As the window and door sector went into Coronavirus lockdown, commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) had just recorded its best year ever.
With turnover approaching £8m and profits well above the market average, the company says it was looking ahead to further expansion and continuing growth in the new build sector in particular, installing aluminium as well as PVC-U windows and doors.
Now, as the government gives a cautious go ahead for manufacturing and construction to restart, chairman David Thornton says that the company is ready to pick up where it left off.
He said: “Before the lockdown was announced, we had invested in two weeks’ worth of stock for all of our ongoing projects so that we are can get moving quickly without having to wait for suppliers. However, we will be working hard with our entire supply chain to make sure that they can respond to our requirements as we push ahead with new build projects in particular.”
While it is still planning for some growth in 2020/21, David says the company’s main focus will be to ‘ride out the rollercoaster ahead’ and give its customers reassurance that it is in a strong financial position to be able to do so.
He explained: “Slim margins in the commercial market mean businesses have to be supremely efficient to be able to thrive, even in normal market conditions. Our growth over the past ten years has shown that we have the right model for this sector, and, while the brakes may be on in the short to medium term, we certainly remain confident about the future.
“The stresses that all businesses have faced over recent weeks have been intense, but there is obviously a danger that things could get even worse in the months ahead as we gradually get back to work and cashflow and supply chains start to come under real pressure. It is inevitable then that only the fittest businesses will be able to survive, and it is undoubtedly those like The Window Company (Contracts), which have a solid financial base, which will do the best.”
