Whiteline focused on the needs of the ever-changing demands of the marketplace
Innovative fabricator Whiteline has always prided itself on an ability to anticipate the ever-changing demands of the marketplace. The company has become renowned for delivering an exceptional range of windows and doors that allow its installer and retailer customers to make the most of market opportunities. As part of a passion for continually developing and enhancing its products and services, Whiteline has announced two major developments in terms of operational management and product innovation.
Recognising the importance of constant evaluation of the operational side of the business, the company has announced a management re-structure that will see Managing Director Steve Milham take the role of CEO, with Ken Gray taking up the reins of Managing Director, moving up from his previous role of Deputy Managing Director. Whiteline has been growing rapidly over the last ten years and with the expanding customer base, product portfolio and workforce, Ken’s direct responsibility is to ensure operational management of the business keeps pace with growth. Steve’s move to CEO will involve an increased remit to engage with customers and to ensure the continued sales growth of the company. His previous experience from his own retail business will, he thinks, be invaluable.
The change will allow for more autonomy, but as Ken emphasises, it really allows both himself and Steve to concentrate on their strengths. In order to structure the company’s operational management to guarantee the smooth workflows required when a wide range of products is offered to customers, a chain of command has been facilitated which sees the creation of a number of key defined roles including Head of Manufacturing, Supply Chain Manager, HR Manager, Operations Manager and a new position of Head of Technical and Training. The continued development of new products is critical for Whiteline. Steve Milham has a crucial role to play in the development process and believes he will now be able to allocate more of his time to continuing the pipeline of innovation as well as being accessible to customers which he regards as key to Whiteline’s product innovation when considering customers’ needs. This strategy has led perfectly to the recently introduced ColourTEK launch. Whiteline’s major development – ColourTEK enables the fabricator to offer a quick turnaround on coloured windows and doors. The project to create an in-house colouring facility was led by Whiteline’s Training and Technical Manager Leighton Baitup who explains: “The demand for coloured windows and doors has been growing. Our customers expect lead times that give them the confidence to sell coloured products to their retail customers. Our investment in a new spraying facility is primarily about control of the supply chain. There is an amount of product coming through our manufacturing that requires colour. This is both windows and doors.
“We need the flexibility to colour our own doors and windows, and then offer short lead times on our products. This is becoming more and more prevalent as society is demanding products here and now, with 6-week lead times becoming unacceptable. Our new facility allows us to spray PVC-U, aluminium and GRP products in accordance with BS standards and the process has been developed in order to apply for the Exova BM Trada Q-Mark ‘Paint Application Scheme’ certification.” The end result is that Whiteline have been able to half the lead times on coloured products. In addition, the process of chemically bonding the colour with the substrate helps produce a consistent colour and finish that are second to none. Steve Milham believes it will open up new markets for existing products: “Our Revival PVC-U window with authentic timber-window detailing looks fantastic in an assortment of colours. The beauty is, now we can fabricate the window from stock PVC-U profile and then colour in-house, all within a short lead-time. In the past, customers were reluctant to sell coloured windows, as they often felt the homeowner would be put off by longer lead times.”
The latest developments at Whiteline are further evidence of the continual investment strategy that has helped position the company as one of the country’s leading fabricators of high-quality innovative windows and doors. Ken and Steve believe the management changes are slight but significant, as they allow each to concentrate on their areas of expertise, so Ken is very optimistic about the future: “We are up there with industry’s leading fabricators in terms of product, service, technology and efficiencies. The real challenge is maintaining this position. The new management structure is designed to help us with this and develop the business further. If we can continue to help our customers grow we will all be very happy.”
Tel: 01323 723724
E: enquiries@whiteline.co.uk
