Blinds & Shutters - Issue 1/2024
As we begin 2024 there is some hope that the economy may be turning round. Interest rates look set to fall and we may have just about avoided recession. Will this mean that households will have more to spend on their homes? Let’s hope so. In the next few months the biggest show for the blinds and shutters industry is taking place in Germany. R+T promises to be a great place to see new products and trends for the industry, plus a chance to catch up with colleagues and buyers. It is well worth the hop over to the EU to see what is going on. Good luck and best wishes in 2024, I hope you have a successful year!
As we begin 2024 there is some hope that the economy may be turning round.
Interest rates look set to fall and we may have just about avoided recession. Will this mean that households will have more to spend on their homes? Let’s hope so.
In the next few months the biggest show for the blinds and shutters industry is taking place in Germany. R+T promises to be a great place to see new products and trends for the industry, plus a chance to catch up with colleagues and buyers. It is well worth the hop over to the EU to see what is going on.
Good luck and best wishes in 2024, I hope you have a successful year!
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SHUTTERS<br />
What’s wood<br />
got to do with it?<br />
What material<br />
would you choose<br />
for your shutters?<br />
S:CRAFT shows the<br />
way forward<br />
Wouldn't you choose wood at the<br />
price of MDF? The answer is<br />
essentially "no" on two fronts.<br />
Firstly, in our range, nothing is solely MDF.<br />
Antigua goes beyond MDF; it's an engineered<br />
wood composite, recognised as "Engineered<br />
Wood" across all S:CRAFT materials. Antigua<br />
incorporates top-quality, environmentally friendly<br />
MDF, utilising up to 95% of each tree. Crafted<br />
from the wood of fast-growing trees, Antigua<br />
shutters support rapid tree replenishment. The<br />
engineered stiles are reinforced with laminated<br />
veneer lumber (LVL) inserts, providing durability<br />
and stability.<br />
There are many instances where you might<br />
want to choose wooden shutters; large<br />
installations, special shapes, stain finishes, and of<br />
course damp environments call for ABS, but<br />
where you can use Antigua, really, why wouldn’t<br />
you? Nowhere, in any industry, is pure wood used<br />
unless it’s absolutely integral to the product – in<br />
cases where the emphasised grain finish was<br />
required for example. Why would you buy wood<br />
and then paint it white when there are better<br />
materials? Nobody is making pure walnut<br />
dashboards anymore.<br />
The second answer is that engineered wood is<br />
superior 85% of the time. It's more robust, closes<br />
better, resists warping, and the polypropylene<br />
wrap enhances damage, fade, and moisture<br />
resistance. While wooden shutters may be<br />
preferable in certain cases, Antigua, primarily made<br />
from real wood, offers authenticity, beauty, stability,<br />
and longevity.<br />
Moreover, Antigua shutters are environmentally<br />
friendly. The wood used is responsibly managed,<br />
sustainable, recyclable, waste-efficient,<br />
biodegradable, and non-toxic. Our factory partner<br />
in China is the only Asian manufacturer publishing<br />
a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report,<br />
emphasising environmental, social, and economic<br />
impacts. When you sell Antigua, you're offering a<br />
popular, proven shutter product produced by the<br />
world's best and most responsible manufacturer,<br />
committed to socially responsible practices in<br />
manufacturing and forestry.<br />
38 <strong>Blinds</strong> & <strong>Shutters</strong> • ISSUE ONE <strong>2024</strong>
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