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Marketing Manager, Mark Walker, talks about a challenging market and why you should Connect with Selecta at FIT Show 2025.
In the current market, it’s become imperative that fabricators and installers partner with a systems company that can provide them with more than just a range of products. Every systems company can supply fabricators with ‘sticks of profile’, but not all can provide a personal and comprehensive service and support package. By this, I talk about providing you with a personal marketing support package, which is backed up with the sales and marketing tools to help you generate more sales leads and win new business.
It’s widely reported that the industry is down by approximately 10-15%, with some stating it could be as high as 20-25% in certain sectors of the market. With the industries home improvement boom now a distant memory, it now appears that we have somewhat returned to pre-covid levels, a time we seem to have forgotten.
Businesses may have become more accustomed to the reactive nature of doing business, which they experienced with the home improvement boom over the last few years. The current downturn may require businesses to take a more proactive approach to generating sales leads and winning new business. In turn, this may involve companies undertaking a totally different marketing strategy and plan to which had worked previously and of which they are used to.
Dependent on current resources and infrastructure, there will be some who would benefit from additional support and tools to aid them in implementing and realising their strategy and plan. The marketing support package, which Selecta have invested heavily in, provides fabricators and installers with exactly that! 2025 will see more innovative developments in place to further push the boundaries of support including the tools to take our Connect customer support portal to a completely new level.
Connect provides fabricators and installers with a host of technical and general information and guidance, with an excellent resource and news centre. However, marketing support sits at the very heart of Connect, providing a comprehensive package that’s designed to help businesses generate more sales leads and win new business.
Identified as Branded Mode, our Window & Door Designer with Home Visualiser has already been touted as a real game changer when it comes to lead generation and sales. It is fully loaded with all of Selecta’s window and door solutions, styles and configurations, and as the name suggests can be branded in-line with your business.
Customers can explore a wide range of window and door styles, choose from a variety of colour options to suit, upload property photos to visualise how they would look and request a survey and quote based on their design. Branded Mode is a fully immersive user experience, whether done in their own home, in your showroom or by your representative at the customers property.
With Selecta inviting you to Connect at FIT Show 2025, the April show will see the launch of a host of new features and modules within Connect and the designer. The added features are aimed at connecting fabricators, installers and their customers together with additional quoting, pricing and fabrication modules being integrated within the Window & Door Designer. This groundbreaking and integrated system will provide fabricators and installers with the ultimate sales lead generation, sales management and fabrication management tool. Portal Mode will link the initial lead, to quoting and pricing, through to workshop fabrication.
In Connect, you also have access to the Website Support Package, which features two ready-made themed websites, one for fabricators and one for installers. Fully equipped with all of Selecta’s window and door solutions, photography and text, you can have a modern and ready-to-go website up and running within 5 days! All that’s needed is your logo, chosen colour theme, a company bio and your contact details to get started. It takes out the headache of a website build.
The themed websites have been purposely designed to grow as you grow, allowing you to add new products, services and features. Upgrades include adding the Window & Door Designer, so that you can have a fully branded and professional on-line package that’s ready to start generating leads and winning new business from the outset.
This comprehensive marketing support package is key to building a trustworthy and effective partnership. In challenging times, we believe it’s imperative that you receive the right support and back-up from your systems company. This is why we are confident that Connect will provide even more added value and benefits to every fabricator and installer who choose to #bepartofthefamily
During December of last year, Selecta Systems held a couple of fundraising events and raised a fantastic £3,700 for local charity, Acorns Children’s Hospice. A Christmas raffle culminating in a Christmas jumper day, were organised by the Selecta marketing department for this worthy cause.
Selecta Systems Marketing Manager, Mark Walker, spoke about the fundraising events and why Selecta chose to support Acorns Children’s Hospice.
“We’ve supported Acorns as our local charity for a number of years now and we’ve always been amazed at what they do for babies, children, young people and the families of those with life limiting or life-threatening conditions. Acorns has been threatened with closure over the last few years or so and is heavily reliant on donations from the community to fund the local hospice centres.”
Acorns Children’s Hospice provides babies, children and young people, who have life limiting or life-threatening conditions and associated complex needs with a network of specialist palliative nursing care and support. They also provide a holistic service which meets the needs of both the children and their families, including the bereaved. This includes short break provision; emergency and end of life care; therapeutic and psychosocial support; sibling services and family support.
