Composite Doors JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE From a global pandemic to Brexit border obstacles, it’s been one hell of a year – but business has never been better for Northern Irish doormaker, Apeer. Below, Asa McGillian, the company’s MD, tells Total Installer why self-sufficiency pays off in a turbulent world. Considering the catalogue of momentous world events during the past year or so, it’s a wonder that any of us are still in business, let alone thriving, as is the window and door replacement industry. Living in an atmosphere that might be scripted by the producers of any Hollywood disaster movie, the Covid-19 pandemic has levelled the global playing field of catastrophes, while a series of other headline events has sought to further chip away at our collective resilience. Paradoxically, in the UK and Ireland, this awful disease has somewhat bizarrely struck a nerve: the most profound response to the pandemic has been to improve our homes; almost as if in doing so we are protecting ourselves from the virus. For those involved in home improvements, therefore, the life changing and often tragic circumstances of the spread of Covid-19 have also brought extraordinary stimulus to the market. And that’s the case for doormaker Apeer. Based in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena, the region is experiencing additional local challenges to compound those we are all facing. For Apeer, and pretty much every business in the region, the scramble to complete the exit from the EU and resultant Irish Sea Border, has presented potential obstacles that threaten to be as disruptive as the pandemic. But for the company’s MD Asa McGillian, it’s just another day at the office: “It creates more of a nuisance than anything. There is no question that the import of goods into the province and especially fresh produce, has been affected. Lovers of ‘Stinking Bishop’ have had to go without,” he says, referring to the reported shortages of English cheeses suffered throughout the region. “But any problems that we have experienced as a manufacturer concern difficulties that some mainland-based suppliers of materials and components have had with the paperwork. We have made it our duty to work with them to overcome what are minor admin issues and this is no longer a problem. I have even been able to get hold of the small sauna I have had my eye on for some time,” he says with a grin. “Lovers of ‘Stinking Bishop’ have had to go without” “Sending goods to our retail installers in our main markets of England, Scotland, Wales and Southern Ireland, is not a problem,” he explains. “In fact, whilst there are reports of some door manufacturers experiencing severe delays due to problems with the supply of door blanks from the Far East, we are still able to supply doorsets in 12 to 15 days from order. This is because we manufacture most of our own blanks and glass units and use materials and components all sourced locally from the UK and Ireland. There are global supply problems with a number of components and materials, which the latest disaster, the blockage of the Suez Canal – can you believe it? – further disrupted. But so far, we have been largely unaffected,” Asa adds. Apeer operates from a modern, 120,000ft 2 factory, which it shares with sister brand Lumi windows, and Ace Fixings, out of which Apeer grew more than 16 years ago. The factory, the area’s second biggest employer, provides a convenient 30-minute drive to the ports that provide excellent access to its key mainland markets: “We have no problems in getting our completed doors to our customers,” insists Asa. “We have become largely self-sufficient as a company. It has always made commercial sense to us to be in control of as many of our processes as possible. It’s just smart common sense,” he says. “We want to sell as many doors as we can. That’s all the incentive that we need.” Contact Apeer: 0345672 9333 www.apeer.co.uk @ApeerDoors 34 T I MAY/JUNE <strong>2021</strong> PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
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