20 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, October 30th, 2008


www.cIithe«,eadvertiserco.uk


Clitheme 422324 (Editorial), 01282 478111 ( A d v e p g ) ; 01282 Clitherpe 422324 (Editorial), 01282 478111 (Advertising), 01282 422331 (Classified) • www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk • Business IVlatters ‘ Putting Rlbble Valley business in focus i r " u "


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INNOVATION h a s been a t the heart of Ultraframe’s business for the p a s t quar­ te r of a century. ■ Over recent months there has been extra focus within the company to become more effi­ cient and to operate a lean manufacturing process -


this


culminated in a Best Factory Award, from the Manufactur­ ing Institute, in 2007. Ultraframe has, says the company, rationalised and


■ reviewed its entire product offering and believes it now has a better product in the market place having connect­ ed more closely with its users. ■ In order to allow the R&D


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team the space and time to work creatively on new con­ cepts, Ultraframe has estab­ lished a separate business unit within the company. Frame­ work Innovations. Light and space are still


desirable attributes for people wanting a conservatory but Ultraframe wants to put back the “wow”'factor and add


. some excitement into the prod­ uct. By allowing the design team


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to work autonomously and away from the day-to-day business in its new base'at Stanley House, Lowergate, Ultraframe hopes to be able to move its whole game forward and develop opportunities within the conservatory mar­ ket and beyond. ' Extensive market research


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LEADING the new design team is Andrew Thomson, pictured, B.Eng (Hons), M Des (RCA). Andrew .was employed by entrepreneur James Dyson for 11 years, and designed the first Dyson products - albeit in his garage! He studied at Imperial Col­


lege London and then the Royal College of Art where he specialised in Industrial Design and Engineering. Highly creative, he is renowned for his ability to see a better way of doing some­ thing.


What made you gel into the industry? I was offered a role at Ultra­


frame where I saw lots of potential for development and room for improvement in the building industry. ■ • My father was an architect


and I have also experienced the building trade a t first­ hand - been a labourer, ‘been there and done it!’


has been carried out, with seven fociis groups commis­ sioned enabling consumers to give their views on the conser­ vatories and home extensions. The company’s long term


strategic plan is to increase turnover in the next five years


SPOTLIGHT on Ultra- frame’s Framework Innova­ tions managing director ANDREW THOMSON


Personal milestones achieved?' My first product was a


Dyson Vacuum cleaner and we sold 10 million of them, receiving numerous awards for ■ industrial design. What has been your biggest inspiration? . James Dyson was very


inspirational. . Change one thing about your


job?. Being able to connect with


the end-customer better. Change one thing about the industry? Make it more receptive to


change.


. What would be your best day at work? Being able to lock myself


away for two to three hours to think is essential. Your ambitions for the future?


as it continues to innovate in the conservatory market and move into new markets, including those overseas. ■ Its Classic system is still the


market leader after 20 years. “Classic is our heritage and as well as developing new and


As managing director of the


new Ultraframe Innovations division I have lots of ideas which myself and the team will develop for the market. Our ambition is to develop new and exciting ways for consumers to add light and space to their homes. Your advice to rising stars? . There is always a better


way of doing something. We have just taken on four top graduates (qualified in prod­ uct design) straight from uni­ versity. ' It is very rewarding getting


fresh people in and ‘moulding’ them. Ultraframe’s ambitions are reflected by the creation of this team - We call it ‘well- managed creative tension’! Personal Interests? My first engineering proj­


ect when I was aged 17 was re-building a TR4, but now with three children I have an Audi A6! My passion is mountain-biking in the Lan­ cashire countryside.


exciting markets for the future, we continue to protect the strong brand that we already have,” said chief executive Mike Price. “Recent innovations include


highly insulated glazing panels and ^ n Orangery system.


Other planned innovations in both our existing and develop­ mental products will aim to ensure that users of our sys­ tem can achieve these new styles and shapes easily, by ensuring tha t fitting tech­ niques and practice tha t are already familiar are incorpo­


rated into the products of the future.: The Framework Inno­ vations team are now shaping many_exciting new concepts and these will come to fruition during 2008 and beyond - Ultraframe and the new Inno­ vations Team have some excit- ■ ing times ahead.”