Coordinated by Marketing Assistant, Danielle Southam, concludes, “It only seems right to continue our support for such a worthy cause. We would like to thank everyone who got involved and donated. We are thrilled at being able to raise over £3,700!”
Selecta Systems Marketing Manager, Mark Walker and Lesley Edgar, Managing Director at 3D visualisation provider Red and Gray Ltd, talk about the use of CGI imagery and new the advancements in AI technology within the fenestration industry.
In today’s digital world, it is common knowledge that 3D visualisation is firmly entrenched as a well-used tool to make advertising any product easier and less expensive to manage. However, not all CGI is good CGI. In the same essence not all AI composite is good AI composite.
Mark comments, “Selecta have always been big advocates of CGI and the use of AI technology. Over the years we have outsourced our CGI requirements to Red and Gray of whom we have built an excellent working partnership with. Providing a quality service in both CGI and AI technology, it became clear that Red and Gray have a strong wealth of experience when it came to windows and doors. They have become very popular within the fenestration industry as their knowledge of the products is second to none, adding that to their first-class ability in CGI and AI imagery, they offer the perfect solution to our marketing needs”.
“Our latest projects have included CGI generated product animations and images. Using this technology has taken our marketing support offerings to a new level, allowing ourselves to get the best visual representation of our products and their surroundings. The MASTERslide Patio Door and ADVANCE 70 Flush Sash Window animations have been a huge success with our customers, providing them with a quality product sales tool of which can be branded to their personal requirements”.
Selecta have embraced the skills of the Red and Gray team, which in turn has not just helped them provide additional marketing support to their customers, but also boosted their marketing campaigns across various platforms.
Lesley says, “We love working with Mark and the team, they have a great understanding of what is needed to get the right message across to their working partners. Companies can sometimes ‘cut corners’ by using poor imagery, whilst being totally unaware just how much damage this can do to their brand. It’s fantastic that Selecta recognise this and the benefits of embracing CGI and the use of AI technology”.
“When a fenestration company offers top quality products, many with important key features, its vital they don’t overlook the importance of investment in quality imagery to reflect the essence and characteristics of their brand and its values. From windows and doors to handles, tracks and even hinges, time and money has been given to research and develop all these products, but many are then advertised with poor quality images, the detail in every image is key “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”.
“Why sell high quality products without matching imagery? Is it cost, the opinion of the person signing off the marketing images, or something else? The most important aspect of any marketing imagery is how do you want your potential customers to see your product? Art/illustration is the door to the clients wallet, it’s all about selling a dream or an aspiration to own that product, so the most accurate, attractive yet inspiring images are our priority”.
Red and Gray offer a full inhouse range of design, CGI, animation, configurators, AR and VR services, as well as the new AI technology, which is now being used by many of their clients. Having been established since 2001, the business has become the go-to for digital image services. So, how can fenestration businesses benefit from good CGI?
Lesley says, “Having the best imagery is more important than ever. “Many businesses don’t have time/space to photograph their products without the massive expense of hiring a studio or bespoke location, sending staff to manage the project, hiring a photographer, installing the product or building an appropriate set, the list goes on”.
We now live in a world where everything is fast paced and visual, scrolling on autopilot. Imagery is everything, it needs to be eye catching and relevant, otherwise it won’t last for more than a second on screen. As with any service provider there is a cost for good CGI imagery or AI composition.
However, Lesley added that the reality is much more cost efficient than you might think. “Clients often worry about the cost of digital imagery. The reality is, compared with traditional photography and set building, its inexpensive, its flexible and we keep up with all the current trends so can advise on the best way to showcase your products.”
“All 3D sets, geometry and final images we create for our clients are archived so can be used again with a change of product, updated style or décor, or even a different window or door. By reusing an existing set, you can have a whole new image for a fraction of the cost and the time. This is something that Selecta took advantage of, when showcasing both the MASTERslide Patio Doors and the ADVANCE 70 Flush Sash Windows”.
The world is changing. AI and CGI are fast becoming the future for any business. Most buyers are not interested in the detail until they are ready to buy, so it is all about an image being good enough to make the customer stop and take notice.
Mark concludes, “We have been delighted with how Red and Gray managed and delivered on all of our expectations. They have enhanced the visual appeal and representation of our products and options, of which in turn provides added benefits to our working partners. We look forward to working with Lesley and the team again on our next and future projects”.
