March/April 2024

Glass Supply
GLASS PROCESSING & SEALED UNITS
THE RIGHT SUPPLIER?
When you specify products, you should also be taking a close look at the supplier, according
to Fraser Caithness, Sales Director at IGU manufacturer Glass Express Midlands.
The correct glass specification will have a big
impact on the success of a project, from the
desired aesthetics through to the performance,
including insulation and solar gain, according to
Glass Express Midlands’ Sales Director Fraser
Caithness. But choosing the right supplier will
also play a key role in that project’s success.
“Using glass suppliers as valued glass
businesses is massively important,” Fraser says.
“I believe that when you specify products, their
value is improved significantly if the supplier
you’ve chosen can also add value.
“Glass Express Midlands is very careful in terms
of how we select a supplier. For example, we
buy from UK sources wherever we can. Not only
because that helps in terms of a shorter supply
chain, but the bigger glass companies are based
here in the UK.”
Like all glass processing companies, Glass
Express Midlands is aware of the many cheaper
glass options that are available in the UK,
especially as the global demand for glass has
dipped over the past year to 18 months.
“We avoid this source of cheap glass, mainly
from a quality perspective,” Fraser says. “By
working with the main UK manufacturers – as
well as some of the bigger European sources
– you are not only getting access to their highquality
products, but also their significant
investment in research and development.
“We have an open dialogue with them, and they
regularly come to us with new products and new
opportunities – things we can bring to the market
for our customers’ benefit, such as low-e glass,
solar control glass, modern laminated glass, antireflective
glass, and toughenable mirrored glass.”
Fraser points out that the ultimate beneficiaries
of this relationship are Glass Express Midlands’
customers and their clients.
Widest choice possible
“Architects and specifiers spend a great deal of
time choosing the right glass, so that it is both
aesthetically pleasing and high performing,”
Fraser says.
“We are responsible for ensuring that they have
the widest choice possible, and that through us,
they have access to market-leading research
and development. Not only that, but our technical
team is on hand to offer the necessary support
to ensure that the project is completed without a
hitch – something that isn’t always on hand with
suppliers of cheaper alternatives. And because
we have those connections at the upper end of
the industry, we can act proactively by providing
our customers with technical updates via CPDs
and seminars.”
Ultimately, Fraser says, it’s about being able
to provide exactly what is required, rather than
offering alternatives.
“Where architects and specifiers are already
talking to the specification teams of the large glass
manufacturers, then we can offer complementary
technical support,” he says. “So, when our customer
comes to us and asks for a particular product, we
can say ‘yes, we can supply that,’ rather than
trying to switch them over to something else.”
Architects will also benefit from a sustainability
point of view if they partner with the right
suppliers, Fraser says.
“Reducing your impact on the environment, and
building in sustainability measures into every
project is a key concern for all our clients,” he
says. “And it is something that resonates clearly
with our suppliers.
“For example, Glass Express Midlands’
sustainability strategy is constantly being
updated, and it currently includes a cullet return
scheme where all our offcut glass is returned to
the manufacturer to be recycled. This significantly
reduces the amount of energy needed to produce
the glass, as well as reducing the amount of raw
material used.
“The leading glass manufacturers are also looking
at new ways of reducing the embedded carbon in
their products, including using renewable energy
in the manufacturing process.
“Together, these measures allow us to deliver
innovative products with lower carbon footprints,
which our clients can build in to their own lowimpact
projects. This is something many other
suppliers cannot offer.”
Fraser says that by choosing the right supplier –
as well as the right product – glass is more than
just a component part of a building.
“Glass is so versatile and, by choosing the right
supplier, it is more than just a component part,”
he concludes. “You have access to industry
leading opportunities.”
Contact Glass Express Midlands:
0121 552 7616
glassexpressmidlands.co.uk
40 T F MARCH / APRIL 2024 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN