Leading fabricator reveals its secrets to success

March 27, 2015

After a storming 2014 where they grew 20%, launched innovative new products and moved into a new manufacturing facility, Dekko Window Systems are one of the industry’s real ‘movers and shakers’. Sales Director Kurt Greatrex chats to Windows Active’s John Cowie to discuss his secrets to success…

John Cowie: I understand the last 18 months have been very eventful for Dekko?

Kurt Greatrex: Yes we’re going through a growth spurt at the moment and there have been lots of positive changes within the business. We recently moved into an all-new factory in Ashton-Under-Lyme and have launched a host of new and exciting products that seem to be capturing the imagination of the market.

John Cowie: Why do you think your growing?

Kurt Greatrex: A lot of our growth has come from our added value products. Two years ago we introduced Residence 9 and that’s taken off in a big way. Residence 9 appeals to the discerning customer that likes the look of timber but wants modern benefits such as low maintenance and energy efficiency. There is a huge market for this type of product and R9 has allowed Dekko and our trade customers to tap into that. In 2014 we also launched the Monorail patio door and the Slide and Swing door. Developed by Deceuninck, Monorail is a large scale PVCu patio that truly rivals aluminium while the Slide and Swing door is completely unique in the market place today. All three products stand out from the crowd and will be key to our future growth.

John Cowie: Residence 9 is a very niche product. Where is it being installed?

Kurt Greatrex: Residence 9 is suitable for a number of different applications including cottages, town houses and new-builds; but one of the main hotspots is conservation areas. There are close to one million listed properties in the UK and many of these houses are in desperate need of new windows and doors. Modern frame materials are banned from conservation areas unless they, and I paraphrase the Article 4 Directive, have a ‘similar design, dimension, detailing and opening mechanism to the original window’. Residence 9 meets this criteria and thus can be installed in conservation areas, allowing installers to start winning business in an area that was previously reserved for timber.

John Cowie: You said Monorail is a large scale patio door – how big can it go?

Kurt Greatrex: Three panes can span up to six metres so pretty big! It’s not all about size though, the door is available in anthracite grey Colour 360 so looks stylish too.  Colour 360 is Deceuninck’s colouring process that coats the whole frame so the product looks as good open as it does closed.

John Cowie: With premium products such as Residence 9 and Monorail proving so popular, is the market for white plastic windows dying out?

Kurt Greatrex: Quite the opposite! We may be pushing high value products but demand for white plastic is still very much alive. While many consumers have Grand Designs aspirations, the mass market simply wants an affordable product that looks good and will keep their home warm and secure. We manufacture two leading profile systems – Deceuninck and Kommerling – and the energy efficiency and wide colour options help our customers stand out from other PVC-u installers. Residence 9 and Monorail are growing products but Deceuninck and Kommerling frames are still our ‘bread and butter’.

John Cowie: What are your future plans?

Kurt Greatrex: We feel we’re still only scratching the surface with Residence 9 and Monorail so we want to explore ways we can support our customers succeed in these lucrative markets. We also plan to launch new products including aluminium bi-folding doors. It’s no secret that the aluminium bi-folding door market has grown enormously over the past few years and now we have extra capacity in the new factory we feel we’re ready to enter the sector. Aluminium bi-folds complement our other high end door products (Monorail and Slide and Swing) and they will be an excellent addition to our range.