Energy efficient products remain a big driver for sales, with homeowners, architects and developers looking to improve a home’s thermal performance thus reducing energy usage and bills. Selecta Systems Technical Manager, Cliff Prosser, explains the company’s philosophy behind ensuring that any new developments and enhancements continue to be fabricator and installer friendly, whilst also being as cost effective as is possible.
Windows and doors are often seen as a ‘distress purchase’. A purchase made out of necessity rather than pleasure. Replacing windows and doors within a home is amongst one of the largest investment renovations that a consumer will undertake on their property. Energy efficient products will now very likely feature top of their requirements, when choosing replacement windows and doors, closely followed by security and aesthetics.
Window and door companies have the ideal opportunity to promote the energy efficiency of their products as one of the main USP’s. Whether this being new build projects or replacing ageing and tired windows and doors, there is a necessity and requirement to improve a homes thermal efficiency and reduce energy bills. The latest and future revisions to Building Regulations Document Part L and the Future Homes Standard (FHS) provides companies with a strong legislative platform for promoting the thermal performance of windows and doors within the home.
With the recent and future changes to Part L and the FHS, coupled with further calls for action on climate control and sustainability, our industry remains under pressure to further develop product energy efficiency innovation and sustainability. These changes have seen Selecta provide further investment in our research and development programme, working closely with ER Certification and Clayton Glass. These partnerships have led to some truly exceptional results with some very efficient and cost-effective solutions attained.
The objective of our energy efficiency and sustainability R&D programme has been to continue to provide fabricators and installers with an effective and easily attainable solution, that meets and exceeds current and future requirements. This philosophy has seen our existing ADVANCE 70 system capable of achieving a U value of 1.1W/m²k with a 4/20/4, 28mm double glazed unit. Again, incorporating 4mm glass, a 40mm triple glazed unit will achieve a U value of 0.8 W/m²k, meeting the proposed FHS target. All this has been achieved without any further modifications of our ADVANCE 70 system and very much standardised glass specifications.
We realise the fact that the FHS final intended 0.8 W/m²k U value requirement will pose a significant challenge to many in our industry. These planned tighter regulations may indicate that some products on the market may have already or be close to reaching their design limits of their product range.
This is why we are extremely pleased that our continued investment in our R&D programme has clearly demonstrated the excellent technical and thermal capabilities of our ADVANCE 70 system in current and future market conditions. Along the way, we have been able to retain the company ethos on providing fabricators, installers and consumers with the most innovative, proficient and cost-effective energy efficient window and door solutions on the market.
We firmly believe that by partnering with Selecta and our ADVANCE 70 system, our excellent thermal performance ratings present fabricators and installers with greater sales and marketing opportunities. The future proofed ADVANCE 70 window and door system, combined with our first-class marketing and technical support package certainly provides you with the tools to generate new sales leads and win new business.
The last four years or so have been, and continue to be, a true rollercoaster ride for many. With various highs and lows during this time, the market now seems to be more settled overall, but remains challenging for some. Selecta Systems Sales Director, Andy Green, highlights why it’s now even more important to be with a PVCu window and door systems supplier that’s continuously investing in your future. More specifically, a systems company that is there to help you and your business, create opportunities and overcome those challenges.
It’s widely reported that the industry is down by approximately 10-15%, but here at Selecta we continue to grow whilst we undertake a number of investments across the business. These investments all form part of our long-term vision in helping fabricators and installers grow and win new business.
For example, our delivery fleet has been expanded with the purchase of four new HGV’s, increasing our delivery capabilities and capacities. Two new extrusion machines have been purchased this year, with more planned, on the back of the four that have been acquired in the last couple of years. Combined with a new material conveying system, these have had a positive impact on extrusion quality and efficiency, when combined with the major upgrades to tooling and dies.
Another new lamination machine, increased staffing levels and improved shift patterns have been implemented within the lamination department. The demand for colour continues to increase, which in turn has seen coloured profile stocks and special colour profile figures hit figures not experienced previously. The investments in the area have not only seen increased stocking levels, but also enabled ourselves to provide a fast turnaround for special-coloured profiles.
These multi-million-pound investments have been ongoing in the background, forming part of our expansion and growth plans. We see this as a way of investing not only in our future, but the future of our customers, enabling us to continuously improve our products and services, of which we offer.
