Increased sales and customer activity with visibility across all field sales operations gives Howart...[more]

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Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB)" The Simple Truths about Aluminium & Recycling’
When considering a specification, it is essential to consider the responsible sourcing, effectivenes...[more]

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" " Glass - advertisement

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The Fenestration News Bulletin this week will be sent to more than 15,000 recipients in just over 9,000  organisations aligned to the Window Industry. Making it an effective delivery platform to get your Companies message across.

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From the News

News shorts: -

Leading suppliers UAP and Hoppe partner up to form the perfect Colour Match Solution for door hardware.

From Pilkington, Uniglaze 2 is pleased to announce its membership of the Certass TRR IGU Fabricators scheme

Edgetech, the UK manufacturer of the most cost effective warm edge technology, is pleased to pledge its support to the Eumatec Fabricator Show again this year

Mila Hardware is enjoying such success with its stylish new smokey chrome finish that it is extending it to additional products including the Evolution Secured by Design door hinge

Roseview - Recently there have been a vocal few in our industry who - for whatever reason - are eager to have a pop at the DGCOS at any given opportunity.

MBA Associates, Standardises on sales-I for Sales and Customer Intelligence Across its National Sales Force

Clear Thinking Software celebrate 25 years at the top

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Remember, for all the latest news updated daily, check out the Fenestration News website @ www.fenestration-news.com

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..response from Martin Randall

We have had a response from Martin Randall, Chairman of Crystal Direct, to our previous leader ‘Working with one hand tied behind your back.’ While we understand and appreciate what is being suggested in his letter, it is not the way we read the situation. From a straightforward point of view a company exist to make a profit. It is only profit that ensures a company has a tomorrow; it is profit that enables growth - no growth equals no future. This profit is so essential to a company it is usually defined within the pricing structure just as any other component part of the process.

In a normal trading environment, particularly in the instance we referred to, i.e. a trade supplier to the industry, all profits are generated by payments received from its customers. As a rule there is no one else paying (the exception maybe the shareholders’ covering all loses), it is just part of the trading discipline.

The point being the ‘phoenix’ operation walks away from debts, obligations and commitments leaving everyone else to cover their costs. The unpaid materials, components, VAT, unpaid income tax, national insurance, bank overdraft, and so on are picked up by those still trading as there is no one else. Even Governments don’t have money, they just have access to taxpayers’ wallets, and if one person doesn’t pay they just ensure everyone else tops up the shortfall. Similarly that is the position with the suppliers, a cash shortfall in one area is subsidised from another.

It is for this reason customers of the supply chain feel aggrieved when their supplier continues to offer products to a resurrected outfit. Business logic says the well managed operation pays for the losses incurred by suppliers who get caught in a bad trading situation, who else is there to get the cash from? That is one thing; however, it is when they have to face up to competition in the market place with a company that has cleaned its slate at their expense, it then begins to seem an un-equal arrangement, as if being kicked in the teeth by a trading partner.

I do agree with Martin there is a need to be sensible when things ‘just’ go wrong and companies at times might need breathing space to restructure or realign their approach. In the US this is referred to as Chapter 11, in the UK this is what was meant to happen under the ‘pre-pack’ arrangement. Unfortunately the UK version has deteriorated to mean just save the jobs let someone else pay the costs. What it is not is the breathing space to move forward and honour commitments; it is just a way of unbalancing the market place.

Then again trading partners simply talking and communicating tend to lead to similar, if not better, results than any formal process.

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Clear Thinking Software celebrate 25 years at the top

Think 1986….

Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey. The world's worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. The hand of god goal that helped Argentina defeat England in the World Cup quarter finals. And Clear Thinking Software Ltd was founded.

Back in those days, most correspondence was done on a typewriter and mobile phones were just hitting the market. The majority of businesses then didn't even have a fax machine, let alone a computer. However, within 20 years, the technology market has grown phenomenally and nearly ever business in the UK now has at least one computer....[ more ]

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Howarth Timber, standardises on sales-I for sales and customer intelligence across its national sales force

The Howarth Timber Group encompasses 28 Timber and Builders merchant branches, Howarth Windows & Doors and Howarth Timber Engineering. Its origins trace back to the 1840’s and today has expanded from one-man to over 1000 employees. With its network of timber and builders merchant branches throughout England with facilities including specialist timber treatment, milling and machining, the company provides a complete service to professional tradesmen, major construction companies, self-builders and committed DIY enthusiasts.

