Genius PVC Trade Frames: Gearing up for growth in a tough market

Lee Dickinson, Operations Director at Genius PVC Trade Frames, discusses the fabricator’s recent investments in machinery and how efficiency could be the key to help fabricators thrive in a tough market.

2024 has been an exciting time for Genius PVC Trade Frames.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate our 5th anniversary this year and, looking back, we’ve experienced tremendous growth and have even more exciting plans for the future.

However, we’re also keenly aware of the challenges facing fabricators today. It would be naïve to ignore the difficult industry climate we are currently in; rising energy costs and material prices along with slowing demand all call for a proactive approach. That’s why, at Genius, we are investing in the efficiency of our production to ensure that we can continue to grow in the next five years and far beyond.

Investing in efficiency

There’s no denying that fabricators are facing challenging times – energy costs have soared, and demand has definitely fallen from the heights of the Covid-19 era, in part thanks to the cost of living crisis. The costs of materials have also been steadily rising, squeezing profit margins for fabricators. Figures from Insight Data show a 16% fall in the number of fabricators from 1,407 in 2017 to 1,177 in 2023 – it’s clear that we are operating in a tough industry climate.

However, at Genius, we haven’t let that stop us from making ambitious plans for the future.

Our goal of reaching a production capacity of 2,500 frames each week within the next two years is an internally agreed target that we are all focussed on and central to that goal is increasing our production efficiency.

Subsequently, at Genius we have recently invested over £2m in new machinery, including a Rotox eight-headed welder and cleaning line. This new machinery is truly state-of-the-art. It will not only allow us to produce exceptional products at the high standards we have become known for, but also to do so with unmatched efficiency.

The efficiency of our production is the cornerstone of our future growth, and our new welder and cleaning line is complemented by an investment in a second Schirmer machining centre to optimise the use of our materials.

Not only will our investment in machinery help us reach our goal of 2,500 frames per week, but our upscaled efficiency means our customers are perfectly placed to benefit too.

Streamlining operations for our customers

Our customers are also facing issues within the industry today – homeowners are spending less on home improvements thanks to the cost of living crisis, and the same rising prices are also affecting installers.

Our £2m investment in cutting-edge machinery isn’t just about making more frames; it’s about making them more efficiently while ensuring complete control over quality. This allows us to offer five-day-turnarounds on orders, helping keep our customers’ projects on track.

We know that the industry is tough currently and we know that the existing challenges within fenestration won’t simply disappear overnight.

While at Genius we’ve only just celebrated our fifth birthday, we’re confident that the combined experience of our senior leadership team (which includes Peter Dyson and David Eagle) will stand us in good stead. This wealth of experienced proved invaluable in navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic in Genius’ early years, and with this same expertise we’re confident in our ability to overcome hurdles in the future.

As we get to work with our new machinery, we are looking ahead towards a future that, for Genius, looks bright.

For more information, please email sales@geniuspvc.com or visit www.geniuspvc.com.