June/July 2020

Industry News
‘SHORT-TERM’
CHALLENGE AHEAD
Revised forecasts from AMA Research
suggest Covid-19 and lockdown will
deliver a 22% drop in the value of the UK
window and door market this year.
AMA, however, said that although this would
lead to short-term challenge and some
consolidation, prospects for the medium and
longer term were positive, with the worst now
behind it and moderate but sustained growth
forecast through to 2024.
The authors of the revised edition of the
Door and Window Fabricators Market Report
UK 2020-2024 write: ‘As with many other
construction products manufacturers and
suppliers, the restrictions imposed in an
attempt to contain the spread of the virus have
led to major disruptions to many businesses.’
They add, however, that with recovery
forecast from Q4 this year, ‘growth is
forecast in all sectors with a gradual build up
over the subsequent 4-year period to 2024
when some sectors will have fully recovered.’
While AMA forecasts a ‘V’ shaped recovery,
it however warns that many of the underlying
issues which impacted the industry prelockdown,
remain. This includes significant
over-capacity, particularly in PVC-U extrusion
and fabrication. It also adds that recovery
will be faster in some areas of the industry
than others, with significantly differing
fortunes for residential, housebuilding and
commercial sectors.
Jane Tarver, senior research analyst AMA
Research, said: “There is a lot that still hangs
in the balance. A second wave or localized
lockdowns still have the potential to exert
a major impact on the industry’s fortunes.
With April and May now behind us and the
relaxation of lockdown controls in the middle
of this month (June), we now appear to be
entering a period of recovery.’
Find more industry news at: www.total-fabricator.co.uk
‘JUMP IN DEMAND’ FOR HIGH-VALUE IGUS
Lockdown has contributed to a significant
jump in demand for higher-value IGUs and
processed glass according to Cornwall Glass
Manufacturing.
The IGU and glass specialist which supplies
customers throughout the South of England and
South Wales, said that its order books were
‘strong’, driven by the release of pre-lockdown
orders and new business.
This, according to the company’s joint managing
director, Mark Norcliffe, was due to sustained Cornwall Glass Manufacturing’s Mark Norcliffe
demand from higher-end and aluminium
“PVC-U residential markets have been slightly
residential, as well as light commercial markets. slower to come back but that relates to the ability
to work in people’s homes during lockdown.”
He said: “We speak to our customers daily and
they are exceptionally busy. That includes a pre- According to Cornwall Glass Manufacturing there
Covid-19 order book but also new business. has also been an uplift in demand for processed
glass, which it attributes to growing demand from
“Aluminium remains a growth area and we’re
retail and hospitality sectors.
seeing sustained demand, including that for oversized
units. It’s meant that we are also supplying Mark added: “We’re not out of the woods and I’m
a lot of higher-value products, particularly solar sure there are still challenges ahead but there are
control.
also significant opportunities.”
NEW MARKET FOR COVID OFFICE GLASS
Modelling by Bohle suggests that Covid- breath to see if companies will go back to an
19 cough and sneeze-guard screens, plus office environment or stick with home working.
Covid-related office re-fits, represent a What’s now clear is that we’re moving towards a
multi-million-pound new market for the glass hybrid solution.
processing sector.
“That is creating massive demand from the office
Bohle says far from representing the end for market for glass, partitioning and new products
offices, UK companies ultimately want staff to developed to support Covid-19 working including
return to work but will, according to analysts, Vetroscreen. We have customers already quoting
need to cut staff numbers by 30-50% as well on quarter-of-a-million-pound contracts – that’s
restructuring space to meet social distancing on a single project. You don’t have to supply
guidelines and to minimise risk.
product into many more to get a feeling for just
how big this market is.”
This, according to Bohle, which launched its new
clamped and freestanding desktop sneeze and
cough guard Vetroscreen last month, has created
significant new demand for processed glass,
creating a multi-million-pound new market.
Dave Broxton, managing director, Bohle, said:
“Everyone in office fit-out has been holding their
10 TF JUNE/JULY 2020 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN