Glazerite strengthens service for Scottish customers

Glazerite has reported continued growth across its Scottish customer base, supported by a delivery network operating into Scotland four days out of five and a Northwest manufacturing division developed around the needs of customers across the region.

Multiple vehicles from Glazerite Northwest are said to travel into Scotland two to three times each week, while some of the fabricator’s larger Scottish customers require at least two deliveries a week.

The business has also developed its manufacturing operation to support the products and fitting methods commonly used across Scotland, including higher volumes of factory-glazed products, tilt and turn windows and fully reversible windows.

Jeff Dunn, Group Sales and Commercial Director at Glazerite, said: “Scotland has been a very successful area for Glazerite. We’re delighted that it’s grown and it’s still growing.

“We’ve developed the Northwest division around the requirements of our Scottish customers, from the products we’re manufacturing through to the way we glaze and deliver them.”

Glazerite was established in Wellingborough 25 years ago and has expanded its manufacturing footprint further north through acquisition and organic growth.

The development of its Northwest operation has played an important role in building the company’s presence in Scotland, with the division now supporting customers across a wide geographical area.

Factory glazing forms a significant part of the operation, with three to four full-time glaziers based at the Northwest site to meet customer requirements.

Jeff explained: “We sell a lot more glazed product from this site because the Scottish market tends to fit differently.

“Scotland commonly uses timber frame and straps, so we’ve adapted the site to work well for our Scottish customers. We have the people and experience in place to support the way they work.”

Scotland’s building regulations also influence the types of windows specified across the market, contributing to stronger demand for tilt and turn and fully reversible products.

The Northwest division manufactures a higher volume of these products than any other Glazerite site.

That experience has helped the team develop an efficient production process, with tilt and turn windows moving through the Northwest facility on the same lead time as casement windows.

“We sell an awful lot more tilt and turn windows and fully reversibles in Scotland,” Jeff said.

“They are more complicated products to manufacture, but they go through this site at the same lead time as a casement because the team is very familiar with working with the Scottish market.”

The company’s delivery network has developed alongside its manufacturing capability.

Vehicles from Glazerite Northwest serve customers across Scotland throughout the week, with delivery frequency planned around individual order volumes.

For some larger accounts, this means at least two deliveries every week, with Glazerite able to provide additional drops where volumes require them.

Jeff said: “If a customer has one delivery a week and they need two, they’ll get two. If they need three, they’ll get three.

“Whatever they have ordered, we will deliver. We have the capacity to support customers as their requirements grow.”

The geographical reach of the operation extends into the north of Scotland, with Glazerite vehicles travelling to locations including Peterhead and Inverness.

The business also supplies customers in Orkney, with products transported to the docks for onward delivery to the islands.

“We’ve got haulage running right into the north of Scotland,” Jeff explained.

“We’re running up to Peterhead and Inverness, and we supply into Orkney by dropping at the docks.

“If the customer has the volume and they want to deal with Glazerite, we will deliver.”

Glazerite’s experience in the Scottish market has allowed the business to build an operation around the practical requirements of its customers.

Manufacturing specialist products, providing factory glazing and maintaining regular delivery routes all contribute to the service offered through the Northwest division.

For Jeff, continued growth in Scotland reflects the importance of understanding how customers operate and developing the manufacturing and distribution support around those requirements.

He concluded: “We’ve built a strong understanding of the Scottish market and what our customers need from us.

“It’s an area that’s grown successfully for Glazerite and we want to continue building on that.

“We’ve got the manufacturing experience, capacity and delivery network to support customers throughout Scotland.”

For more information visit: www.glazeritewindows.co.uk