REFLECTIONS

ISSUE 17

ONE TOWER BRIDGE: MAXIMISING LONDON’S FINEST VIEW

IN THIS ISSUE

25 years of Reynaers

Prestigious One Tower Bridge development

Brand new SL 38 windows and doors

Interview with Reynaers’ Chief Sales Officer Andreas Wilsdorf

NEWSLETTER

Last year we celebrated 50 years of partnership with customers around the world, which culminated with a fantastic event at our headquarters in Belgium. Thanks to ongoing investment in innovative and sustainable aluminium systems and expansion, we are aiming to grow global turnover of €330 million to €500 million by 2020. To achieve this, we will invest more than €50 million in Belgium, here in the UK, France, Turkey and the US over the next couple of years. More than half of this is devoted to the expansion and renovation of the Reynaers site in Duffel.

2016 is a very special date for Reynaers Ltd, as we will be celebrating 25 successful years in business in the UK. Last year broke

COMPANY NEWS

CELEBRATING A NEW MILESTONE – 25 YEARS OF SUCCESS

all previous records for us in terms of new business and turnover, and we plan to continue our remarkable success story in a sustainable way. We’ve been investing heavily in our people, products and the physical space to allow our business to flourish – including our brand new Reynaers Training Centre. This investment plan is set to continue throughout 2016 and we look forward to announcing further growth throughout the year.

We wish you a very happy new year from us all at Reynaers.

Reasons to be cheerful…

As we come to the end of 2015 with record sales growth and look ahead to 2016, we have much to celebrate. Despite my own natural propensity for ‘cautious optimism’ even I have to acknowledge that the indicators for 2016 are extremely positive. Having celebrated 50 years for the Reynaers Group in 2015, this year will mark 25 years for Reynaers in the UK. Suffice to say the longevity and success of Reynaers in the UK is wholly due to the hard work and dedication of our customers, our employees and our suppliers and for that we say a very big thank-you and together we can look forward to an even brighter future ahead.

Justin Hunter Managing Director

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THE FUTURE

It’s hard to predict what the future of buildings will look like but I believe there will be more emphasis on the high performance of glass.

There’s a need to make sure that you’re getting maximum daylight into rooms, and also a better thermal performance. I think there will be a lot of pressure on improving the quality of cladding on windows to meet those requirements.

INNOVATION

I think there has been a big innovation in the way buildings are designed with CAD. BIM software has enabled a lot of modelling to be done, to achieve shapes and forms which were very difficult in the past. So it’s evolving more complex shapes for buildings, and I think that’s going

Ian Crowhurst, Managing Director at KDS & Associates, looks to the future, discusses innovation and highlights pressing issues the industry faces in 2016.

PARTNER FOCUS

to be a big challenge for curtain walling and windows to meet those shapes and criteria.

THE CHALLENGE

Compliance is probably the biggest issue we face on a daily basis. In the UK there are a huge amount of compliance requirements that are attributable to residential developments.

I think that Reynaers has been very successful in trying to meet those challenges. There’s a good testing regime and we are able to get a lot of our technical requirements over the line.

PARTNERSHIP

Reynaers’ support is very good and it’s a two-way process: the guys have built up a very good relationship with

Reynaers’ technical advisors. We have meetings every six weeks for them to find out what we’re doing, and also for us to find out what Reynaers is doing in development. We have dedicated technical advisors who we can speak to over the phone, get a quick response from and answer when our guys in the office are under pressure, and that’s a very big factor for us using Reynaers.

We have worked with KDS & Associates in collaboration with Fleetwood Architectural Aluminium on the newly developed Paynes & Borthwick project, and we are set to continue working together on a number of new projects throughout 2016.

Paynes & Borthwick, London

Architect: Assael Architecture and KDS & Associates

Fabricator: Fleetwood Architectural Aluminium Ltd

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PROJECT FOCUS

ONE TOWER BRIDGEPRESTIGIOUS LONDON DEVELOPMENT

Project information

Architect: Squire and Partners, London

Planning consultant: Barton Willmore, London

Structural engineer: Meinhardt, London

Main contractor: Berkeley Homes Limited, London

Fabricators: M Price Limited, London; Scheldebouw, Middelburg; Prater Limited, Surrey

Reynaers systems: CS 77, CS 86-HI , CP 155, CP 130, CW 50-SC

Boasting one of the best views in London, One Tower Bridge, the five-star residential development from Berkeley Homes, is selling out fast. Our products have been used extensively throughout and we are proud of the strong relationships we have built with Berkeley Homes and with fabricator M Price Ltd over the past few years.