Creating Opportunities and Winning New Business
The investments don’t stop there. Our aim has always been to provide a sales and marketing support package that adds real value and benefits to fabricators and installers. In a challenging market, it is important to stand out from the competition. Within Connect, we believe that our sales and marketing tools provide you with the perfect platform to create opportunities and meet those challenges head on.
Our Window & Door Designer with Home Visualiser has been very well received by our customer base who have seen this as a real game changer when it comes to lead generation and helping to close of sales. Branded Mode is fully loaded with our window and door solutions, styles and configurations, and can be branded with your logo and company details. As it has its own url, it has many deployment solutions at its disposal. This enables you to generate sales leads and win new business across many platforms!
The Window & Door Designer can be deployed on your website or in your showroom, linked within your social media posts or used as a presentation tool at a customers home. You or the homeowner can take a photo of their home, choose the window and door styles, configurations, colour etc. and paste them on to the customers house to visualise how they would look! You can change the design as many times as you like until you find a style and colour that compliments their home. All-in-all the Window & Door Designer provides you with a professional lead generation tool and sales aid, that sets you apart from the competition.
To compliment the Window & Door Designer, we have also invested in two branded and themed websites, one for fabricators and one for installers. Fully equipped with all of our window and door solutions, photography and text, you can have a modern and ready-to-go website up and running within 5 days! All you need to provide is your logo, a company bio and your contact details. You can even choose your own colour scheme to match your branding, taking away the whole headache of a website build.
There are a number of upgrades to the standard themed websites, including adding the Window & Door Designer, so that you can have a branded professional online package to help you start generating new business. The themed websites are designed to grow as you grow, allowing you to add new products, services and pages.
With further developments in our Connect portal at a well-advanced stage, we are confident that there is something of real value and benefit to every fabricator and installer. This is why it’s essential that fabricators and installers partner and investing in the right window and door system and supplier. One that can provide future proofed window and door solutions to meet the demands of your customers. One that is investing in your future and looking at long-term innovation and development of its products and services. One that can provide a range of marketing and technical support tools and services to create opportunities and win new business in today’s market. Even more reasons to #bepartofthefamily
The two biggest assets in any company are its staff and customers. Without either, there is no company. Selecta Systems Sales Director Andy Green talks about why building strong business partnerships and loyalty in business are so important, whilst thanking four customers and a number of employees who have each surpassed over 30 years of partnership with Selecta. The Loyal Family…
Andy is a prime example of business loyalty, with himself amassing over 33 years’ service at Selecta, a company that has long been known for being the family and independently owned PVCu systems company. Starting out in 1982, the business has grown, building an established customer base supported by a team of experienced, knowledgeable and time-honoured employees, as Andy explains.
“Over the last six months, we have had four customers surpass 30 years of loyal partnership with Selecta. Reaching this milestone in todays market, is a fantastic achievement and one that is very much appreciated by everyone at Selecta. To mark each customers 30 years with Selecta, we presented them with an award as part of that recognition.”
30 Year Partnerships
FAIRVIEW WINDOWS NORTH – In Tyne & Wear we have Richie Wardle, owner of Fairview Windows North, who celebrated their 30-year partnership with Selecta by stating, “The industry has changed a lot over the years, but I’ve always felt that we’ve been in good hands with Selecta during this time. Even though we are some 190 miles away from Selecta, we’ve built up some key relationships with people there, a crucial element in ensuring that our business continues to run smoothly.”
GOLDSTAR TRADE FRAMES – Goldstar Trade Frames in Aldridge, West Midlands, was originally started by Mick Simms and is now run by his daughter Claire Simms. Entering their 31st year as a Selecta partner, Claire commented, “We genuinely feel ‘part of the family’ and Selecta are and have always been a perfect fit for our business. Being local to our premises has always been a bonus, providing ourselves with greater flexibility in terms of when we have needed that extra bit of help!”
KIWI WINDOWS – Another customer with over 30 years of partnership is Kiwi Windows in Coventry. Colin Whelan was at the helm when Selecta originally set them up, but the business is now run by his son, Jamie Whelan and daughter, Vanessa Whelan. Jamie said, “We’ve always been a family run business, in similar ilk to Selecta. Our company ethos and values very much match that of Selecta, with the focus always on providing a quality product and a first-class service.”
