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We have supported The Lewis Foundation for the great work they do with adult cancer patients across Northamptonshire for a number of years. At Christmas time they hand deliver gifts and support packs to cancer patients. For this they are reliant on the support of individuals and businesses, so we have decided to sponsor hampers rather than sending gifts and cards.  It can be a sad, frightening and lonely experience for individuals undergoing cancer treatment, and even over Christmas for may people in hospital, the volunteers from the charity are their only regular visitors. Our donation means that The Lewis Foundation can continue to provide hampers over the festive period to bring a little extra cheer this Christmas to those fighting this tough battle. The appreciation and messages of thanks we receive in return are heart warming. The Lewis Foundation has been surprising people in the community with Christmas hampers, which has been possible thanks to kind donations. It's been heart warming to see people receiving these hampers, if we can help brighten up even one persons day then it's all worth it. Would you like to support The Lewis Foundation? Click here to donate and support them with the amazing work their doing.

We are set to boost our product portfolio with the addition of an aluminium range. The move has been designed with its installers in mind as we seek to expand our offering and support customers to leverage new opportunities. From January 2023, Glazerite will offer installers access to the Senior Architectural Systems (SAS) aluminium product range of casement and Tilt & Turn windows, as well as bi-folding and patio doors. Rob Brearley, Glazerite's Group Managing Director explains:  "Our uPVC product range is one of the broadest in the industry. We recognise though that the market for windows and doors is ever evolving and by adding aluminium to our portfolio, it gives our installers access to another solution that appeals to today's trend-conscious consumer." The addition of the SAS range of aluminium products enables us to test the market amongst its customer base with the assurance the profile is crafted with the same high-quality finish Glazerite's customers expect, while adding futher options to its portfolio that will suit every customer budget. Rob adds: "Aluminium is a high growth market and one that we've wanted to explore for a while. By partnering with SAS on its supply, we can gauge the market initially across our existing customer base and better understand its potential. From there, we will look to expand our operations to fabricate the products ourselves.

A fresh face to the industry 18 months ago, Katrina has demonstrated perfectly what it takes to progress quickly within the business.   A new role is daunting at any time, but when you're new to an established industry it's even harder to get your head around the products and way of working.  Not for Katrina Jones though, having joined our purchasing Team at our North West Division in April last year she was given the opportunity to take some fresh perspective on what we were doing and contribute to the overall improvement, growth and efficiencies of the purchasing department at Bolton.    I think the last 2 years has seen the biggest changes I have ever gone through in my life from new job to house buying and massive personal and lifestyle changes for me.  Through this the Glazerite Team has helped me massively, I've thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about the business and industry and it's got me through a tough couple of years.  I look forward to my career progressing with Glazerite. Katrina Jones Purchasing Team Leader, Glazerite, North West Division With responsibility for the ordering of all stock her role is critical in assuring the continous flow in production.  This has enabled her to play a heavy role in the reduction of slow-moving stock and delivering a much improved customer returns process.   Katrina has demonstrated a real passion for the business and the role she plays in it, the transformation we've seen in her since joining is fantastic.  Her confidence has grown at pace with her product and process learning, whilst brining along 2 new members of the team.  With a natural interpersonal and leadership style, we are delighted Katrina has accepted the new role which will be supported with training and mentoring.  The promotion is testament to her drive, commitment and hardwork, she is the perfect fit for team leader to take our team forward. Oliver Bailey Purchasing Manager, Glazerite North West Division  

Speaking with Daniel Partridge, Customer Care Support Manager at Glazerite UK Group shares why, even at work, it's important to take pride in who you are. "In June, Glazerite hosted its very first Pride Day across the group, with employees wearing something rainbow-coloured in support of the LGBTQ+ communities, and its set to become an annual event for Glazerite. This year marked 53 years since the Stonewall Riots, a time when being gay was classified as a mental illness in the US, and the gay community was regularly beaten by police and shunned by society. Half a century on, there's still work to be done to educate and raise awareness of the damage caused by homophobia. But gay rights have come a long way since 1969. I have worked on and off in fenestration since I was a teenager, I had just come away from being a kitchen appliance fitter on building sites, which is stereotypically an alpha male industry. I was expecting something similar in fenestration and was very nervous to start in an environment where I thought I would have to hide who I was. But the team I worked with initially was very welcoming and made me feel comfortable and confident to be myself. It wasn't all plain sailing though, and I have experienced discrimination. I've been overlooked for roles for which I have had far more experience, for example. There was also one occasion when I was taken aside by a manager prior to a company function and told to not "act gay" as they felt the customers wouldn't be very accepting. In actual fact, I believe this was more the opinion of the manager. That behaviour was damaging enough that it brought on a collapse in my mental health, and it had a negative impact on my career. I do feel however that attitudes are changing and these kind of experiences don't happen as much as they used to. More people are talking about and including the use of pronouns on their CV's, for example, and celebrating events such as Pride. If employers show a welcoming, open and inclusive work environment during the interview stages and on websites and social media, more people from all areas of life will find they would be accepted in the industry. Glazerite is very diverse. We have people of different sexualities here, and no-one is made to feel unwelcome because of this. Everyone is open about who they are, and the company and its leadership team is committing to investing in its people and encouraging involvement in the continual improvement of the business. The culture being embedded is that we should be proud to work here and continuously improve through listening, learning and adapting, striving for excellence across the business as one team. As part of that, it's important to feel comfortable in your working environment. Pride is all about being proud of who you are, no matter who you love."