The development sits on the iconic riverfront between City Hall and the beautiful Tower Bridge, with views reading like a checklist of central London landmarks – the Tower of London, the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin among them.

It has already scooped two Sunday Times British Homes Awards 2015 for Best Interior Design and Large Development of the Year.

The modern complex offers luxury living with spa and gym facilities, and most of the apartments and penthouses boast balconies or terraces. The development consists of nine apartment blocks and we provided the aluminium systems for blocks one, two, four, six and nine. In blocks two and four, no fewer than 300 CP 130 sliding doors were installed.

The fabricators behind blocks one (Cambridge House) and six to nine (York House, Windsor House, Lancaster House and Lalit’s London Hotel) are M Price Ltd and Prater Ltd. Blocks two to four (Sandringham House, Wessex House and Tudor House) are being led by fabricator Scheldebouw.

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TOWER AT 250 CITY ROAD

VISTA, CHELSEA BRIDGEWe have also secured a number of other London-based developments with Berkeley Homes, including the eye-catching Vista luxury apartment complex with fabricators Architectural Aluminium Ltd.

Architect: Scott Brownrigg, London

Engineering office: Cladtech, Farnborough

Main contractor: Berkeley Homes (Central London) Limited, London

Fabricator: Architectural Aluminium Ltd, London

Reynaers systems: CW 50, CS 77, CP 155, CF 77

Designed by the world-renowned architects, Foster and Partners, 250 City Road creates a new landmark for London.

The scheme will play host to cafés, restaurants, retail outlets, creative workspaces and a 4-star hotel, with all public areas WiFi-enabled. With stunning views in every direction, 250 City Road rises above its surroundings to bring the capital to your door.

Project information

Architect: Foster and Partners

Developer: Berkeley Homes

Fabricator: Dekoral UK

Reynaers systems: CS 86-HI, CS 68, CS 77, CP 155, CW 50-SC, Hi-Finity, bespoke unitised

Computer-generated image of 250 City Road

by Berkeley Homes, indicative only

Computer-generated image of Vista, Chelsea Bridge by Berkeley Homes, indicative only

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SL 38 SERIES HAS LAUNCHEDOur unique aluminium window and door system CS 38 has benefited from an upgrade – and we are excited to announce that the new Slim Line 38 series offers better performance than ever before.

SL 38 and SL 38-HI are now available to customers and offer ultra-slim profiles and improved market-leading energy efficiency.

The highly thermally-insulated Slim Line 38 has the look and feel of steel with the performance of aluminium. It combines elegant design, stability and ease of production, and is a perfect solution for both new-build constructions and the replacement of steel-framed windows and doors. It respects the original design but offers a vast improvement on thermal insulation.

The minimalistic frame is reinforced by an invisible drainage system, avoiding the use of drainage caps on the exterior of windows and doors. SL 38 is available in three unique design variants – Classic, Cubic and Ferro – and its slim lines allow for an abundance of light.

SL 38 features a highly insulated three-chamber system with ultra-slim profiles for increased thermal characteristics. The solution is available in fixed, turn, and turn-tilt variations with Uw values as low as 1.4 W/m2K depending on the configuration.

The system is suitable for both double and triple glazing with a glass thickness of up to 55mm without losing its ultra-slim look.

PRODUCT FOCUS

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For optimum end user comfort, the SL 38 product also offers excellent weather performance with air-tightness of Class 4 (600Pa) and water-tightness Class 9A (600Pa).

A special modification to the design also means the system is available with hidden hinges.

The SL 38 is a really versatile product. It is perfectly suited for the retention of existing structures allowing our customers to preserve a vintage look, or for renovation projects where steel frames have to be replaced. What’s more, its high-performance properties combined with a sleek new look make it a good choice for new-builds too.

CW 50-HI BENEFITS FROM AN UPGRADEDid you know that our new, improved Concept Wall 50-HI (High Insulation) system now offers better thermal insulation properties than ever before?

This variant of CW 50 benefits from improved insulation profiles that can achieve an impressive insulation value (Uf) down to 0.56 W/m2K with a glass thickness of 60 mm. Previously this was 0.73 W/m2K, while the standard CW 50 system has a Uf value of 1.7 W/m2K.

As the CW 50-HI is now provided with standard glazing gaskets, it is suitable for even heavy-duty triple glazing, up to a maximum of 61 mm.

