Sector Focus
Manufacturing Window of opportunity
West Midlands double-glazing stalwart Denise Fletcher is carving a unique niche in a male-dominated world – with her own company. Denise decided to branch out on her own after nearly
three decades working for PLCs and smaller double- glazing firms in the West Midlands. And nine months on, she has ambitions to open two
showrooms and employ up to ten salesmen as she grows her Triple Glazed Direct (West Mids Ltd) operation and boost orders for windows, doors, conservatories and the like. “I have been in the windows industry for 30 years and
it is a very male-dominated sector. It is very much a male environment and there are not many women who get to be regional or managing director,” said Denise.
‘I do not know of any other woman who has launched her own double-glazing company’
“In fact, there are not many women in the industry, full stop. I do not know of any other woman who has launched her own double-glazing company. “I had had enough of working for other people,
but it is a very tough sector because it is very competitive. “It is all about keeping the customers happy and
building up a good reputation for the business – I go out and oversee the jobs to make sure that everything is OK. I enjoy the challenge and would not want to do anything else.”
Joint venture is
on the right track Engineering firm CH2M, which has an office in Birmingham, has won a £350m contract to help deliver HS2, the high-speed railway which will connect the Midlands and North West to London. CH2M will lead the joint venture
which will deliver phase one of the engineering element of HS2. The £350 million contract will run for ten years and will see the CH2M- led consortium work with HS2 Ltd in an integrated team to drive long term efficiencies across the design and construction of the line. Other members of the consortium
are Atkins and SENER, an engineering and technology group. James Rowntree, CH2M’s managing director of transportation, Europe, said: “The CH2M/Atkins/SENER consortium is delighted to have been named as the Engineering Delivery Partner for HS2 Phase One. “This marks a significant step
forward in the delivery of this important infrastructure programme, which will link up the UK's regional economies and create vital growth up and down the country. “CH2M looks forward to building
on its close relationship with HS2 Ltd and working alongside Atkins and SENER.”
54 CHAMBERLINK May 2016 New jobs (from left): Kulwant Kalsi, Sohan Kalsi, Andy Perry, and Harbans Kalsi. Barclays gives boost to business
A West Midlands manufacturer of plastic building materials is creating up to 20 new jobs after securing funding from Barclays for purpose-built new premises. Kalsi Plastics Ltd, a family-owned business, has
developed the new 80,000 square foot site in Sparkhill in a major boost to its manufacturing output. The company plans to take on between 15 and 20
more staff this year in the wake of the development. Fit- out works are currently being carried out at the premises and it will be fully operational by the early summer. The business was established in 1993 and is owned by
brothers Sohan, Harbans and Kulwant Kalsi. Over the years, the brothers have grown the business supplying
wholesale and trade plastic building and rainwater products to the construction industry. Over the last ten years sales have grown to in excess of £30 million. Harbans Kalsi, director of Kalsi Plastics, said: “We
identified the need to acquire additional premises that would allow us to increase our manufacturing capacity. The development of this site offers us that capability and will enable us to develop our business further.” Andy Perry, relationship director at Barclays in Birmingham, said: “We have enjoyed a relationship with Kalsi Plastics for over twenty years and I’m pleased we have been able to support them in the next phase of their development.”
Amazing glazing: Denise Fletcher Denise, 55, has ambitious plans for her new
company. She said: “I’m running the company from my home in Halesowen at the moment but I am looking for premises for offices and a showroom. “I have a couple of commission-only salesmen and work with fitters and builders who are sub-contractors. I want to open one showroom this year and a second one in three years, with 10 salesmen eventually working between the two branches. “You have to be tough or you get walked
over in this business. It is all about customer service.”
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