ALLWYN WINDOWS – West Midlands based Allwyn Windows has also surpassed 30 years of partnership with Selecta. Owner, Wayne Lloyd commented, “Selecta have always ticked all the boxes for us as a business. Quality products with superb service and support backed up by a fantastic bunch of people who go out of their way to help! I can’t believe it’s been 30 years!”
Andy Green remarked, “With almost 300 customers on our books, we have a number of those who have been long-term Selecta partners. In fact, 47.7% of our customers have been Selecta partners for over 10 years, with just over 10% accounting for 20 plus years. We’re very proud of the loyal customer base that we have created at Selecta. This kind of devotion and commitment also extends to our staff, demonstrating the businesses stability, continuity and solidarity. Hence why the loyal family and #bepartofthefamily business strap line is so fitting and apt.”
Recently, Purchasing & Stock Control Manager Mark Roberts and Marketing Manager Mark Walker celebrated 30 years of service and association with Selecta. They join a 30-year club consisting of Andy Green, Maria Lawrence, Kevin Clark, Carl Garr and Dean Taylor, which is an amazing feat by all. Together with this there is also a strong contingency of staff who have over 20 years under their belt, with another 14 who have reached that milestone. These kind of numbers truly demonstrate the vast array of knowledge and experience within Selecta and the overall strength and stability of the business.
Andy concludes, “I firmly believe that if you provide a quality product, complimented by a flexible and personal support service, whilst operating your business with transparency, trust and honesty, it will breed loyalty.”
It is with great sadness that Selecta Systems announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague Dave Nelson. After a long and inspirational battle with illness, Dave passed away peacefully on Wednesday 28th February 2024 with his beloved family at his side.
Dave joined Selecta in February 2016 as a Business Development Manager, or “number one sales rep” as Dave would often refer to himself. It was this kind of humour that saw Dave quickly became a likeable and valuable member of the Selecta family, building up an excellent rapport with staff, customers and industry colleagues.
He had already built up an excellent relationship with a number of our team prior to his employment having been a longstanding employee of one of our customers, Goldstar Trade Frames. With his employment at Selecta, Dave brought a wealth of fabrication and industry experience, complimented with his infectious personality and humour.
Sales Director Andy Green and General Manager Bob Heeley, often referred to by Dave as his “work dad”, led the tributes to the popular Business Development Manager. “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague. His friendly and approachable personality made him a very popular figure with all who met him.”
“We have not just lost an experienced and valuable member of our team, but also a friend and integral part of our Selecta family. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his wife Sarah and children, Tyler and Demi at this extremely difficult time. We also extend our thoughts to family, friends and all who had the pleasure of meeting Dave. He will be greatly missed, but fondly remembered by all.”
Funeral Arrangements
Dave’s wife, Sarah, welcomes all who wish to pay their respects to Dave on:
Thursday 28th March 2024 at 10:00am at Mercia Forest Crematorium, Broad Ln, Essington, Wolverhampton, WV11 2RJ.
Then afterwards at:
Rushall Olympic Football Club, Daw End, Walsall WS4 1LJ
The family have decided that they are only having family flowers and that if anyone would like to donate, instead of flowers, then it will go towards a memorial at Rushall Olympic Football Club in memory of Dave.
We will be wearing black, but if anyone wants to wear orange (Rushall Olympic team colours), then feel free. Family will be wearing orange ties and the ladies, something orange for his favourite club.
Dave always said “It better be a party when I’m gone”, so I intend to give him the best send off he deserves.
In Memory of Dave
Selecta have set up a Just Giving page in Dave’s Memory, raising money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where Dave received his care. For anyone wishing to donate, you can do so by clicking on the link below:
Just Giving – In Memory of Dave Nelson
06/11/1979 – 28/02/2024
With the boom in the home improvement market now clearly a distant memory, we all envisaged that the demand for new windows and doors would not be able to continue at the rate that we had experienced over the last few years. Selecta Systems Marketing Manager, Mark Walker, talks about how they are taking fabricator and installer sales and marketing support to a whole new level.
Over the last few years, we have been working meticulously in the background at ways of adding real value and benefits to our sales and marketing support service, tools and mechanisms. Our main drive and objective being very clear; to make our sales and marketing support package a real game changer, not only for ourselves, but more importantly for our fabricators and installers.