A further advantage of the new CW 50-HI system is the ease of production and

installation. The insulation profile used in the HI system consists of a pre-cut part, so that drainage canals can be incorporated easily. Installation is made even more convenient because the glass doesn’t require waterproof taping to the pressure plate area.

Visit www.reynaers.co.uk to view the video clip of the new system.

Visit www.reynaers.co.uk to download the technical brochures for all of our products.

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CHANGES IN VOLUNTARY CODES

Have you heard of the Home Quality Mark?

Last year the Government withdrew the voluntary Code for Sustainable Homes, aside from the management of legacy cases.

Instead, the Home Quality Mark (HQM) has been created by building science centre BRE to aid house builders to demonstrate the high quality, performance and attributes of new homes and to help differentiate them in the marketplace.

The HQM scheme is also voluntary and provides impartial information from independent experts on a new home’s quality. It indicates to householders the overall expected costs, health and wellbeing benefits, and environmental footprint associated with living in the home.

BRE says that householders are sometimes difficult to convince when it comes to claims about lower energy costs and better sound insulation. Through assessments by independent experts, HQM aims to give them the confidence that the new homes they are choosing to buy or rent are well designed and built, and cost-effective to run.

HQM comprises two elements: a five-star rating giving a clear overall picture of the home’s quality; and a set of indicators focused on specific aspects that are of particular interest to the key groups involved, such as home occupants, developers and planners.

As this scheme takes off we believe it will clearly affect decision-making when specifying windows and doors in residential properties, with a view to how they impact the energy demands of the property. To what extent it will impact, we have yet to see… watch this space!

INDUSTRY NEWS

DOCUMENT Q NOW IN PLACELast year also saw the introduction of a security element within the Building Regulation – Approved Document Q (ADQ).

This applies to all new dwellings, including those resulting from a change in use of an existing building, such as commercial premises, warehouses and barns undergoing conversions into homes. It also applies within Conservation Areas.

ADQ creates security requirements in relation to doors at the entrance to a building, including garage doors where there is a connecting door to the dwelling; ground floor, basement and other easily accessible windows; and any easily accessible roof-lights. The requirement is that the product must be shown to have been manufactured to a design that has been tested to an acceptable security standard.

Reynaers has worked with Secured by Design – the police initiative to design out crime – for many years. Secured by Design accreditation means that doors and windows are not only tested by the product manufacturer, but that independent third-party certification from a UKAS-accredited independent third-party certification authority is in place. This requirement exceeds the requirements of ADQ – so you can be confident that our SBD products already meet the specifications laid down by Document Q.

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What was your most exciting project last year?

This is a really difficult question to answer as we find all projects – no matter what size – that include Reynaers’ products exciting. In the UK we are very proud that a major part of 250 City Road (see page 5) will be using Reynaers’ products and that is an important project for us.

What other business achievements within Reynaers did you see last year?

Reynaers as a group continues to grow, especially in new areas such as the US and Asia.

Overall, our efforts and activities to improve our customer service have delivered success in 2015, as most key performance factors are improving, to the benefit of our customers.

We are sure that our sales policy is the right one for the UK. As a family company, we like to develop close partnerships with the different stakeholders in our industry. We are also very proud of the various awards, such as Best Use of Direct Marketing and Highly Commended for Research and Insight at the Construction Marketing Awards 2015, which we consider as proof of our hard work and motivation to do even better in the future.

What was your biggest challenge in 2015?

Russia and Ukraine have seen both political and economic changes that needed to be managed in conjunction

Q AND A WITH ANDREAS WILSDORFCHIEF SALES OFFICER, REYNAERS

with our local teams. In the end, we took measures in both areas to keep the business alive and we even managed to increase our market share in difficult times. We really appreciate the close cooperation with all of our customers in the different regions that enable us to continue growing.

How do you see the construction market in the UK and Europe during the next 2-3 years?

We’ve been watching trends closely and we do not expect to see an overall increase in number of projects in Europe’s construction markets in the foreseeable future. Southern European markets, such as Spain, do show slight signs of improvements but this is only a small indication of better times to come. Some other European markets, like the UK, are expected to grow slightly. One thing is for sure: Reynaers as a group is ready to grow faster than the markets.

And finally, what message would you like to give UK customers for 2016?

I’d like to sincerely thank our UK customers for their close partnership with Reynaers in 2015, which provides us with an excellent base for further growth in the future.

In 2016 we will be launching some interesting new systems in the UK and opening a new headquarters in Birmingham, which will help to continue to improve our operational excellence.