We have strengthened our IT department with the addition of Senior Software Product Developer, Andy Thompson. Andy worked with Glazerite for a number of years prior to re-joining the fabricator in the newly created role. Paul Jagger, Head of IT says: "We're delighted to welcome Andy back to Glazerite. He will be focused on driving through strategic changes in IT and will work closely with myself and Group MD, Rob Brearley, on developing our systems, alongside rolling out Group-wide projects. Andy has also been tasked with helping us to introduce new technologies to help underpin our ambitions for growth as a company and for our installer-partners." Andy joins Paul, IT Systems Administrator, Chris Cooper, and IT Apprentice, George Wildig in a burgeoning department being strengthened to improve the fabricator's internal infrastructure as well as better support customers with next-generation software services. Andy adds: "I'm delighted to be returning to Glazerite and joining the team. We've got lots of new ideas and technologies in the pipeline and I'm looking forward to embedding these for the benefit of the business, our employees, and our installers."

Starting with the business in 2021, Michael St Ledger was appointed as Production Manager to oversee the North West site. Having worked in aluminium windows and doors for 10 years, Michael was the perfect fit for this role due to his experience in the industry. With his day-to-day role involving ensuring production runs smoothly, it's clear that Michael excelled in the role, having improved the manufacturing division by implementing KPI boards, reducing delivery lead times and implementing 100% quality checks on all products. Due to his experience in the industry and noticable leadership skills, Michael has been appointed General Manager at the North West Division, enabling him to take on full responsibility for the operation of the site and all employees. We're sure you'll join us in congratulating Michael and wishing him luck in his new role.

One of the biggest changes we've seen in recent years is the demand for coloured windows with one in four windows in the UK now being foiled. One colour that is noticeably a favourite amongst customers is Anthracite Grey, creating a modern, sleek look for homes across the UK. In line with this surge in demand, VEKA released a grey base profile option to rival the look of aluminium but with all the benefits of uPVC, another great selling point for installers.  At Glazerite, we now offer the grey base profile across our VEKA, Halo and Imagine products, offering an elegant product for your installs. Where you're offering two sides in Anthracite Grey Smooth, Woodgrain and Spectral, the grey base is now available, for the homeowner this offers a great finish to their frames covered from all angles. If you'd like to find out more about how you can offer this to customers, get in touch with us.

Starting on 10th September (World Suicide Prevention Day), a group of 23 riders will be taking on the gruelling challenge of cycling 52,000 miles across Europe and the USA. This challenge is to raise vital funds for delivering mental health locally, whilst helping to raise awareness of Mental Health globally. James Westley, Production Manager at our Specials Division in Wellingborough is bravely undertaking the full challenge. The charity is very close to his heart as We Mind & Kelly Matters was set up in memory of his neice Kelly in order to help others struggling with their mental health. If you'd like to help James meet his donation target click here. Originally set up by former chairman John Hewitt who is also taking on the challenge, Glazerite continally support the charity including sponsoring some of our customers Peter Mew (Mews Windows) and Adrian Lewis (Frames Conservatoies Direct) who are also part of the riding team. We'd like to wish all the riders luck in their upcoming challenge. If you'd like to support the team you can go to their fundraising page - https://justgiving.com/campaign/Kellys-Heroes-The-Loneliest-Road-2022

