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While some within the industry have never experienced a lean period quite like this, Mark Dicconson and Kevin Taylor – Directors of Frameplas Ltd – share a wealth of experience in the market. This experience has given them the confidence to start up a new trade fabrication firm during this lean spell.

During the final stages of the previous recession, back in 1993, Mark and Kevin bought John Fredericks. At the time, the company was producing just 300 frames a week. When they finally sold up in October 2001, they were producing 3,000 frames a week and the company was one of the biggest trade fabricators around.

After selling Fredericks, the pair took a break from the industry. Mark took time to concentrate on starting his family, but could not resist getting back into windows, the industry he knows so well.

They started planning a new business at the end of last year and acquired a brand new factory early this year. On January 7th 2005, they moved in to the 30,000 sq. foot empty shell on the outskirts of Bradford that needed heating, lighting and electricity installed. With help from old friends at Promac, they were able fit the factory with the most up-to-date machinery and by February 7th they had started to produce their first window frames.

Now, just 12 weeks into production, they are manufacturing approximately 430 frames per week. Currently they have two hire vehicles in operation but have two new, 12 ton Mercedes vehicles on order to be delivered in June.

Old partnerships

Mark and Kevin have renewed their previously successful partnership with WHS Halo, and they have started to produce System 10 products.

Within the System 10 range is the fully sculptured Rustique window system – a revamped product which Mark and Kevin launched exclusively with their former company some 10 years ago – the same product that led the market into fully sculptured windows and doors. In addition, there is a fully chamfered suite of profiles that are dimensionally identical, easing both surveying and engineering and allowing for uniformity of ancillary products.

Given the claim culture that exists, we felt unglazed was the future

Frameplas have upgraded the ironmongery specification of their products, offering a high security door locking system from world-renowned hardware specialists Yale, as standard. All systems come with a 10-year warranty on moving parts.

Mark is the first to admit, the company ethos is not a new one, but it is a tried and tested formula that works: ‘We intend to supply top quality innovative products on time, to a high standard of finish at exceptionally competitive prices.

‘Historically, fabricators have supplied glazed frames. Nowadays, supply of fully glazed products is practically impossible due to stringent weight-lifting constraints laid down by the HSE. Given the claim culture that exists, we felt unglazed was the future’.

Frameplas’s solution to this problem is to work in partnership with glass and roofing suppliers who offer guaranteed turnaround times at pre-determined prices. Prices that Frameplas does not mark up for its customers, ‘Our customers pay the same price for glass and conservatory roofs as we do’, explains Mark.

A new breed of fabricator

In these uncertain times in a slowly shrinking market, Mark believes those who will survive and continue to prosper will be, ‘A new breed of fabricator which is a lot leaner, concentrating on low overheads, with an emphasis on quality of IT and staff. Many established trade fabricators have grown lazy and fat, unable to shed their high overheads and levels of debt when times get tough. It is important to listen to what the customer wants and be able to adapt quickly, make changes to products that might be needed and adopt a more flexible approach that will ensure long term business relationships’.

To have successfully managed to get the business off the ground from a standing start in the current climate is an achievement in itself. Mark hopes to build up to 800 frames a week within the next year and with plenty of space on site for expansion, Frameplas look set to continue to grow, with many new innovations and customer initiatives.