Happy New Year!
We welcome 2012 and looking forward to a year of continued recovery for the construction industry in the UK.
We can report record sales throughout 2011 on our entire range of products; glass balustrading, Juliet balcony and curved patio doors – despite the tough economic times.
Sales volumes across our entire product range by almost 29.2% throughout last year compared to 2010 and reflected consistent growth throughout the 12 months of 2011. End of year sales were particularly strong with November 2011 orders more than double on the same month in 2010.
Since our move to larger premises at Lingfield, Surrey 15 months ago, our workforce has grown by 20% to cope with customer demand and the developing product range.
Managing Director Effi Wolff said the addition of the BalcoNano® unique self-cleaning glass coating option in mid-summer had attracted much interest and contributed to the uplift in business, especially towards the end of the year.
Similarly, the introduction of our Juliet balconies with promotional pricing from under £200, which provide a cost-effective and elegant, low-maintenance balustrading solution, had proved popular with buyers from all sectors. This helped to boost sales of Juliets by a spectacular 70% in 2011.
Effi explained: “Balcony continues to grow, showing consistent 15% year-on-year growth since 2008. We’ve had a tremendous year as more and more architects, builders and self-builders recognised the quality, versatility and affordability of Balcony’s products, as well as their ability to transform properties and add value.
“We are also starting to see the resurrection of larger projects, plus signs of confidence returning to the market; something we have not seen for three years,” he continued. “Business picked up considerably in the final quarter of 2011 and we worked right through the Christmas period in order to fulfil orders for our customers.”
As for 2012, We are predicting another buoyant year with our appearances at both Grand Design Live exhibitions (London & Birmingham) and an Ecobuild debut for our sister company, VBS, in March.
Effi added: “Alongside rising demand from builders and developers, trends show that people are still willing to invest in their homes with many choosing to improve, rather than move house. That’s why we’re experiencing a lot of interest in our products, for both newbuild projects and refurbishment schemes.”