Coventry toolmaker reports quadrupling of demand as frame makers rush to switch systems
Coventry-based Jade Engineering says it has ‘gone into overdrive’ to provide former Duraflex fabricators with new tooling and production advice, as they are forced to switch systems suppliers following the announcement made in June that the Gloucester-based systems company would be closed.
As the UK window and door industry’s primary manufacturer of tooling for the production of PVC-U and aluminium window and door systems, Jade Engineering was the first point of contact by systems companies and fabricators, following the announcement. It has been a busy time, said Jade’s Adam Jones: “As soon as the announcement was made, we received calls from systems companies and fabricators, who required new tooling as quickly as possible to switch systems whilst maintaining continuity. Fortunately, we manufacture the tooling for every system so were able to respond immediately,” said Adam. “We are working overtime to keep up and generally, we are keeping ahead of demand.
“We don’t like to see the loss of any company,” he added, “especially one that has been part of the window and door industry since its very early days. But the reality is that the former Duraflex fabricators had to move on and quickly and whilst we are flat out, we are doing our best to ensure that the transition to whatever system they move to, happens as seamlessly as possible.”
Adam added that production advice was inevitably required in addition to the supply of new tooling: “Most changes are seamless with the systems companies working hard to ensure that their new customers get up to speed quickly. But now and again we are asked to resolve specific issues relating to working with new profiles, new tools and so forth and others are taking advantage of the switch to re-evaluate their production lines. We are used to such things of course,” said Adam, “just not so many at once. It is a tremendous challenge, but we are pleased to be supporting fabricators as they change.”