Fenster Marks 20th anniversary with B Corp Certification

South Devon-based window and door manufacturer, Fenster, has achieved B Corp certification in its twentieth year, with Founder Tony Drake hoping the company will soon be joined by more businesses across the glazing industry.

The certification follows several years of work and significant investment by the Fenster team, with Tony believing the process has challenged the business to look beyond traditional measures of performance.

“Most companies want something competitors haven’t got,” said Tony. “At Fenster, we have achieved B Corp certification, but hope we won’t remain unusual for long.”

He believes the industry’s focus on factors such as U-values, security, lead times and price, while important, does not tell the whole story about a business.

“Our industry rightly talks about U-values, security, lead times and price. But after 20 years, I question whether those measures tell us enough about the companies we are building,” he said.

“What about how we treat people, the waste we produce, our communities, product longevity and how we behave when something goes wrong?”

The B Corp process saw Tony and Katie Fernandez, Head of People and Accounts Manager at Fenster, alongside the rest of the Senior Leadership team, work through the B Impact Assessment, gathering evidence, reviewing policies and identifying areas where Fenster could improve.

“There was no guarantee of success or immediate financial return,” Tony explained. “But along the way, our senior leadership team began meeting regularly, and those meetings soon became about much more than forms or a badge.”

The process, he said, gave the team a shared goal and encouraged them to consider Fenster as a whole, from its people and customers to its factories, waste, energy, water, communities and decision-making.

“It helped us step back from the urgent and focus on the important,” he added.

Tony is also keen to stress that B Corp certification does not mean Fenster has lost sight of commercial realities.

“B Corp certification does not create a ‘giggles and lemonade’ company where commercial realities are ignored,” he said.

“We must remain on our A game. In a competitive, price-sensitive industry, unless we operate efficiently and profitably, we cannot invest in people, products or communities.”

For Tony, however, responsible business and commercial performance can go hand in hand.

Tony said that reducing material waste can improve margins, while lowering energy and water consumption can cut both costs and environmental impact.

He also feels that getting things right first time can reduce wasted journeys, replacement products and labour, while investing in people can improve engagement and help retain valuable experience.

Tony likens this approach to Sir Dave Brailsford’s principle of the aggregation of marginal gains, with small improvements combining to create a stronger, more responsible, efficient and profitable business.

He also believes the glazing industry needs to look beyond the performance of an individual product when considering sustainability.

“A low U-value matters, but a product cannot genuinely be sustainable if it is poorly specified, incorrectly installed, difficult to repair or replaced prematurely,” he said.

“Longevity, service, people and accountability all matter too.”

With established British B Corps including Farrow & Ball, Riverford, FatFace and Charlie Bigham’s demonstrating that purpose and commercial success can coexist, Tony believes there is an opportunity for the glazing sector to show the same ambition.

“Certification will not suit every business, and it is not the only route. Nor does it mean Fenster has all the answers,” he said. “It is a commitment to keep learning and improving.”

Fenster is now offering to share its experience with other businesses considering B Corp certification, with Tony hoping that more companies will follow.

“We would happily share what we learned with anyone in the industry considering B Corp,” he said.

“If others follow and the whole sector improves, that will mean far more than Fenster holding another badge its competitors do not.”

For Fenster, achieving certification is therefore being viewed not as the destination, but as the beginning of the next stage of its development.

“Certification is not the end of our journey,” Tony concluded. “It is the point from which we intend to become better, and, we hope, encourage others to come with us.”

For more information about Fenster, visit: Homepage • Fenster Architectural Glazing