IG LINTELS R
egardless of the type of building or what it’s used for, every door and window opening needs a lintel so it’s supported by the whole structure. Traditionally, the industry used concrete lintels, which were very heavy and needed to be craned or manhandled into place. Then in 1967 IG Lintels launched the lightweight steel lintel, which was much easier and quicker to install. Founded in 1958, IG turned 60 this year. Manufacturers talk about the importance of customer service and it is of course vital for driving customer loyalty and profitability. But at IG, customer service is more than a set of values painted on a wall at head office. Underlying the 97.9% OTIF rates, technical support, and bespoke design offerings is a widespread and tenacious desire to ‘get the job done’, no matter what. “It’s quite remarkable,” says Joanne Harris, commercial director of Atspeed Distributors. “They go above and beyond what most manufacturers would and customers have supreme confidence that when IG say they’re going to do something, it will happen.”
Continuous innovation Since inventing the lightweight steel lintel, IG has continued to invest significantly in R&D to refine and improve the design. For example, it was the first manufacturer to introduce insulation in its lintels in the 1980s. But as the need for better thermal performance increased, the one-piece design posed a problem because it created a thermal bridge that allowed heat to escape. That wasn’t solved until 2011, when IG launched the Hi-therm lintel. The new design was the first to interrupt the thermal bridge with an outer leaf of glass-reinforced plastic, making it up to five times more thermally efficient than a standard steel lintel.
This has been further refined in the Hi-therm+ lintel launched this year. The thermal break in the new design is achieved using a structural polymer leaf in the cavity linking the outer and inner galvanised steel leaves. This virtually eliminates thermal bridging in a simple design that is easy to store, transport, and install. IG pitches this as a significant advantage for housebuilders and developers because it allows them to easily meet SAP requirements without impacting housing designs or having to bolt-on renewable technologies to offset SAP shortfalls. Mike Finn, Group Design and Technical Director at Barratt Developments, a long term IG
60 GLORIOUS YEARS
The construction marketplace is more competitive than ever and even industry stalwarts can suffer and disappear. All the more reason to celebrate growth and the 60th anniversary of IG Lintels as BMJ finds out.
none,” says Harris. “They’re not just technical people, they are technical sales people, and they’re invaluable. All the staff at IG are friendly, happy, and helpful – and without everyone working with us to push orders through and get specials made quickly, we wouldn’t be as successful as we are.”
customer, highlights anticipating customer needs as a key strength: “Supply is about people, product and innovation,” he says. “With IG we don’t have to wait for them to come and ask us [what we want]. They are always knocking on the door with new ideas, new products, and new innovations.”
This combination of customer service and innovation is possible thanks to extraordinary staff loyalty. The longest serving employee has worked at IG for 45 years and 30% of staff have ten or more years’ tenure, which equates to an impressive level of experience and knowledge. This allows IG to offer a bespoke technical and design service where the technical team will go out on site, assess the project, and design something to meet the customer need. “The technical department at IG is second to
How a 1960s garage changed the way houses are built
In 1960 a local builder approached Ieuan Williams, founder of steel fabricator and welder IG Engineering, and asked him to create a steel lintel to bridge the door and window space in a garage he was building. Ieuan came back with a successful design for the delighted builder – and immediately saw the potential. He went back to the drawing board to develop a design that would be useful to housebuilders and in 1967 IG Engineering launched the first open-back lightweight steel lintel. It was quickly adopted by house designers and builders and by 1975, the company had changed its name to IG Lintels and, through the widespread adoption of steel lintels, changed the way Britain builds.
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Derrick McFarland, MD of IG Lintels, believes this simple desire to help is at the heart of the company’s success within the merchant community. “One thing that has remained consistent over the past 60 years is our passion and commitment,” he explains. “IG employees have a real pride in the service we offer and this passion is something our merchant partners pick up on. Our achievements over 60 years have only been possible with the assistance of our loyal merchant customers and we look forward to supporting them in the next part of our journey”.
As a special thank you to past and present employees, partners and customers, IG celebrated its diamond anniversary with a black tie event in Cardiff for 200 people. The evening was hosted by renowned broadcaster and speaker David Meade, while special guest Nigel Owens MBE, Welsh Rugby Union Referee, entertained the crowd with his Welsh humour and inspirational stories from the world of international rugby. Attendees were also treated to a Back to the Future-themed video charting the history of IG Lintels and starring MD Derrick McFarland and Keystone Group Chairman Sean Coyle. McFarland comments: “Our employees’ passion for providing excellent service has helped create a strong relationship with our customers, so we were delighted to welcome so many of our loyal merchant partners and house builders to celebrate 60 years of innovation. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the event such a special celebration.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2018
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