The Norwich-based glazing manufacturer Norwich Aluminium Limited has moved to new 80% larger premises and recruited additional five new staffs as it pursues to hold its market share in the UK construction sector.
Norwich Aluminium began its journey six years ago by Alex Warren. He was working in the glazing industry at the time and then he spotted an opportunity to move into aluminium, a material that was growing in popularity for commercial and architectural glazing.
Warren set up the company in a unit on White Lodge Trading Estate in Norwich next to other established brands such as Screwfix and SIG, by re-mortgaging his house.
He said: “Using my knowledge of the PVC-U market, I could see the growing opportunity in aluminium. I knew that if I wanted to leap, I had to react quickly to market trends and invest properly.”
“The banks were not interested at the time so I raised the funds myself to get going and set up a small manufacturing facility in Norwich. We started with just three staff.”
Norwich Aluminium manufactures glazing for both domestic and commercial projects. Lately, it accomplished glazing for new wards at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, some of which are currently being used as emergency COVID-19 wards.
The aluminium glazing firm has worked on hundreds of projects throughout the country, ranging from new and existing schools and shop fronts to home renovations and commercial offices. It has also been engaged in some high profile and stand-out architectural buildings.
The recent projects have driven the company to diversify and move further, reaching from Brighton to Edinburgh, to work with retained clients.
In December 2020, it established a subsidiary company Norwich Aluminium Trade Supply with a focus on manufacturing of premium aluminium product for other glazing companies involved in installation-only projects and looking for a reliable local supplier.
Presently, Norwich Aluminium’s full-time staff strength is 30 across the group. Alex has injected £340,000 to move to new 80% larger office premises and a bespoke manufacturing facility on the same industrial estate.
Warren said: “In 2020 alone we manufactured over £3 million worth of aluminium glazing products for customers across the country. We are targeting a 30 per cent growth on that figure this year.”
“While the UK construction and manufacturing industries continue to struggle our future order book is looking very strong. We’re bucking the trend and still growing.”
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