New Trade & Homeowner Websites
One of the first investments we identified was a brand-new website. In fact, we saw huge opportunities for two new websites, one for trade and one for retail. We were experiencing a number of homeowner enquiries, some 25+ per week, just through the website alone and more via telephone and email. This highlighted that there was potential for a consumer dedicated website with improved homeowner-based information and branding.
This in-turn would be capable of generating and capturing sales leads for our fabricator and installer customer base. Hence, we designed and built both a trade and retail website, with the latter aimed at promoting the ADVANCE 70 brand. The way we see it is that our fabricators and/or installers sell the ADVANCE 70 window and door system, not Selecta, and the end consumer has ADVANCE 70 windows and doors installed.
On both the selectasystems.com and advance70.co.uk websites, a Find a Fabricator / Installer feature was added, to make it easier and quicker for consumers to engage with our growing customer base. By filtering it down to their area, distance from their location and products required, consumers can drill down their most local fabricators and/or installers. Direct links to the fabricator and/or installers website and contact details are included in the customer card, all contained within a Google map with directions, street view and other map functions.
Window & Door Designer and Home Visualiser
The biggest and most exciting addition to the consumer dedicated website is the Window and Door Designer with Home Visualiser, delivered by the amazing TOUCH. The complete range of Selecta products, direct from our Business Micros dataset, have been included thus allowing visitors to the site to design their own windows and doors!
They can choose the style, configuration, colour, hardware and glass decoration before saving each design within the portal. The most valuable part of the designer is that a homeowner can upload images of their home and drop on their newly designed windows and doors! This enables them to see if the colour or design they desire compliments the style, period and location of their home before submitting the enquiry. Once completed they can submit their enquiry which lands within the Dealer Network section of our newly upgraded Connect customer portal. A professional PDF copy of their design lands in the homeowners inbox too!
Once the enquiry hits our admin area of the Connect portal, we are then able to assign it to their local fabricator and/or installer! Every customer of Selecta is included within the Connect portal and has an account to not only access their sales leads, but a host of other sales and marketing tools and information. The fabricator and/or installer is now able to accept the lead, which comes complete with the customers design and contact details. It also allows them to download a professional PDF copy of the design and a survey sheet to quote the customer.
Selecta are the first systems company to launch the TOUCH Window and Door Designer and provide this level of sales and marketing support, as we continue to put fabricators and installers at the heart of our business. Between the Find a Fabricator / Installer feature and the Window and Door Designer alone we are currently generating in excess of 200 sales leads per month. These are distributed through the Connect Dealer Network to our customer base, dependent on leads location. We see this figure increasing greatly during 2024 as we venture on an exciting campaign to further promote the ADVANCE 70 brand, website and Window & Door Designer.
Stay Connected
As part of the website updates, we also upgraded our Connect customer support portal. Connect is designed to provide fabricators and/or installers with 24/7, 365 days a year access to a host of sales, marketing and technical support tools and information.
Originally launched in 2018, our Connect customer support portal, now includes more sales and marketing tools than ever before! The same Window and Door Designer with Home Visualiser that features upon our homeowner website, is available to fabricators and installers to have branded and sit on their own website. This amazing designer package and sales lead generator revolutionises the way fabricators and/or installers present and sell windows and doors to a whole new level.
Also, within Connect is a brand-new website support package, where themed ready-made websites for both trade and retail businesses are available to fabricators and/or installers, who don’t want to go through the headache of a website build. With pages full of quality imagery and product information, all that’s needed to complete your branded site is your logo, contact details, colour scheme and about us bio. Combine that with the Window and Door Designer and you have the complete online package to help you win new business!
We also have a web2print brochure creator on its way that allows our customers to brand and edit our range of brochures with their own information and imagery, without requiring any graphic design experience. There will also be a stationery and promotional product shop, where customers can design and purchase everything from branded pens and letterheads, through to workwear and mugs.
With the addition of new sales brochures, branded sales videos and images, these investments in our range of sales and marketing tools demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the industry and more importantly, our customer base. Everything has been purposely designed to provide fabricators and/or installers with a simplistic way of upgrading their sales and marketing offering, helping to promote their products and services. All of which is aimed at helping fabricators and/or installers win new business and take their business to a whole new level in 2024 and beyond.
