Looking Forward To a Year of Re-adjustment, And No Big Shocks Please

Fasten your seatbelts, because 2005 is already looking like being a tough year. Suppliers are already beginning to pass on oil and raw material price rises, quite understandably, while the gradual rise in interest rates has pulled back consumer spending. But more than this, there’s more uncertainty in the air, to do with bigger issues no doubt.

But let’s try and be positive. The oil price has probably peaked. The number of housing starts continues to rise. The conservatory market, widely portrayed as some huge, unmined seam, has years of growth and untapped potential. Breathtaking glazed projects continue to be commissioned.

Many have predicted that the housing market is due for a crash and it hasn’t happened, although prices have fallen recently in many areas. It’s been one of the few investments to go up in recent years, and will remain a law unto itself, perhaps because this investment remains very secure, ‘safe as houses’ even. Although it’s harder for homeowners to climb up the property ladder, this has increased the propensity for ‘big ticket’ home improvement purchases as people decide to stay put, as Shepley’s Tim Walker points out on page 24.

In answer to the flat replacement market, we are starting to see the return of the diverse window business exploiting a few niches – perhaps a fabricator of PVC-U and aluminium windows or a fabricator and glass shop. Duration Windows, featured on page 26, is a versatile survivor not short of ideas.

Although these combined businesses make economies in many aspects of their businesses, we’ve been led to believe that the future is in huge dedicated businesses manufacturing sealed units, window profile or window frames, etc. It’s going to be fun following the rise of these two approaches over the coming twelve months.

Whatever sort of business you have, we wish you a healthy and prosperous 2005. Glass Age will be keen to follow your progress and pass on what we can learn from it.