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Double Nomination As Everglade Swamps G-21
London fabricator Everglade Windows has been named a double finalist at the G21 Awards. The company has invested more than £1.5 million in...
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Party Night Ends In Tears For Some – Joy For Others
The end of November saw over 500 party goers legally attending the G21 Awards just a stone’s throw away from Number 10 - at the Park Lane Hilton. Glamour, a top compere, posh nosh – and tears as competitors took the gongs YOU should have won.
There were a record number of finalists plus two separate pairs of joint winners which meant 14 trophies were dished out – these are the most desirable awards in the industry.
Installer award
The Window Company (Contracts) became the first candidate ever to take the same award for a fourth time, as Best Installer.
“It was the best year yet in so many ways. Especially as everyone generated such a buzz in coming back to such a much-loved event after all the challenges we faced since we were here last.”
– Tony Higgin
Organiser, G-Awards
The winners list
Best Component Supplier
Thermoseal
Best Commercial Project
The Residence Collection - Sewell Park Academy
Best Customer Care Initiative
AluK
Best Fabricator
Emplas
Best Glass Company
Cornwall Group
Best Installer
The Window Company (Contracts)
Best New Product
ODL Europe - Guardsman Composite Fire Door
Best Promotional Campaign
DoorCo - FLiP and GRiPCORE
Best Sustainability Initiative
Veka UK
Best Training & Development Initiative
Arran Isle - Horizon Development Programme
Unsung Heros
Colin Russell, VBH (GB)
Sharon Fowler, Window Ware
Covid-19 Business Hero Award
Liniar
UAP
Thermoseal Group Wins G21 Best Component Supplier Award – See the team taking their award in the main picture above
Thermoseal Group’s business development has been non-stop over recent years and the awards have been coming in thick and fast. Just over the past 12 months, the Group has been ranked no. 96 in the Sunday Times HSBC International Fast Track 200 and voted Spacer Bar Manufacturer of the Year in the National Fenestration Awards for both 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, in the face of the backlash of Covid-19 and Brexit, the Group saw a 21% increase in export sales whilst coping with massive swings in UK trade. With an eye on the future requirements for its Thermobar and Thermoflex warm edge spacers, the Group also set up a new Centre for Innovation and Manufacturing’ expanded its technical centre, increased production capacity with additional machinery and greater automation to meet growing demand for its spacers and injection-moulded fittings and achieved Investors in People 6th Generation standards…all whilst offering a first-class service to its customers.
Sales director Mark Hickox, says: “To win such a prestigious award amongst such a broad spectrum of businesses within the window industry who offer excellent products and service to their customers is amazing. This award is testament to the hard work of our team who have worked very closely with our customers to ensure that we continue to service their component requirements to the best of our ability. It is also testament to our customers who continue to spur us on to continually improve. I’d like to thank everyone involved in helping us to achieve this award and thank you to all customers, staff, suppliers and industry contacts who have supported our award wins and continue to cheer with us.”
Aluk Wins The Prize For Customer Care
AluK’s free online Marketing Academy, designed, created and launched during the first lockdown, was named the Customer Care Initiative of the Year. The Academy was developed exclusively for AluK customers and aimed to give them the marketing tools they needed to get their businesses on the front foot as soon as the lockdown was eased, as well as providing the safety policies, posters and guides they needed to get back to work. It was packed with downloadable toolkits, blogs, tutorials and videos on everything from getting started on social media to creating great case studies and e-shots. It definitely hit the right note, with almost 40% of customers signing up and really high levels of engagement and great feedback.
We’re Going To Need A Bigger Shelf!
The Window Company (Contracts) took the Installer of the Year title for an unprecedented fourth time. In one of the few categories where an independent G-Awards judge visits the shortlisted companies to assess the entry and goes out on site to inspect the work of a fitting team, it’s a particularly impressive achievement. David Thornton, Chair of the Chelmsford based commercial installation business, said: “At a time when the whole window and door industry has faced immense challenges in terms of lockdowns, new safe working protocols, supply chain shortages and rising prices, this fourth award probably means more to us than ever. We were recognised for initiatives such as the bespoke app we created so that we could do our onsite POWRAS via mobiles, achieving ISO45001 at our first attempt, joining the Good Business Charter to promote better business practices. and championing the implementation of the Living Wage right across the industry.”
Best Commercial Project
The Residence Collection came away with the honour for Best Commercial Project for their Sewell Park Academy development using R9 windows, specified at the request of the client. The project was in a conservation area in Norwich and consisted of the specification of 170 R9 windows from The Residence Collection, manufactured by Tradelink and installed by local partner, Homelink Windows Limited. Architect, Baily Garner, working for the Boudica Schools Trust, specified these because of their heritage characteristics, low maintenance features and superior performance, along with the added sustainability benefits of PVC-U. The G-Award is one of several awards that The Residence Collection has enjoyed in recent years as Sarah Hitchings, sales and marketing director points out. She says: “The Residence Collection and R9 in particular continues to receive awards and accolades, yet this case study is a standout project we have carried out with our manufacturing and installation partners - this could not have been achieved without Tradelink and Homelink Windows.”
Sharon Fowler - Unsung Hero Award
Window Ware’s long-serving Credit Control Manager Sharon Fowler was named joint winner of the G21 Unsung Hero Award. She shares the prestigious award with Colin Russell from VBH UK Ltd. The award confirms what her colleagues at the hardware provider have known all along; that Sharon’s many accomplishments and positive attitude over the last year, despite gruelling treatment for cancer and difficult personal circumstances, have been nothing short of heroic!
Even though she was undergoing chemotherapy and shielding at home, Sharon single-handedly maintained accounting functions for the business remotely during Lockdown 1.0 while the rest of the team was furloughed. Fast forward 3 months or so, and she was instrumental in inducting colleagues back into the department once restrictions had lifted.
Over the year, she championed remote working technologies and adopted new approaches to provide a more personalised level of support to customers to take into account their varying financial situations and operational status in the wake of the pandemic.
She has consistently led the accounts team to success, achieving record breaking performance that has cut old debt, brought debtor days to their lowest level since June 2015 and smashed cash collection targets.
Well done Sharon Fowler and all the G-Award winners.
Picture: The Thermosal Group Team collecting their Best Component Supplier G-Award.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
10th December 2021