Q: Can you give a brief background on the company? When it was established, how it has grown and your customer base (i.e residential or commercial)?
Sereco Windows supply and install UPVC, aluminum and high-end timber windows, doors and conservatories as well as secondary glazing. We were established in 2007 and we were located in Buxton back then but moved the business to busier Chesterfield where we could rely on a bigger population and we now pride ourselves on having the best reviews in the whole of Derbyshire.
We tend to focus more on residential work but over the last couple of years have taken on some big commercial projects as we do timber projects and secondary glazing; we are the preferred contractor for Chatsworth Estates which we feel is quite a prestigious role to have.
Q: What are the biggest changes you’ve experienced in the market since you started business?
We feel the biggest changes since starting out are homeowners wanting more options on the table now and more willing to consider UPVC aluminum and Timber before making their choice. Also foils have become extremely popular as people are deviating more away from the plain white UPVC and are often more willing to pay a little bit more for the difference.
Q: You have a premium product portfolio – what was your thinking behind this and aside from product quality, what were the most important things for you when looking at suppliers?
As I am a qualified joiner by trade, it was a natural transition for me to bring the business into supplying and installing high end timber products. Also with less competition in this field, the profit margins are so much higher than with our UPVC equivalents. We do have to travel further for timber though as it is more conservation areas and people willing to pay a higher price.
Also with our PVC range, we do not provide cheap and cheerful; we tend to pick the cream of the suppliers in the UK and our philosophy is that we would rather pay more for good products and attract a client who wants quality and longevity and superior aftercare service.
When it comes to looking at suppliers we way up the quality of the profile (we use Deceuninck for uPVC), their speed of response, the lead times and more importantly than anything their after care service! we have used many suppliers in the past and this is such an Important part of our installation chain; making sure our supplier is super reliable!
Q: With your PVC-U offering, how much is flush or foiled?
There is a very equal split between plain white UPVC and foiled UPVC and we have noticed an increased demand for agate grey and anthracite grey foils. When it comes to the split between stormproof versus flush casement, approximately 30% of our customers opt for the flush casement which is quite an increase from a few years ago as people are looking for a more traditional look..
Q: How has business been post pandemic?
We have noted more competition entering the market and more one man bands on the road which we feel is driving prices down in the lower end UPVC market. Homeowners are often tempted now to opt for the very cheapest so we have to sell our difference more now.
We often get called back to put jobs right where they have been installed so badly by cheap skate installers with cheaper products! However, we appeal to a more discerning customer who checks reviews and we educate them on the pitfalls to avoid. I have been in the trade as an installer for up to 40 years so prospects often say to me they feel very confident and comfortable as I know what I'm talking about and give solid and trustworthy advice.
Also due to the cost of living crisis we have had to put our fitters wages up quite substantially as we pay our fitters well as they are the backbone of our business and we are only as good as our fitters.This means our prices have also increased substantially, especially when you add on the increased product costs as well. So, again we have had to get better at selling our difference and explaining why it is better to pay the price once and not have any regrets!
Q: Market feedback is that energy efficiency is currently a primary driver for sales, thanks to high energy costs? Would you agree? And have you see a rise in demand or interest in triple glazing?
Yes, energy efficiency is naturally a driver for sales and we educate our customers on how our thermal glass works and operates and why it saves on their utility bills but we must admit we have not seen a huge increase for triple glazing in the marketplace.
Q: That latest Business Pilot Barometer report showed a promising start to the year, with sales up 43% year on year – have you had a good start to the year? And what is your outlook for the rest of 2024?
We have started 2024 very busy indeed and we are now fully booked for quite a few months into this year. It is an installers dream to secure longer installation projects, maybe one to two weeks at a time, rather than half days and one day installs. The reason being is that there is just as much work involved in organising the shorter installation jobs and we are pleased to say that we have quite a few larger and longer installations lined up for the next few months.
Click here fore more information on our timber windows, uPVC windows, warm roof conservatories and conservatories
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