The price of glass is becoming less important to specifiers when they approach glass suppliers for product information, according to Birmingham-based Glass Express Midlands.
“The Building Regulations affecting the specification of glass are being updated all the time,” Glass Express Midlands’ Technical Manager Kirsty Fortnam said. “U-values, security, acoustics, solar control – understanding each of these elements is vital for companies specifying the right kind of glass into their projects.
“As a result, we get a lot of calls and emails from specifiers requesting technical information to help them meet their obligations. We also find that they are less interested in the final price of our products.”
Glass Express Midlands has built a strong reputation for its technical knowledge, alongside a comprehensive product range including oversize units, and unique colours and finishes.
Its highly experienced technical team is on hand to provide all the support required to ensure the right products are specified for the right projects, and that they are installed correctly. This consulting service means Glass Express Midlands can offer solutions that its customers may not have known existed.
“It’s important to have somebody to rely on that can give you the information, and I think as a glass company we are fairly unique in providing that service,” Kirsty said. “And a lot of people are now more interested in the money they can save by having the right glass – ie, not letting the heat out – than how much it costs up front. And they want to be certain they are meeting the regulations.
Glass Express Midlands operates out of a modern manufacturing facility in Oldbury, in the West Midlands, and has recently invested in a new cutting table for the specialist provision of oversize units to commercial projects. Other processing equipment is currently on order.
The company also works closely with the main UK manufacturers – as well as some of the bigger European sources – to get access to the latest high-quality products and their significant investment in research and development.
“Another reason we have built up a strong relationship with customers in the commercial sector is because of our open dialogue with the leading glass companies,” Kirsty said. “This leads to modern new products such as low-e glass, solar control glass, laminated glass, anti-reflective glass, and toughenable mirrored glass.
“It is important that we are not simply a supplier of glass products, but a source of technical knowledge and a provider of modern solutions. And this is what our customers buy in to.”