Mark Terry, National Sales Manager at Howarth Timber & Building Supplies, understands well the complexities of managing a large, nationally dispersed field-based sales force with the need for customer visibility and activity tracking to make sure that the Company’s share of spend and customer service levels remain high. ...[ more ]

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In Box

Letter to the Editor - Steve Stewart, Managing Director, Avocet Hardwaret

Dear Ian

Fear of crime is high amongst consumers. But many people have good reason to fear their property is unsafe. There are 20 million residential doors that are vulnerable and present an open invitation to burglars. Anyone who knows how can break in to the average door in under a minute.

Being able to offer a real security solution to homeowners is a big sales opportunity. But you need to be able to sell a product which meets or exceeds today’s consumers’ security requirements not yesterday’s....[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Steve Stewart,Managing Director,Avocet Hardware ABS Division

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In Box

Letter to the editor from Martin Randall, Crystal Direct

Dear Ian,

I’m compelled to respond to your leader on phoenix companies in the latest Fenestration News Bulletin (Working with one hand tied behind your back, 20th January).

I strongly dislike the whole concept of phoenix companies. Basically, it’s just not right.

Some failures are genuine and unavoidable and not all companies go under because of crooked management. It’s an unfortunate reality of business and we should avoid casting a shadow over all of them....[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Martin Randall, Chairman, Crystal Direct

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In Box

Letter to the editor from Mike Bygrave, Roseview Windows

Dear Ian,

Recently there have been a vocal few in our industry who - for whatever reason - are eager to have a pop at the DGCOS at any given opportunity. So, inevitably, they jumped all over the situation with Croston Conservatories - a member of DGCOS - going into liquidation and starting up again a week later; it appeared to be exactly the sort of thing they were looking for.

However, taking a step back and looking at it a little more impartially, I really don't see what the problem is:...[ more ]

Sincerely,

Mike Bygrave, Roseview Windows

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In Box

Letter to the editor from Jon Cole (National Operations Manager, Secured by Design)

Dear Ian,

We note that there has been some industry speculation regarding the contents of a soon to be published specification; relating to enhanced security products aimed at protecting against an emerging criminal method of entry (cylinder snapping). We would like to assure the industry, many of whom have actively participated in the preparation of the new standard which will be published by the Door Hardware Federation (DHF), that the specification will be robust, non design restrictive and provide a high level of protection against this new method of entry, which has unfortunately been misrepresented as the most common form of forced entry in a recently published letter in Fenestration News....[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Jon Cole
National Operations Manager, Association of Chief Police Officers – Secured by Design

Remember, for all the latest news updated daily, check out the Fenestration News website @ www.fenestration-news.com

Also in the news....

UAP Limited
The perfect Colour Match Solution for door hardwar
Leading suppliers UAP and Hoppe partner up to form the perfect Colour Match Solution for door hardware. - Sourcing door hardware products from individual suppliers may sometimes sa ..[ more ]

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HL Plastics
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" "
Listers - All Out for 2010
Friday the 21st January saw a mass walk out at " ", Stoke on Trent. Fortunately, it was just a special early closing so that the whole workforce could attend a cele ..[ more ]

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SFS Intec
SFS INTEC consigns flag hinges to history
Leading European hardware manufacturer SFS intec has dropped its last remaining flag hinge product from its door hinge range as it focuses 100% on its cylindrical designs that have ..[ more ]

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TÜV Reinland UK Ltd
TÜV Rheinland Celebrates 6 Years with CENSolutions
TÜV Rheinland will have been supplying CENSolutions, the leading consultancy and test facility for the window, door and glazing industries, with product testing solutions for 6 yea ..[ more ]

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Roto Frank Ltd
Roto TSH 20 – New hardware for casement windows
End-user convenience, a high level of security and state-of-the-art corrosion protection are three of the qualities offered by Roto with its brand new TSH 20 hardware suite for out ..[ more ]

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REHAU
REHAU heritage vertical sliders meet requirements
A coastal location, strict planning restrictions and a Secured by Design requirement made for a challenging window specification in a new build development in Margate, Kent recentl ..[ more ]

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Pilkington Building Products
Pilkington welcomes Certass TRR IGU fabricators sc
Pilkington Building Products is pleased to announce its membership of the recently announced (CERTASS TRR IGU Fabricators Scheme). The scheme provides for a default hard coat IGU t ..[ more ]