Directors at the Glazerite UK Group have marked a year at the helm of the nationwide fabricator, following last summer’s management buyout. Led by Group Managing Director Rob Brearley, alongside fellow directors Mark Johnston, Jeff Dunn, Darren Rhodes, and Matthew Thomas, the team has spearheaded a number of improvements to unlock further opportunities for its customers, against a challenging backdrop of raw material shortages and energy price hikes. Rob explains: “Glazerite was already a highly respected company staffed by dedicated employees when we took it over. Following completion of the MBO in July 2021, we’ve begun to rollout a programme of improvements to further benefit installers, our people, and how we operate as a business.” Recent changes have included a sixth site, with the opening of Glazerite North in Barnsley. Meanwhile, investment into new machinery and equipment has continued across the business, as well as the addition of new vehicles that meet Low Emission Zone (LEZ) emission standards, making deliveries to LEZ-based customers easier and more sustainable. Strides have also been made to embed a lean culture across the fabricator, with best practice ways of working implemented in the customer services and order processing teams, headed up by longstanding Glazerite employee, Melanie Jacobs. Rob adds: “Our people are the foundation of everything we do. By encouraging contributions and input from everyone, we have been able to strip out unnecessary, time-consuming, and costly tasks across all functions. This is particularly notable in the manufacturing side at each division, where we’re embedding lean principles.” Development of staff and diversity is also top of the Glazerite agenda, with Rob adding: “In addition to empowering employees to contribute ideas on how we run the business, we offer development and a clear career road map. We’ve got some real success stories already, particularly amongst our younger cohort, with the likes of 24-year-old Oliver Bailey heading up purchasing at our North West Division, and Eleanor Austin, 23, being promoted to Purchasing Manager at our site in the Midlands.” The next 12 months are set to be just as busy for the fabricator, as Glazerite continues to expand its product portfolio, giving customers even greater choice, service and support. Rob concludes: “We’ve taken the reigns at the toughest of times and had to contend with some tough external factors such as raw material shortages, nationwide resourcing issues, and spiralling prices. Fortunately, we’ve navigated these successfully and look forward to realising our ambitions for growth.”

Name: Robbie Suttle  Department: Purchasing Team Apprenticeship: NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration Robbie works within our procurement team at our Midlands Division. He is currently working his way through an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration as part of his apprenticeship. Alongside his studies Robbie's identified some impressive changes for the panel section of our factory at Rixon Road which would improve efficiency.  Robbie mentioned "As I working in the area it occured to me that there were some improvements that would really help us all. When I mentioned it to my manager I was told, create a plan and put it in place. I've really enjoyed being able to put it into practice and see the results now, it's helped a lot of areas in business." Always keen to encourage staff with improvements in the business they identify - he was set our with the task to put it in place, the scope of works covered: Redesign of the racking and storage to make the cutting process more efficient Re-organisation of panels to make fast movers more easily accessible Implementing a designated flat white panel storage section and ordering system Identifying and creating a new designated area for SBD panels Luke Hatfield, Group Procurement Director highlights "Robbie is young, keen and ambitious, he's been with us 18 months and in that time we've seen his confidence, product, operational and business knowledge grow as he thrives in his role. A real team player Robbie has been responsible for these systems and processes which are already making an impact. All of which are improving the bigger picture in our business for manufacturing, stock management and operational efficiencies."

Former Glazerite UK Group chairman John Hewitt has announced his latest ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ fundraising challenge for mental health charity, We Mind & Kelly Matters (WMKM). Sponsored by the VEKA Group, the epic 52,000-mile cycling challenge will see John joined by his daughter Amy to raise awareness and funds for WMKM, the charity founded in memory of John’s late daughter and Amy’s sister, Kelly. Joining them are an intrepid team of cyclists, including Sarah Ball from Balls 2 Marketing, DoorCo’s Dan Sullivan, and Peter Mew from Mews Windows. Setting off from Burgos, Spain on 10th September 2022, which coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, three teams of four cyclists will undertake consecutive relays over 10 days. The arduous route takes them through France, where they will take on the world-famous Mont Ventoux, before finishing the European leg on 19th September at VEKA’s headquarters in Sendenhorst, Germany. From there, 12 riders head across the pond to take on the epic Highway 50 east-west route across the United States. Kicking off in New York, the team will cycle 3343 miles to San Francisco before finishing the ride on the Golden Gate Bridge on 10th October 2022; coinciding with World Mental Health Day. Set to try to clock up 52,000 miles – the equivalent of going around the world twice – Kelly’s Heroes will also promote the Time to Change #AskTwice campaign along the routes. Part of the route includes the infamous stretch in Nevada known as the ‘Loneliest Road in America’, thanks to its vast mountainous and sandy scenery. It’s this road that John has chosen to name the challenge after and is particularly poignant given the lonely nature of mental health. The epic month-long fundraiser follows on from the charity’s 1000-mile journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 2020 when Kelly’s Heroes raised over £130,000. The funds raised for WM&KM have since enabled the charity to roll out mental health support services such as counselling, support groups, and an online emotional support service for people living in Northamptonshire and beyond. John says: “This year’s challenge sees us cycle part of Europe and right across America, with the European leg covering more than 1800 miles. The US leg covers four different time zones and crosses seven mountain ranges, which will see us climb 145,000 feet. It is a huge undertaking, and we are under no illusion as to how hard it will be, but we are determined to make this our biggest fundraising challenge to date.” VEKA Group is the main sponsor for the event, with John adding: “We are hugely grateful to VEKA for supporting us and also taking part, and we are so excited to be starting and ending the European leg at two of their sites.” Further support has come from others in the industry, including Bohle Ltd and Central Window Systems. John explains: “Dave Broxton from Bohle Ltd has been critical in the planning for both rides, which has been particularly challenging given the original route was meant to start on the Russian border. Gary Morton of Central Window Systems recently joined me for a recce of the USA route, which has equipped us with some useful insight. It also brings to reality the sheer scale of what we’re taking on!” John concludes: “The entire industry really got behind us in 2020, and, even at this early stage, we’re already receiving some great support for this year’s challenge. We’d love it if those in the industry could share our challenge across social media, as it would really encourage us in our efforts and help increase awareness of mental health.” The Loneliest Road has some rider positions left. If you are interested in taking part or would like to know how you can support Kelly’s Heroes’ Loneliest Road challenge, visit WM&KM at Fit Show 2022, Stand C32 or watch https://youtu.be/12yI2dnozig