I wish all our partners a happy, successful New Year.

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SPONSORSHIP NEWSWe are proud to have partnered with the highly respected Society of Façade Engineering (SFE) to support FAÇADE2015, the international awards for façade engineering excellence.

The awards featured three categories for architects and contractors: Façade of the Year 2015 (New-build); Façade of the Year 2015 (Refurbishment); and Outstanding Façade Innovation 2015.

The awards were presented at the prestigious Glass Supper conference and dinner at the Sky Garden – also known as the Walkie Talkie – in London in December.

LONDON DESIGN OFFICE SHOWROOMLast year saw the opening of our London Design Office, which has proved immensely popular with architects, customers and homeowners. As well as showcasing our innovative range of architectural aluminium systems, such as Hi-Finity – our ultra-slim and elegant structurally glazed aluminium sliding door system – and the CF 77-SL (slim line) door, it features an impressive exhibition and meeting area.

There is also a wide selection of our aluminium window, door and curtain walling samples on display.

To arrange an appointment to visit the showroom, feel free to contact the office on +44 (0)20 3427 3800.

MARKETING UPDATEREYNAERS INVESTS TO DRIVE BUSINESS FORWARD

Our award-winning marketing team has taken its communications strategy to the next level by investing in a series of radio ads.

The adverts ran throughout October and November last year on LBC and Smooth FM, popular stations in the South East, to support Reynaers’ Quality is Nothing campaign. You can listen to the advert here: http://bit.ly/Reynaersadvert.

The campaign focused on Reynaers’ commitment to quality as a result of the research we undertook, when we asked around 300 people in the trade about what was important to them. The results were clear: outstanding products that customers can rely on. The campaign also ran across print and a new website has been set up where fabricators can find out how Reynaers’ products can help (www.discoverquality.co.uk).

Our in-depth study was recognised in the latest Construction Marketing Awards, where we were highly commended for Best Use of Research and Insight. We also scooped Best Use of Direct Marketing for our Look Deeper campaign, which encouraged partners in the trade to take a closer look at design aesthetics, innovation and performance through a series of emails and adverts.

STAFF NEWSMarathon winner

Senior Consult Manager Richard Jekiel managed to complete the Birmingham half-marathon in October in one hour 55 minutes, 48 seconds, raising £1,100 for Macmillan.

Thanks to all who sponsored Richard and a big congratulations to the marathon man himself!

INNER FOCUS

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What’s the most enjoyable part of your day?

It’s difficult for me to choose as each day is so different. As technical advisor I get a vast range of requests from customers and colleagues and they vary from day to day. My days go past very quickly so I must be enjoying myself overall.

Why do homeowners appreciate having the showroom facility to look around?

I really believe that having something physical to view, touch and feel reassures both homeowners and customers and gives them comfort in choosing the best system for their needs. It’s much easier for me to talk about the details, rather than just relying on drawings and brochures.

We are lucky that we can speak directly to our customers and homeowners face-to-face and discuss other aspects of their projects. Each and every one of our systems benefits from an ongoing development programme so we continue to meet the demands of an ever-changing market and trends.

Did you see an increase in interest over 2015?

Yes, and it was becoming apparent that interest was increasing even before that, towards the latter part of 2014. Demand for products from Reynaers UK moved to a different level last year and hopefully will continue for the coming years too.

What products are most in demand at the moment and why?

The ultra-slim design of our Hi-Finity sliding door is still really popular thanks to its wow factor. There’s been a lot of interest in this system over the past year – it tends to be what gets customers through the door which then gives us the opportunity to discuss the other products we can offer.

What makes Reynaers’ products different, according to customer feedback?

Our customers think of Reynaers’ systems as being very high in quality, but supplied at a better price than

Q AND A WITH STEPHEN REDDINGTECHNICAL ADVISOR

competitor products. Customers often tell me that we also provide excellent advice, help and aftersales care.

What’s the best way to get technical advice from you?

Either call me on +44 (0)20 3427 3800 or email stephen.redding@reynaers.com. I’m also the best point of contact when customers would like to book an appointment to have a look around our showroom.

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reynaersltd@reynaers.comwww.reynaers.co.uk www.reynaersathome.co.uk

Head Office, BirminghamReynaers Ltd

Kettles Wood Drive, Birmingham B32 3DB

Tel: +44 (0)121 421 1999

Reynaers London Design Office

6-9 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge UB11 1FW

Tel: +44 (0)20 3427 3800