Scotland has become an important market for Glazerite, supported by an approach that takes into account the specific products, manufacturing requirements and delivery needs of customers across the country.
Since Glazerite was established in Wellingborough 25 years ago, the business has expanded its manufacturing footprint further north through a combination of acquisition and organic growth.
That expansion has helped Glazerite build its presence in Scotland, with its Northwest division playing a key role in serving customers across the region.
For Jeff Dunn, Group Sales & Commercial Director at Glazerite, developing the Scottish market has also drawn on many years of personal experience.
"Scotland has been a big part of my sales career for the whole of my career," Jeff says.
"The business was keen to move into Scotland and partner with some large Scottish customers. When we took on Glazerite Northwest, it gave us a division that could supply Scotland and work in the way our customers there need us to."
Adapting manufacturing around the market
Serving Scotland brings its own manufacturing requirements, with customer preferences and fitting methods influencing how products are produced at Glazerite's Northwest division.
Factory glazing is a significant part of the operation.
Glazerite employs three to four full-time glaziers at the site to support the volume of glazed products being supplied to Scottish customers.
"We sell a lot more glazed product from this site," Jeff explains.
"The Scottish market tends to fit slightly differently, using timber frames and straps, so we've adapted the site to work well for our Scottish customers."
Product demand also differs.
Scotland operates under its own building regulations, which influence the types of windows specified for certain applications.
As a result, Glazerite's Northwest division manufactures a higher proportion of tilt and turn and fully reversible windows for Scotland.
These products allow windows to be cleaned from inside the property, supporting the requirements of the Scottish market.
"We sell an awful lot more tilt and turn windows and fully reversibles in Scotland," Jeff says.
"The Northwest division produces far more of those products than any other site in the Group."
Building experience into production
Tilt and turn and fully reversible windows can require more time and expertise during manufacturing due to their design.
For Glazerite, building experience with these products at the Northwest division has allowed the team to establish an efficient manufacturing process around the needs of its Scottish customer base.
That means tilt and turn windows can move through the site on the same lead time as casement windows.
"Tilt and turns are more complicated to make, so they take a little bit longer in manufacturing," Jeff explains.
"But they go through this site at the same lead time as a casement because the team is very familiar with working with the Scottish market."
That familiarity is important as Glazerite's presence in Scotland continues to grow.
By developing the manufacturing capability of the Northwest division around the products its customers regularly order, the business can support volume alongside the specialist requirements of the market.
Delivering across Scotland
Manufacturing the right products is one part of the picture. Getting them to customers across Scotland is equally important.
Multiple vehicles from Glazerite's Northwest fleet travel into Scotland two to three times a week, with haulage operating across the border four days out of five.
Some of Glazerite's larger Scottish customers require at least two deliveries every week.
"The Scottish market has been a very successful area for Glazerite and it's still growing," Jeff says.
"Some of our larger customers need at least two deliveries a week, so we've got haulage running into Scotland four days out of five."
The delivery network is designed to respond to customer order volumes, giving installers the ability to increase the frequency of deliveries when required.
For Jeff, that flexibility gives customers confidence that Glazerite has the capacity to support their requirements as their own businesses grow.
"If they have one delivery a week and they need two, they'll get two. If they need three, they'll get three," he says.
"Whatever they have ordered, we will deliver. We'll keep sending trucks if they keep sending orders."
From the border to the Highlands and Islands
The geographical reach of the operation demonstrates how far Glazerite's Scottish customer base has developed.
Deliveries from the Northwest division travel as far north as Peterhead and Inverness, while Glazerite also supplies customers in Orkney by transporting products to the docks for onward delivery.
For customers operating across such a wide geographical area, having access to regular deliveries can play an important role in managing workloads and keeping projects moving.
"We've got haulage running right into the north of Scotland," Jeff says.
"We're running up to Peterhead and Inverness, and we supply into Orkney by dropping at the docks. If the customer has the volume and they want to deal with Glazerite, we will deliver."
Growing with our customers
Glazerite's development in Scotland demonstrates the value of understanding the individual requirements of a market and building the operation around them.
From increasing factory glazing capacity and manufacturing higher volumes of tilt and turn and fully reversible windows to developing regular delivery routes across Scotland, the Northwest division has evolved alongside its customer base.
As demand continues to grow, that experience gives Glazerite a strong platform to support existing customers while developing further relationships across the Scottish market.
For Jeff, the opportunity is clear.
"Scotland has been a very successful area for Glazerite. We're delighted that it's grown and it's still growing," he concludes.
