In a week which saw the global oil price crash, David Cameron set out his plan to curb immigration and absolutely ridiculous scenes from stores taking part in Black Friday sales events, it’s time to take a look back at the weeks posts on DGB.
Now, as you can immediately see, I am having a play around with the format of weekly reviews. Whilst I believe the old format worked, it was very text heavy and took a while to put together on a Friday evening. However, whilst I was putting in a ton of effort to put together these reviews, I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. I actually have a feature in this site which will compile a lot of the content for me in a couple of clicks! The layout of the reviews are going to be a little different, but with added images breaking up the text. I think it actually looks better! Please give me your feedback on the new look.
This week the most talked about posts were the two which discussed the six things our industry was doing wrong and the five things our industry was doing right. I wanted to highlight areas that I thought the industry was still struggling on. If we could eradicate those things we were doing wrong, I think we could go a long way to repairing a lot of the damage we have done to ourselves as an industry. But I also wanted to highlight some of the areas which I thought our industry was doing well in. I think the two posts complimented each other quite nicely. And if you’re wondering why I stopped at five things for the positive post, I simply ran out of ideas when I was writing it!
There was a couple of sponsored posts in the mix this week, a black composite doors post for Door Supermarket, which was apt given it was Black Friday when it went out, and a post from the guys at Purplex on behalf of TWR Bifolds.
I wrote about the internet on Friday and how it has changed our working lives. This was a post I had planned in the works for quite a while, and I finally got round to writing it up to post this week. Also, a post about concrete and ceramic doors I was desperate to publish on DGB. Anyway, enjoy the new weekly review. As always, all comments welcome!
Dutemann UK Closure Announced
In an emotional statement published on Linkedin this morning, Dutemann UK Ltd owner announced that the company has now been forced to closed due to the difficult economic and trading conditions. This was the statement in full: It was with a heavy heart that yesterday I closed the doors at Dutemänn for the final time. The simple fact is that the market conditions during 2024 and early 2025 simply did not favour a quality trade aluminium door manufacturer. Our core product range “Bifolds” have simply been commoditised. We at DUTEMÄNN UK LIMITED team tried to expand the range, the [...]
Eurocell Acquires Alunet
In yet another sign of the growing significance of aluminium in the residential sector of our industry, Eurocell as announced today that they have acquired Alunet in a £29m deal. This marks a major step up for Eurocell in the aluminium space and will further increase the amount of competition within the residential part of the market. They released this statement to the market this morning: Eurocell plc, the market-leading, vertically integrated UK manufacturer, distributor and recycler of innovative PVC window, door and roofline products, today announces that it has completed the acquisition of Alunet (the "Acquisition") for consideration [...]
Premier Arches Celebrates 20,000th Order Milestone
Premier Arches, the UK’s leading specialist in arched and shaped uPVC frames, has reached a significant milestone by fulfilling its 20,000th order in February. Since its inception, Premier Arches has established itself as a trusted partner for fabricators, installers and branch networks, providing precision-engineered, bespoke uPVC arched and angled frames. This latest achievement highlights the company’s rapid growth and continued commitment to quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction. “Reaching our 20,000th order is a fantastic milestone for the business and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team over the last 10 years,” said Sean Greenall, Managing [...]
Forterro Completes Acquisition Of Orgadata
London, UK, 4 March 2025 – European software provider Forterro has successfully completed its acquisition of Orgadata AG, following regulatory approval, marking a major milestone in the company’s expansion into the window, door and façade industry. This deal follows the recent acquisition of BM Group, further strengthening Forterro’s footprint in the fenestration software market and creating significant opportunities for innovation and market growth. A new era for Orgadata and BM Group With the completion of the Orgadata acquisition, Forterro now officially integrates Logikal, Orgadata’s market-leading software for designing, calculating and producing windows, doors and curtain walls, into its software [...]
Q4 Merchant Value Sales Dip -0.5% As 2024 Closes Down -4.1% On Last Year
The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report reveals builders’ merchants’ value sales for Q4 2024 were down -0.5% compared to Q4 2023, as an increase in volume sales (+2.3%) was countered by a fall in prices (-2.7%). With one additional trading day in Q4 2024, like-for-like value sales (which take the number of trading days into account) were -2.2% lower. Four of the twelve categories sold more in Q4 2024, led by Tools (+8.8%). Value sales of the two largest categories - Timber & Joinery Products (-2.6%) and Heavy Building Materials (-0.2%) – were down year-on-year. Renewables & [...]
Ultion ALPS Now Shipping
The Ultion 3-Star PLUS with ALPS has started to ship. Designed to be the most secure door lock available, it is also the first and only lock to defend against every known attack method. After months of anticipation, this groundbreaking security solution is now in the hands of installers across the country. Ultion 3-Star PLUS with ALPS is built to offer the highest level of security. Unlike many locks that claim to be secure but fail when tested, Ultion 3-Star PLUS has set a new benchmark. It is the first lock to pass the rigorous Sold Secure Diamond 2024 [...]
Building Our Skills Makes Statement
In a short statement issued today on their website and social media channels, industry-leading skills platform Building Our Skills have said the following: Building Our Skills – Making Fenestration, Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice has ended its relationship with GQA Qualifications Limited. In recent months it has become evident that the values of the new team of directors at GQA do not align with our own. Building Our Skills is, and has always been a separate legal entity to GQA. We look forward to an exciting 2025 as we continue to raise awareness of the fantastic career [...]
