Wrightstyle, the Devizes-based supplier of glass and steel glazing systems, has made a significant investment to additionally offer its customers integrated supply and fabrication as part of its flexible service.
Wrightstyle’s core business is the development, testing and international supply of specialist internal and external steel glass and glazing systems, offering a complete spectrum of protection against fire, ballistic or blast threats. The company is recognised as a world leader in integrating high performance designs with aesthetics, and exports its systems worldwide.
Wrightstyle’s decision to additionally offer a fabrication service follows market analysis that demonstrated that, for some customers, shortening the supply and fabrication chain could substantially reduce costs and improve lead times.
“The rising cost of raw materials coupled with an increased awareness in securing buildings against fire and other threats has had a marked impact on costs,” explained Simon Bennett, Wrightstyle’s international sales director. “In addition, with the current high level of demand for curtain walling and other glazing systems, there is significant pressure on lead times. By shortening the supply chain and therefore reducing costs, we are able to offer our customers a more flexible, fully integrated and cost-efficient service, whilst greatly reducing fabrication and supply cycle times,” he concluded.
Wrightstyle has invested in a range of aluminium and steel cutting and profiling machinery from Elumatec, one of the world’s leading suppliers, and has begun fabrication from new premises at its Devizes base.
Although Wrightstyle supplies both internal and external glazing systems, it is the external cladding market that remains most buoyant, worth up to £25 billion a year in the UK at current prices, and representing some 15-25% of the cost of the overall construction budget.
With significant investments being made in the public sector capital projects, next-generation office developments under construction in London and elsewhere, and the sector gearing up for London 2012, pressure on capacity and rising raw material costs have adversely been affecting the sector’s margins.
“We have invested a significant sum in aluminium and steel processing machinery to better integrate what we do, and to offer a service to our customers that gives them comprehensive guarantees at each stage of the fabrication and supply cycle,” explained Simon Bennett.
“There is no doubt that companies involved in the specification and purchase of steel and aluminium glazing systems, are beginning to look for a cost-effective one-stop solution, which can better guarantee the quality of the finished product. There’s no doubt that Wrightstyle is a leader in that trend, and we’re delighted that, following a rigorous specification process, the company chose our machinery,” said Phil Heavey, managing director, Elumatec.