Industry veteran started his own business at 60 David stays ‘age positive’

In fact, retirement isn’t a word in his vocabulary. ‘I shall go on working until I drop’, is what he is telling his family, friends and customers on an almost daily basis.

Age has no relevance in David Randall’s life. He is in his 67th year and is one of nine people in his firm who are already in their 60’s. One of them, Nick Heyhoe, brother of the former Wolverhampton Wanderers director and former England women’s cricket captain Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, is 70 this year.

It is therefore no surprise that David’s company, Heritage Glass, were recipients of an Age Positive award which was formally presented to them in Downing Street.

This year David Randall is celebrating 50 years in the window industry and can undoubtedly be regarded as one of the country’s leading authorities in his field.

Apprentice

David began his career as an apprentice draughtsman at the London office of Gardiners of Bristol, working on glazing contracts. After five years he moved over to the installation side and then to sales, becoming London Sales Manager in the late ‘60s. In 1970 David Randall became UK Sales Manager of Gardiner Alumin, following the company’s move into aluminium windows by acquisition. ‘Turnover was £5 million – quite big in those days’, remembers David. ‘Sales reps earned £1,500 a year.’

Redundancy prompted a move to UBM Builders Merchants Group, where David was involved in setting up UBM’s Building Products division and Shropshire factory in 1976. He also moved to Shropshire, becoming Sales Director of UBM Amari when the company moved into aluminium windows. David’s division was eventually sold off, becoming True Architectural Products. David became Managing Director in 1989, leaving in 1994. ‘Technically, I spent 23 years with that company’, he adds.

‘I didn’t enter the home improvement market until 1995 when I joined Triangle Windows for four years. I started as a consultant and became Managing Director.’ he says.

Heritage Glass

Aged 60, David Randall finally set up his own window sales and installation business, Heritage Glass, seven years ago.

The Shrewsbury based business aims for a 50/50 split between retail and commercial work, and has an annual turnover of over £2 million. ‘I still do commercial work. It’s like home to me’, adds David.

if you’ve still got the will to do it, you can do it.

Two contracts are currently in progress at RAF Cosford – one PVC-U, one aluminium. Heritage Glass uses Kommerling PVC-U window frames, Kingsland aluminium systems and a variety of glazing specs. ‘You can’t put all your windows in one basket’.

David’s son Tony joined him in the Shrewsbury business in 1999, bringing extensive marketing experience on board.

This has resulted in the Heritage Garage Door network. Heritage Glass itself sells around 30 garage doors per month, and there is a growing nationwide network supplying these PVC garage doors.

Said marketeer Tony: ‘As retailing gets harder, we are broadening our horizons and increasing our share of commercial projects to maintain our target of sustained growth.

‘We need to stay ahead of the game and we recently opened Rapid Plastics to further diversify into the PVC supply market.

‘We are constantly investing large sums in our showrooms to keep up to date with current trends’.

Age positive

David Randall set out to prove the knockers wrong when he started his own business at 60, and he seems to have attracted some like-minded employees – in fact six are over retirement age. ‘We pride ourselves on employing a balance of personnel. Two people have left us in the past seven years.’ he adds. ‘If you’ve still got the will to do it, you can do it.’

Heritage Glass is also proud of its awards – not only the ‘Age Positive’ recognition, but also customer service awards presented by Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.

A final word from David Randall: ‘All this counts for nothing if we don’t deliver. We are only as good as our next contract’.