JELD-WEN UK Ltd’s timber window operation has a rich and varied history.
For instance, Boulton & Paul, which it acquired as part of its takeover of Rugby Joinery Ltd in 1999, made the R101 airship and also the first steel aircraft. In the early 1900s it was also making portable churches and mission halls.
The Boulton & Paul name has roots going back about 200 years but its association with timber windows started in 1946 when it acquired the Midlands Woodworking Company at Melton, which itself had been making the products since the early 1900s.
Fast forward nearly 60 years and the name of Boulton & Paul has been kept alive as the flagship window brand.
The brand’s long-standing reputation for quality was aptly demonstrated at the recent annual Members’ Day of the British Woodworking Federation. BWF technical manager John Hedgecock told a seminar that some specifiers ask for windows to British Standards but some quote the “Boulton & Paul” standard. Of course, there is no such official standard but the fact that some specifiers have said this speaks for itself.
The company’s window factory at Melton Mowbray is a big operation. It is no surprise then that JELD-WEN claims to be the biggest timber window manufacturer in the UK.
General manager of the windows factory Roger Kuzmicz and marketing manager Joanne Mitchell say that business is going well. They report strong sales to the public sector, such as local authorities and housing associations, with timber once again being perceived as a quality product.
Mr Kuzmicz said: “There is a window of opportunity and we in the industry need to seize it and make sure we do not make the mistakes of yesterday.”
Ms Mitchell said that despite the low prices of rival uPVC products, timber windows are finding fans in the public sector, especially following updates to the Building Regulations such as Part L, which deals with energy efficiency.
She said local authorities are taking on broad issues such as life cost of the windows, which includes maintenance cycles and environmental impact, rather than just purchase price.
Factory-finishing
It is here that factory-finished and glazed timber windows, with their environmental credentials and high performance, are finding a ready market.
It is a testimony to how far timber windows have come in recent years that JELD-WEN now offers a 30-year guarantee on its timber windows against rot and fungi and a 10-year guarantee on its Hi-Build Paint finished windows.
The level of fully factory-finished and glazed windows is increasing steadily at the factory – from about 10-15% a couple of years ago to 30% today. JELD-WEN won’t give actual volumes but Mr Kuzmicz said there is a “lot of work”.
The company is actively engaged in spreading the positive message about modern timber windows. Its Continuous Professional Development certified seminar, called “The Right Window”, is expected to be attended by more than 500 architects and specifiers by the end of the first half of 2003.
The seminar traces the development of the timber window through to its present-day properties, which include thermal benefits, aesthetic qualities and the increased performance guarantees. JELD-WEN says it plays a part in helping to quash the maintenance myths that continue to surround the use of timber windows.
Mr Kuzmicz expects the output of fully factory-finished and glazed timber windows to keep increasing. Off-site manufacturing advantages that he cites include the absence of wet and cold conditions often experienced on building sites and a greatly reduced prospect of damage to units.
He said with the dwindling skills base in the building industry, the trend is to have a product the builder can just install. JELD-WEN now has four glazing lines turning out such products.
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“To the market timber is a more ‘living and breathing’ material; uPVC has not got that aspect” |
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Windows factory general manager Roger Kuzmicz |
He added: “The biggest problem with British industry is changing cultures. There’s still this mentality out there that ‘I can buy it cheaper by getting the frame and glazing it later’.” This attitude, he said, is still prevalent among many jobbing builders.
Some JELD-WEN employees have worked on the line for 40 years and the emphasis on people is central to the company’s philosophy. It has started to take on apprentices again: four were taken on last year and six this year.
When Randy Cox took over as chief executive of JELD-WEN (UK) Ltd he went round the window factory to look at the operations. He said everyone was quite surprised to see the chief executive on the shopfloor, because it was not something they were used to.
Made to order
Manufacturing is largely still manual and everything is made to order. One operation has even reverted to manual – set-up times on an automatic cramper were proving to be a headache because of the wide variety of window styles being produced.
But big investments in technology are planned. Come May, the company will install a Giardina finishing line, costing around £500,000. A preparation area and denibbing machine will also be included.
This will significantly increase capacity and make the line more efficient, said Mr Kuzmicz. It will also shorten manufacturing lead times and improve consistency of finish.
A Stegherr beading machine has been installed recently, so beading will no longer have to be transferred from the company’s Lowestoft site.
BWF accreditation
JELD-WEN’s windows are made in accordance with the British Woodworking Federation’s Timber Windows Accreditation Scheme. The Sovereign range meets the BS 7950 standard and Secured by Design, the police preferred specification.
Stormsure casement windows are JELD-WEN’s volume market. Vertical sash windows represent a more value-added product, but are also being sold in large numbers with a “lot of housebuilders” using them.
Mr Kuzmicz said the sliding sash windows are very fashionable. They include a stepped rebate to prevent draughts, an aluminium interlock bar for security, hidden ventilation and low E glass.
“Windows are becoming more of the furniture in homes. To the market, timber is a more ‘living and breathing’ material; uPVC has not got that aspect,” he said.
A large range of windows is made, including many ‘specials’, some with intricate curved profiles. Old-style leaded windows are still being ordered by customers, while patio doors, bay windows and a small number of garage doors are also manufactured.
“Flexibility is the key word, the factory is totally flexible,” said Mr Kuzmicz.
Last year the company also started selling aluminium-clad timber windows, made by its subsidiary Norco in order to provide the customer with choice.
Randy Cox said: “Our aspiration is to be the supplier of choice.”
