As the domestic replacement market matures, fabricators are realising that they have to adapt their business model to grow, and for many that means a focus on alternative market sectors. Here Martin Saunders, Sales Director at Eurocell, looks at why the specification route can provide new opportunities.

“The domestic replacement market in the UK has matured and, although still sizeable, forecasts indicate that it is in decline. Against this background, fabricators are looking for other areas of growth and for many that means the public and private new build and refurbishment markets – the traditional specification route.

However, simply offering a window that only provides a high level of energy efficiency is no longer sufficient for this sector – fabricators need to embrace sustainability, too. To see why, you only need to visit exhibitions that are aimed at specifiers, such as Ecobuild, 2-4^th March, Earls Court, London, to

get a feel for the extent of the ‘environmentally-friendly’ products now available.

The driving force behind the increased demand for ‘green’ products in the specification sector has been legislation, such as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which are guiding new build developments towards zero carbon by 2016. As a company, we have responded to this by developing new products, embracing recycling within our manufacturing process along with helping fabricators gain Window Energy Ratings. However, there is a lot more that we can all do to help fabricators grow their businesses in the specification sector.

That is one of the reasons why the Eurocell group has attended Ecobuild for the last two years.  By having a presence at this prestigious show, we can talk directly to specifiers on behalf of our fabricators. These types of exhibitions are becoming ever more important – this year’s Ecobuild is billed as ‘the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and built environment.’

Only a few years ago, it would have been seen as a niche event and attended largely by environmentalists, rather than the key decision makers that many of our fabricators are looking to influence. How things have changed!  Environmental issues have created a valuable new opportunity for fabricators at a time when their traditional core market reaches maturity. This shift in the industry towards energy efficiency and sustainability is not just restricted to the specification sector – even customers purchasing second generation domestic replacement windows are now interested in ‘green’ products. Indeed, all replacement windows will need to have a Window Energy Rating of C or above by October 2010 and so once again legislation is driving the green agenda. The British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) has already reported that the number of energy-rated window products is doubling each year.

In terms of the specification market, we have for some time being developing products that help our fabricators win business. For example, we will be demonstrating our latest Eurologik window profile system featuring recycled PVC-U at this year’s Ecobuild show.

Alongside this will be our ‘A11’ window specification, which has an Energy Index of 11 – currently the highest BFRC rating for a double glazed window in the UK. Completing the line up will be our 0.8 U Value window, which is designed specifically to help the new build sector achieve cost effective zero carbon homes. We have also been busy in other areas and will be showcasing Roomline – our brand new range of PVC-U skirting boards and architraves made from recycled PVC-U. By talking to specifiers at the show about these innovations, we are proactively creating specification opportunities for our fabricators.

So, as the domestic replacement market matures, new markets, accessible via the specification route, will provide fabricators with new opportunities. Embracing sustainability and energy efficiency is therefore good for business. Central to success in this area is partnering with a profile system supplier that is proactive in gaining specification and offers effective solutions to achieving the 2016 zero carbon deadline.

Choosing the right profile system supplier, gaining a Window Energy Rating and embracing sustainable use of materials are therefore all crucial for fabricators looking to grow their business. At Eurocell, we remain committed to helping our customers succeed in these markets to help maintain and grow their business performance.”

To find out how Eurocell can help you create opportunities in the specification sector, call 0800 988 3049, email: press@eurocell.co.uk or visit www.eurocell.co.uk. Alternatively visit the Eurocell at: Stand 1440 at Ecobuild, 2 – 4 March 2010.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Eurocell Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.