Having visited the excellent Glazing Summit and digested the latest industry figures, the statistics seem to demonstrate that there is a steady decline year-on-year in the number of PVCu window and door fabricators operating within the UK. However, it seems that PVCu Systems Company Selecta Systems are currently in the process of bucking that trend as they are seeing more new fabricators coming on board than what they’ve witnessed in previous years. Selecta Systems Sales Director, Andy Green, analyses the figures and explains why there seems to be a surge in new fabrication start-ups and installers going back in to or start fabricating.
I read with great interest the most recent and excellent Industry Report produced by Insight Data. The figures make thought-provoking reading and are certainly in line with many people’s perceptions of the current state of play within the industry. As for Selecta, 2023 has seen an increase in new start-up businesses, conversions and also fabricators diversifying and dual sourcing. However, what is interesting, is that Selecta have seen an increase in installers moving in to fabrication, with the clear reasoning being, to ‘take back control’ of their business.
Taking Back Control
The recent demise of some big industry figures has certainly played a big part in many a businesses plans, from both an installers and fabricators perspective. We totally understand the rationale behind this ‘taking back control’ spate, which has been very clear and concise, especially with the failure of some big trade suppliers, another systems company and one of the largest window and door installers in the UK.
We’ve started to see installers looking at their own business models with many recognising that ‘buying in’ manufactured products totally removes an element of control over the quality and service they provide. These trade supplier failings significantly affect their installation business. The closure of some large window and door trade suppliers has also forced a lot of installers in to making decisions regarding their current business model. It’s also made others think more about other issues that can affect their service, such as, delivery performance, poorly and incorrectly fabricated products, with both potentially causing installation headaches of which they have virtually no control over. All these factors have had and can have damaging knock-on effects to their installation business, not only their reputation, but also on the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations.
There’s nothing worse for installers than booking in a job, their customer having time off work and then having issues where the product hasn’t arrived or is damaged during transit. Then there’s the possibility of fabrication problems when fitting on site. The majority of these issues may not be able to be resolved by the installation company, whereas if they were fabricating, they could apply their own corrective actions and also have greater control of what goes out the door and when. As for delivery timescales, why wait when you can fabricate?
I’m not saying this is the case everywhere for fabrication and installation companies, but we’ve certainly experienced an increase in installers wanting to be in control of their own destiny, with a number starting to and showing increasing interest in the fabrication of our ADVANCE 70 System of late. The numbers we’ve seen of late are certainly more than we’ve experienced in a long time.
Selecta have always had a strong and successful history of setting up fabricators and fabrication facilities from scratch and assisting in all aspects of the process from layout and floor plan design to full blown training, with your own personal technician making the transition as smooth as possible.
The statistics also point you in the direction that aluminium windows and doors are on the increase, with PVCu fabricators and installers diversifying and venturing in to this growing area. This may be the case, but at Selecta we’re also seeing a trend in aluminium fabricators moving in to PVCu fabrication and expanding their product range. This certainly demonstrates that PVCu remains a strong proposition in a customer’s portfolio and that businesses are looking at how they can further protect their business to meet the ever-changing landscape.
The increase in new business start-ups may be more surprising for some, especially with the current state of play with the cost-of-living crisis and other factors that may deter the home improvement market. However, there are plenty of opportunities out there and the number of frames per week that companies like Safestyle and UKWG were fabricating have to be fulfilled somewhere. Those kind of numbers and opportunities are still out there, they simply don’t just go away.
Service and Support is Key
Whether you’re a fabricator or installer, our aim at Selecta is to provide a service and support package that suits everyone, from sales to delivery, technical to marketing. We have an extensive range of retail-based marketing support and sales brochures, literature and sales videos, whilst we also provide a series of trade sales and technical information guides aimed at promoting the window and door range to trade customers and installers.
Our Connect customer support portal, now includes more sales and marketing tools than ever before! A Window and Door Designer with Home Visualiser is available to fabricators and installers to personalise with their branding and feature on their website. This amazing designer package and sales lead generator takes the way you sell and present windows and doors to a whole new level. Also, within Connect is a completely brand-new website support package, where themed ready-made websites for both trade and retail businesses are available to customers who don’t want to go through the headache of a website build. Link that up with the Window and Door Designer and you have the complete online package to help you win new business!
