Leading commercial installer, The Window Company (Contracts) has become an Associate Member of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), in part so that it can join the ongoing debate surrounding the replacement of fire doors in social housing projects.

David Thornton, Chairman of the award-winning Chelmsford-based business, has joined the BWF’s Fire Door Safety Week 2021 Working Group to give an installer’s perspective on the issue which continues to disrupt

As the industry approaches a year of living with Coronavirus, David Thornton, Chairman of award-winning commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) has been considering what businesses like his have learnt from the experience.

Even businesses with well-rehearsed and well-documented crisis management plans in place were caught out by the speed of events last March. At the time, our focus was solely on survival and, while our volumes were down and our margins took quite a hit overall because of the issues we faced obtaining stock, we are very much still standing.

Like every other commercial business currently carrying out installs and upgrades in the social housing sector, we are open and determined to stay open, but I am increasingly asking myself, at what cost?

In the simplest terms, our business is measuring an aperture, ordering a window or door and fitting it. Add on selling it and getting paid to the beginning and the end of that, and you’ve got most of the picture.

The Window Company (Contracts), has achieved a full house of LHC Framework Agreements, adding a listing on the framework for the supply and installation of aluminium windows and doors to the PVC-U and timber window and door frameworks it is already on.

The specialist commercial installer, based in Chelmsford, is on the Home Counties, London and East Anglia framework for PVC-U and on the South East England frameworks for timber and now aluminium.

Specialist commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) has become the first installation only company to be invited to join the Association of Composite Door Manufacturers (ACDM) as an affiliate member.

The ACDM is broadening membership to include the entire composite doorset supply chain from component supply to installation, as it aims to engage with more of those involved in the market. This is in line with its stated aim of promoting the highest levels of product and service standards and giving specifiers and end users confidence not only in the safety and security of the product they are buying, but in the quality of the installation as well.