Expansion and innovation at Apeer
Apeer has invested heavily in its production facility to support growth in its composite doors and Lumi range of windows and doors
Apeer has always been a company committed to investment and innovation. In the early days as PVC door panel producer the company was always ahead of the game which saw it become one of the leading producers in the UK. Apeer soon realised the door market was changing and further invested in innovation which saw the launch of its own composite door in the early 2000s. Still a market leader today in composite doors, Apeer has constantly redefined its product offering and added new styles and designs which result today in it additionally offering composite fire doors, the contemporary ‘Modo’ range and the cost-effective ‘Diamond’ door range. Composite doors are very much at the heart of Apeer’s business, but the management team are all too aware that constant evolution of the products offered is paramount to the company’s continued success. Apeer Managing Director Asa McGillian says innovative thinking has always been central to the company’s strategy and plays an important role in supporting customers.
The recently launched Lumi range of customisable, edge-to-edge glazing, matching frameless windows and doors are another fine example of a product developed to create further opportunities for installers and retailers. With their completely flat, uninterrupted profile, these radically styled windows and doors have caught the imagination of the market. With more product variants being launched at the FIT Show in May, it is clear the Lumi range is gaining in popularity. To support the success of the Lumi range and the composite door range, Apeer has announced the completion of a major expansion programme at the company’s 6-acre Ballymena, Northern Ireland site that includes showroom, training and production facilities in response to significant expansion across each of the company’s product ranges. The work has been completed after 12 months and an investment of almost half a million pounds.
An extension to the main factory of almost 10,000 ft2 has expanded the Lumi production area to deal with the expanding sales of this award-winning window and door system. Since the trade launch of Lumi at the 2016 FIT Show, sales are forecast in the current year of £2.6 million with ambitious growth predicted ahead. A showroom and dedicated training facility have also been completed for the purpose of inducting new customers and their staff. This impressive area includes a Lumi ‘house’ that allows the installation of Lumi windows and doors at ground and first floor levels, with a showroom set with typical interior scenes installed with Lumi windows and doors. Apeer Doors sales, in the meantime, have been growing exponentially and consistently over a number of years, with a forecast 35% increase in the current year alone being the key factor behind an expansion of the production facilties for the company’s composite doors. A number of new products will be launched at the FIT Show in May, to further stimulate sales.
The existing production area has been expanded by 9,000 ft2 with an increase in both equipment and jobs, with Apeer continuing as one of the leading employers in the area. It is believed that this expansion now qualifies Apeer as the largest producer of British manufactured composite residential doors, including the production of its own slabs. The extension brings the Apeer factory to 140,000 ft2, with plans to build a further 80,000 ft2 factory and world-class showroom within the next two years, in line with further anticipated growth of the Lumi line.
Apeer Managing Director Asa McGillian says that the development has become necessary based upon both achieved and predicted growth: “Sales of Apeer composite doors have been growing steadily over a number of years now with sales in the current period actually ahead of the 35% predicted growth that we budgeted for 2017. And then we have Lumi, our window and door system…sales for Lumi are now growing rapidly since our launch to the trade last April. This year with a total of fourteen trade but mostly consumer shows we will be driving sales even harder and we need to be prepared for that.” It’s exciting times for Apeer and its growing numbers of installer and retailer customers. The production facility is very impressive and perfectly supports the expanding product range. Large numbers of composite doors and Lumi windows and doors are rolling off the production line, and with more new products soon to be launched this year, the investment in the factory expansion is essential in order for Apeer to fulfil its strategy for long-term success and growth.
Tel: 084 56 729 333
E: sales@apeer.co.uk