Area sales manager, Peter Smith, highlights why doors remain a key and continually expanding part of Glazerite's portfolio. As the nation’s energy bills continue to rise, consumers’ thoughts will invariably turn to ways to cut heat loss. With a new front door high on that list, Glazerite is gearing up to ensure our installers can meet demand. While composite doors have been a favourite of late, the original PVC door has become increasingly popular, and we are likely to see a further surge in interest over the coming months as homeowners look to improve energy efficiency on a budget. It’s a great alternative with outstanding thermal performance, and they are an affordable, efficient and stylish option available in a range of colours. We continue to see our composite door ranges develop and innovate. In the last year alone we’ve seen some significant changes from DoorCo with glass options and the new FLiP cassettes taking the aesthetics and performance of every door style to a new level. Security is also a big factor for homeowners, and it’s an area we work hard to help set our installers apart. Statistics from a UK insurance company recently revealed that more than three quarters of burglaries occur through doors, either by forcing the lock, breaking the door itself, or, worryingly, because the door wasn’t even locked in the first place. Having a secure lock, a robust door and the right smart tech in place to alert you in case you forget to secure your home can go some way to reassure consumers. It’s also why we choose to work with innovative suppliers like Ultion and Kubu, both of whom offer unrivalled security features and benefits as part of their security and smart technology ranges. While the unrivalled Ultion 3 star cylinder is standard on our doors, a simple upgrade to Ultion Smart allows homeowners to control the door lock using a smartphone, watch, or key. It also offers an ‘unlock on approach’ feature and can be programmed to remain unlocked for a set time before securing itself again. Meanwhile, the Kubu smart lock is equally as appealing to tech-savvy, security-conscious homeowners, and, like the Ultion Smart, is another selling point installers can share with customers. As Glazerite’s doors are equipped with the high performance Avantis multi-point locking system, it’s an easy upgrade for the homeowner to transform to a Kubu lock using a door module. Colour-wise, Anthracite Grey remains our biggest seller, while the classic Chartwell Green also remains popular. As the focal point of every home, the replacement of this tired timber door (pictured) with a Chartwell Green Solidor, courtesy of Glazerite installer Martindale Windows, shows what a transformation a new door can really make. Martindale Windows’ Paul Wightman has also recently completed a stunning gable installation in VEKA M70, with matching Anthracite bi-folds, for an incredible home transformation. It’s the choice Glazerite offers installers across our entire portfolio, which attracted Paul to working with us in the first place. Kendal-based Paul explains: “I’ve worked with Glazerite for many years now and it’s their portfolio that made them stand out from their competitors. I get access to high quality products backed up with useful marketing materials to showcase the styles and features that appeal to customers. I also really like the support I receive from my Sales contact, Peter Smith, and the technical team.” Working closely with our suppliers and listening to our installer partners like Paul enables us to continually evolve our doors portfolio and better support our customers in their own markets. This year will also see some exciting additions to Glazerite’s door portfolio, which we’re looking forward to sharing over the coming months.