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FrameXpress
frameXpress introduces order monitoring service.
As a leading fabricator frameXpress continues to place service support as a priority for customers. As such a new Order Monitoring facility has been introduced via van tracking to ..[ more ]

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Trojan Manufacturing Group Limited
Trojan’s latest launches completes its stainless s
Innovative door and window hardware manufacturer the Trojan Group has just launched the latest products in its stainless steel door furniture suite. The sleek and stylish stainless ..[ more ]

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Saint-Gobain Solaglas
Sterling PVC-U chooses EcoClear+ for cost effectiv
Warrington based Sterling PVC-U has chosen market leading sealed unit SGG EcoClear®+ from Solaglas to provide cost effective ‘A’ energy rated windows for its retail customers. - Di ..[ ]

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Freefoam Plastics
Freefoam introduce new style product catalogue – s
Freefoam Plastics, the leading manufacturer of a wide range of innovative products for the building industry in Ireland, the UK and Mainland Europe announces the introduction of a ..[ ]

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Clear Thinking Software
Clear Thinking Software celebrate 25 years at the
Think 1986…. - Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey. The world's worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. The hand of god goal that helped Argentina defeat England ..[ ]

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Technal
Technal glazing systems help University of Leeds s
Façade systems from architectural aluminium glazing specialist, Technal, have helped the University of Leeds to set a new benchmark for student accommodation in the city. - More th ..[ ]

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ER Certification Ltd
ER Certification Achieves UKAS Accreditation
ER Certification, the cost effective Independent Agency supplying simulations, assessments and annual audits necessary for Window Energy Ratings, is pleased to announce it has now ..[ ]

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TuffX Processed Glass Ltd
TuffX fires up expansion with second furnace insta
In a continuing commitment to provide leading edge conservatory glass and processed glass products to the industry, TuffX Processed Glass has commissioned a second furnace to be in ..[ ]

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Steel Window Association
Steel windows offer listed mill authentic warmth
The residents of a Grade II* listed former cotton mill, located on the Aston Canal in Greater Manchester, have gained increased comfort levels through the installation of Part L co ..[ ]

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Build Check Ltd
Distinction Doors look to the Build Check Oracle f
Distinction Doors, the sole supplier of Nan Ya GRP composite door blanks in the UK, has teamed up with Build Check and incorporated their product range within The Oracle - Build Ch ..[ ]

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Business Micros (Aluminium) Ltd
Business Micros (Aluminium) at BAU
Dean Hodges and the team from Business Micros (Aluminium) travelled to BAU last week to support their partners Orgadata in promoting the LogiKal software programme at the show. - D ..[ ]

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KAT UK
Trainee Helps Ali KAT Grow
An eighteen-year-old trainee’s vigilance has saved an order at KAT Aluminium. General Manager Carol Sherlock says when Sam Chaloner used his initiative it was typical of the whole ..[ ]

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Edgetech IG Inc
Quanex Building Products Announces Definitive Agre
Houston, Texas, January 31, 2011 - Quanex Building Products Corporation (NYSE:NX) today announced it signed a definitive agreement with Lauren International to acquire Edgetech I.G ..[ ]

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Freefoam Plastics
Freefoam congratulate outstanding suppliers
Freefoam Building Products, the leading manufacturer of PVC building products for the Irish, UK and Mainland European markets congratulates three of its outstanding UK suppliers in ..[ ]

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Winkhaus UK
Winkhaus will be exhibiting at Ecobuild
Winkhaus’ automatic locking range sales grew by over 130% during 2010, and project substantial growth again for 2011. Automatic locks have become a “must have” requirement for eas ..[ ]

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VEKA
Andrew Wright gains coveted glass Kitemark
Andrew Wright Glass - the sister company of Network VEKA member Andrew Wright Windows - has become one of the few Scottish companies to have achieved the BS EN 1279 part 3 Kitemark ..[ ]

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REHAU
REHAU gives employees a glimpse of its future
REHAU hosted a conference for senior managers from across the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and South Africa recently during which it provided a glimpse of some of the future technologi ..[ ]

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Regalead
RegaLead introduces CadBlast – a complete sandblas
RegaLead, the market leader in decorative products for the flat glass industry, has recently added CadBlast to its extensive range of glass enhancing components, providing customer ..[ ]

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February - issue: 0211.01

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