We also have a web2print brochure creator on its way that allows customers to brand and edit our range of brochures with their own information and imagery, without requiring any graphic design experience. It’s a simplistic way of upgrading your sales and marketing offering, promoting you, your products and services.
Perfect Business Partner
In light of recent events within the industry, it is now vitally important whether you’re a fabricator, installer or both that you have, not only the right window and door profile system, but also the right supplier that can service and support you and your business. I believe this is essential in building a successful business partnership.
Our ADVANCE 70 System is now firmly recognised as one of the leading PVCu window and door profile systems. Whether you are fabricating, installing or both, you can be sure of a quality and comprehensive range of window and door solutions at your disposal.
Combine this with our personal customer support and service, marketing and technical support package and you have the perfect partner to not only support your business, but also grow your business. Whether you are already fabricating, or looking at fabricating, diversifying or broadening your product range, feel free to contact us and have that friendly chat on how Selecta can help you win new business.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in pressure for far more stringent energy efficient products, driven by current and future legislative requirements combined with homeowner demands. Selecta Systems Technical Manager, Cliff Prosser, has been looking through the Selecta archives and articles that were written back in 2017, with concerns and questions raised that still seem pertinent to the current plight that we find ourselves in today.
I was recently looking through the technical archives and I found two particular energy efficiency related articles written and published by the previous technical team, that really caught my attention. It certainly seems like we were looking in to a crystal ball back then! This is particularly interesting on how we spoke about energy efficiency and the route the industry was deemed to be undertaking. What seems significant is that here we are, some 6 years later, with the very same concerns and questions still being raised!
We had acknowledged that the technical performance and specification of window and door systems had improved dramatically over the years, as window and door solutions evolved. It also identified that consumer demand within the replacement market would not only be for energy efficient products, but for more cost effective solutions in being able to deliver those savings with a guaranteed financial return on their investment.
The articles spoke of “sales and marketing campaigns driving fabricators and consumers as to requiring A++ ratings and triple glazed windows and doors to improve the thermal efficiency of properties and reduce energy bills”. This is no different to todays push with U values, Document L and the Future Homes Standard. But more importantly the article spoke of how meeting these rigid targets may present companies with the difficulty of being able to provide cost effective solutions for all.
It points to whether the cost and impact of improving the thermal efficiency of windows and doors may outweigh the overall savings. For instance, the end consumer may never see any return on their added investment when it comes to energy bill savings. Then there’s a business’s extra production and manufacturing costs to produce a product, which could possibly end up increasing its carbon footprint. This could certainly be the case for laminated glass production. Solve one problem, create another! Pretty much a similar scenario with electric cars. Ideology is great, but cost effectiveness, poor infrastructure, non-recyclability of batteries, impact of mining etc. all have detrimental effects in other areas, but hey, “I’m saving the planet by driving an electric car!”
It was interesting that the 2017 article touched on the possibility of ”over engineering a product just for the sake of achieving a higher rating”. In the replacement market, is a 0.2 decrease in U value really going to improve the overall efficiency of a property? Referring back to the extra manufacturing requirements and costs to achieve such a decrease, which if we were to analyse, would possibly bring minimal to zero improvements to the overall efficiency of the property and or energy savings to the homeowner.
It should not simply be about trying to provide a window or door solution that achieves the lowest U value, but we should be giving greater prominence in the ‘cost effectiveness’ achievement factor to the extruder, fabricator, installer and more importantly, the consumer. Will a 0.2 or even a 0.4 U value decrease provide a large leap in potential energy savings to the end consumer and the thermal efficiency of the property in comparison to the added expense in achieving this?
The articles continued to query whether there “must be a ‘cut-off’ point where the ‘efficiency’ reaches a level that it could be detrimental to the building fabric and the whole cost against benefit of installing the windows or door is no longer pertinent”. I believe this is still relevant when you consider the conflicts relating to documents L and F and the stabilisation of temperature within a property. Another point to add, with it all based on simulation, there’s also no consideration in to the quality of fabrication or installation of the windows or doors, a completely different ball game altogether.
As a systems company at the top of the supply chain, everyone may benefit from a more pragmatic and realistic approach to U values. For instance, moving to a centre pane U value would be the more logical approach, with glass making up at least 85% of all windows and most doors.
It will be interesting to look back in another six years or so to see if any sensible progress has been made in answering these queries and whether common sense does prevail.