REFLECTIONS NEWSLETTER #4 Autumn/Winter 2008 REFLECTIONS NEWSLETTER Autumn/Winter 2008 #4 Innovation is key to our expansion Caerphilly Flagship HQ heralds new way of working Piccadilly Distinct identity in prestigious surroundings Clydebank New site for college in urban regeration Reynaers customers from the UK joined others from around Europe at the company’s headquarters in Duffel, Belgium to celebrate the significant expansion of the Reynaers Institute, the company’s testing and research facility, as well as a major extension to the head office warehouse. State of the art research facility We consider innovation to be the key to our corporate culture and are proud to confirm that, following its expansion to 2800 m 2 , the Reynaers Institute is now one of the largest private test centres in the industry. Amongst the new testing units which visitors were shown are new cyclic and mechanical testing machines, an acoustic chamber and another air, wind and water testing rig. The expansion also provides the capacity to accommodate more research programs in the future. To remain the leader in our industry we continuously bring innovative solutions to the market, and this year alone, Reynaers will launch or update more than 20 products, ranging from photovoltaic applications to ventilation, fire proof and security solutions. Warehouse expansion to meet demand Our head office warehouse has been extended by more than 40% to 1600 m 2 in order to support recent rapid growth and provide a better service to customers. What’s more, our commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by the fact that the new warehouse boasts the largest photovoltaic roof installation in Belgium today. An area of 10,000 m 2 is used to carry 3072 photovoltaic sun panels, which will generate 500, 000 kWh solar energy per annum; the equivalent of the electricity supply for 166 families, and enough to provide the total energy consumption for the warehouse. In the process, the solar plant will reduce CO2 emissions by 278 tons per year. This offers a complete solution for the integration of photovoltaic panels which allows convenient installation and maintenance of the various components and cabling. Our enthusiasm about aluminium is shared by many architects who believe that its many benefits will ensure it continues to grow in popularity as a building material. According to a recent survey undertaken by Reynaers, 85 percent of architects consider aluminium as the material of choice for non-residential buildings and 72% would select it for residential construction. With this positive approach, our commitment to new product innovation, offices in 27 countries and a presence in more than 50 countries, it is no surprise that Reynaers Aluminium are on course to achieve our aim of increasing annual turnover by 48% to 450 million EUR by 2012. Welcome Inside this issue Mark Jones has been appointed Technical Director of Reynaers Limited. Mark brings an enormous amount of knowledge and experience as well as great energy and enthusiasm for Reynaers and he is looking forward to joining our team and helping us to continue to grow our business in the UK. Appointed as Project Development Manager, Calvin Norton brings over 20 years valuable experience in the curtain wall and window industry, his previous roles having included Designer, Drawing Office Manager and Façade Engineer. Expansions to the technical team also include new Technical Assistants, Lee Morley and Shane Taylor. Lee has extensive relevant draughtsman’s experience including eighteen months with a cladding and roofing company and five years with Reynaers’ fabricator, Saint Gobain. Most of us would agree that while telephones, the internet and email are invaluable, nothing beats good face to face discussion. With this in mind Reynaers recently held three Innovation Days in order to share our latest product developments with customers from all over the UK. Innovation Days New faces as Technical team expand We’re delighted to report that they proved a great success and following the positive feedback from all involved, we will now adopt them as a permanent part of our communications campaign. Head Office, Birmingham Reynaers Ltd Kettles Wood Drive, Birmingham B32 3DB Tel: 0121 421 1999 Fax: 0121 421 9797 [email protected] Reynaers Consult Suite 9, The Arena, Stockley Park, Uxbridge UB11 1AA Tel: 0208 899 1741 Fax: 0208 899 1742 [email protected] Contact Info: NEW Products As part of the CW86 system, Reynaers now offer a high insulation variant (HI). The unitised or element façade, makes it suitable for workshop assembly. Ideal for acoustic threshold and modular construction, the system offers high strength and excellent insulation. Its simplified production and optimised fabrication makes it perfect for projects offering off site construction. It is ideal for extended workshop assembly (inclusive glazing), reduced work sites, high rise buildings, acoustical threshold in between different rooms, earthquake resistance and dilation in buildings. For more information on this and other new product launches please contact the office on 0121 421 1999 or email reynaersltd@ reynaers.com or alternatively contact your area sales manager. Housing Association Project • Fulhurst School in Leicester • Freeman’s Hospital Plus more company, project and product developments... In the next issue: INSIDE OUT Autumn/Winter Edition 2008 REFLECTIONS NEWSLETTER #4 Autumn/Winter 2008 pg4 Cautious optimism…… and innovation. Nobody could deny that industry conditions have been tough this year. As expected the media has feasted on the bad news, accentuating the negatives and increasing people’s fears. In contrast, many companies have done reasonably well and some have actually bucked the trends and flourished. Reynaers have seen exciting sales growth and increases in market share throughout 2008. This growth is thanks mainly to existing Reynaers customers who themselves have adapted well. Although we remain cautious of the market conditions, we also know that our future success lies in developing new products and attacking new markets with dynamic customers. We see innovation as our weapon in the fight to buck the economic trends and we plan to lead rather than follow the market. With that in mind our design team has been busier than ever preparing for 2009 when Reynaers will launch the most dynamic and wide ranging selection of new products and services in our history. At a time when others are “putting things on hold” Reynaers have decided to invest and take the lead. Brand new products such as Optima, Eco 75 and Reynapro will set the scene for another successful year in 2009. Watch this space……. Justin Hunter Managing Director, Reynaers UK. Shane also brings a wealth of experience to the team having worked for over 12 years in a variety of roles within the windows and doors industry including R&D technician, technical service engineer and, most recently, a CAD technician. All the new faces are good news for our customers as the diverse range of skills and experience will further enhance the technical support and advice we provide. The photo above features the newly expanded technical team from left to right: John Matchett, Martin Boland, Mark Jones, Calvin Norton, Paul Guest, Lee Morely, Paul Kent. Missing from the picture is Shane Taylor who was on hoilday, sunning himself at the time! In fact, the issue of sustainability is such an important one to Reynaers that we have recently launched the new CW60 Solar Curtain Wall System. Register now for new technical E-bulletins We’re delighted to introduce our new E-bulletin, a fast and simple way of keeping you up-to-date with the latest product news. Every time we develop a new product or upgrade an existing one, we will issue an E-bulletin, containing all the relevant information. It means that customers will be kept completely up-to-date with our product developments and will always have the latest information to hand. It’s quick, convenient and kinder to the planet! To receive an E–bulletin, simply go to www.reynaers.co.uk, where you can request an Extranet account using the register link at the bottom left of the screen.