Customade makes aluminium easy with launch of ‘REAL Aluminium’

Customade is helping its network of installers to tap into the enormous potential of aluminium with an outstanding new offering that makes pricing, quoting and promoting aluminium easier than ever before and slashes aluminium lead times to just two weeks. A step change for the industry, ‘REAL Aluminium’ delivers everything the installer needs to promote and sell the most extensive range aluminium windows, doors and lantern roofs available from a single supplier. The move will help installers to make the most of the universal popularity of aluminium and take advantage of the greater profit margins it brings. Customade has also developed a comprehensive and personalised marketing support package for installers, which includes the UK’s first retail brochure dedicated to the full range of aluminium products.

Gareth Thomas, Sales and Marketing Director at Customade Group, explains: “Aluminium is predicted to grow by around 40% in the domestic market and is fast becoming the material of choice for desirable home improvement products like bi-folds and lanterns. Despite the boom in aluminium, installers are constantly plagued with unreliable service levels, long lead times and complicated pricing models, which lag way behind PVC-U. That’s why we set about creating a solution to help PVC-U installers to successfully enter the world of aluminium with complete confidence and enhance their profits.

“We’re really excited to launch a real industry first for aluminium, which is designed to eliminate every installer frustration and make sourcing aluminium as easy as buying PVC-U. The concept of REAL Aluminium is to simplify everything – quoting and pricing aluminium is easier than ever before and there’s an impressive range of products to choose from. The profiles and components are held in stock in four colours – white, grey (7016), black (9005) and dual grey on white – at Customade, so lead times are much faster than average at just two weeks for products within the REAL range. And every product is available from one single source, which makes life so much easier for those installers that have been juggling multiple suppliers.”

Customade has made a string of strategic investments to make REAL Aluminium the most comprehensive range available. A purpose built 34,000 ft2 factory in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, exclusively manufactures the range of aluminium windows, bi-folding doors, sliding doors, French doors, residential doors, composite doors and lantern roofs. To meet shorter manufacturing lead times, the factory holds more than 100 miles of aluminium extrusions in white, grey black and dual grey/white. As well as increasing production speed and capacity, the new factory has safeguarded Customade Group’s OTIF (on time in full) record of 99%.

In addition to strengthening its manufacturing capabilities and stock levels, Customade has invested in sophisticated pricing and quoting software and marketing materials to help installers to attract new customers and win business. Bespoke window surveying and pricing software allows installers to access prices and create quotes instantly. Customade also provides a 24-hour turnaround on quotes and supplies a price book with all windows priced individually if installers prefer to price windows themselves. REAL Aluminium customers also have exclusive access to dedicated aluminium marketing and showroom support, which includes overprinted brochures, showroom marketing and a dedicated 36-page retail brochure – the only brochure of its kind to cover every aspect of an aluminium installation. Please call 01453 826884 or visit www.real-aluminium.co.uk.