A uniform promotes good behaviour Get fit for work!


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TRUTEX has been manu­ facturing and supplying school uniform for more than 130 years.


• Based on Clitheroe’s Salthill Industrial- Estate, it


• now supplies some 1,400 stockists worldwide, from Toronto to Sydney, and has a turnover of £15m. Each year T ru tex sells


200.000 blazers, one million blouses, 1.1 million shirts, 250.000 pairs of trousers, 60.000 skirts and 110,000 : pieces of knitwear. In new research commis­


sioned by the company, it has found th a t wearing school uniform out of school hours could be a useful tool in tack­ ling youth crime and anti


• I social behaviour. , : Cases of violence involving young people have increased


.,bj^an alarming 39% over three years to 56,000 violent incidents in 2006/07 (Youth Justice Board, May 2008).


'Mos^’anti-social behaviour, an'clfcriminal activity com­


An often overlooked bene­


fit of school uniform is the impact it has on truancy. Over half of parents (53%) and 46% of children ques­ tioned said th a t .wearing a uniform means children are less likely to skip school, many feeling th a t this was


, due to the risk of being iden­ tified.


Daniel Tomlinson, Trutex


mitted by young people occurs outside school hours, but the new Trutex research reveals th a t 46% of parents and 37% of children feel that wearing a uniform actually improves behaviour outside school.


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I t makes children less like­ ly to misbehave according to


.55% .of th e parents q u e s -■ tinned, with 50% of parents putting th is down to'fact-


; that children can be easily identified and 42% believing


that school uniform instils a sense of discipline. This view was also shared by the majority of school children, with 54% saying th a t a • school uniform makes chil­ dren less likely to misbehave. ;


- The survey also shows that- 62% of parents believe, that school uniforms help develop • better relations between peer groups and the vast majority (84%) think that uniforms ' help schoolchildren feel part of a team.


marketing manager, com­ mented: “The benefits of wearing a school uniform have long been established, including reducing peer pres­ sure, instilling discipline, self pride and so on... but the perceived impact on'behav­ iour, in particular anti-social behaviour, is relatively new.-


i “The survey shows that school uniform has become a necessary precursor to rais­ ing both parents’ and chil­ dren’s expectations and its enforcement can help to fos­ ter and promote good behav­ iour in and outside the c l^ - room.” ,


A HEALTHY lifestyle message is being taken into workplaces across the Ribbic Valley in a pio­ neering and free initiative by a Ciitheroe health club. Hicks Health and F itn e s s


Club, based next to the cricket pitch off Chatburn Road, is offer­ ing to send its qualified fitness instructors into iocal factories, offices and other workplaces to give a free fitness test to any employee who wants one. Lcanne Procter, from Hicks,


said: “The tests include checking an employee’s resting heart rate, blood pressure, weight, height, body fat, muscular stren g th , muscular endurance and flexibil­ ity, with a full fitness assessment at the end. This test will show what the current fitness level of the participant is. “Most people are not aware


, “\Ve are offering this service to promote Healthy Lifestyle to the


what their actual fitness level is for their age. The scary fact is ' that with no form of physical ' exercise, most 21-year-olds have ■ the fitness age of a 55-yca'r-old.


people of Clithcore and the sur­ rounding area. It is 100% confi­ dential and at no cost to the com­ pany or employee. We would also


■ like to offer this service to the wider local community, with a free fitness test here at the club, where participants are under no obligation to join.”


■ Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a t le a s t five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, danc­ ing, swimming for recreation or


■ cycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your


: body and improve your fitness level. , .


• .


' Encouraging and promoting a , healthy lifestyle among emplojVj


- ees also has obvious benefits fq I


any business, not least in terms of reduced absenteeism due to


sickness. : : Anyone wanting to takeadvan-


■ ■


tage of the free fitness test initia­ tive can contact Hicks on 01200


426887 or e-mail: Leahne@hick- shealthclub.co.uk


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Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, October 30th, 2008 21


# if you have a commercial good news story, contact ouredUonal on 01200 422324 or e-mail: vivien.meath@castlancsncws.co.uk


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