Never an easy decision for a small business who have many years of experience, but times change and we have to make decisions for the survival of our business.
Go on fabricating or start buying in and concentrate on installing? It may be a dilemma for many companies, but not for CJR Glass & Glazing – the Southampton based company decided on a strategic plan to do both and now, with the help of trade fabricator Glazerite Windows Ltd, the strategy is paying dividends.
CJR is still manufacturing white casements as well as resi and French doors but now turns to Glazerite for all other coloured foils and window styles, including Vertical Sliders and Residence 9 as well as composite doors and bi-folds and is enjoying the best of both worlds, as founder Clive Ret explained:
“I didn’t want to get out of fabricating altogether. For one thing, we get a lot of council emergency work such as break-ins. So now, I can still make and install a white window or door in 24 hours but at the same time, offer customers a wider range than ever.”
The move was part of a consolidation overhaul that also saw the company change over to the Veka system and move from two separate factories into a single, much bigger premises. Also the new unit includes a showroom, which means CJR can show its newly expanded range of products at their best, especially with support from Glazerite on showroom display materials.
Glazerite Director Jason Thompson said: “Getting out of fabricating is still the best option for many but we realise it’s a big decision to make. CJR has shown how it is possible to make the best of both. Fabricating white frames in core designs gives them a simple in-house process with low stock levels and no complications, while buying in coloured foils and the premium and specialist systems gives them a large and varied offering that no business this size could ever dream of fabricating cost-effectively.
“CJR has shown the way here and if it has given anyone else any ideas, we would be very happy to help them to develop it.”
Jason also comments: We have encouraged many small fabricator-installers to shut the factory and concentrate on what they do best – selling and installing. And now here is a company that has found its own twist on that philosophy and it is doing very nicely as a result.