Two HGVs and a new machining centre to celebrate 50th anniversary

The traditional gift for a 50th anniversary is usually gold, but Halo fabricator John Fredericks Plastics (JFPL) has broken the mould, treating itself to two HGVs and a new machining centre for the half-century celebration. 2020 marks 50 years of business for the Huddersfield PVC-U door, window and conservatory manufacturer and a lot has changed since 1970 when the company was founded. Just last year, Mark Dicconson resumed his position as MD and JFPL returned to exclusive supply of Halo PVC-U systems, which saw the company’s existing customer base expand significantly.

MD Mark Dicconson says: “For a business to celebrate its 50th birthday is always a special occasion, and to be back here with the team for the event is a proud moment for me. I spent more than 13 years with JFPL starting in the early 1990s, and after a stint out of the industry, I returned in 2019 as MD. At the time I commented that I felt JFPL needed to focus more on its core products and hoped to return the brand back to its ‘former glory’. I’ve been back at JFPL for a little more than 12 months now, and since then the steps we’ve taken to try and achieve this have all combined to mean that as we enter our 50th year, we have seen the need to increase the rate of production and add extra vehicles to the fleet to support our ever-growing customer base.

“By Autumn 2019, the relaunch of JFPL’s ‘Ultimate Collection’ (our industry-leading system featuring installers’ own branding), the return to 100% Halo, and the subsequent investment in signage and vehicle livery, to name a few changes, had already resulted in 30 customers coming back to JFPL, a fantastic achievement in itself. Since then, to support an ever-growing customer base we have added two new vehicles to our fleet of 11 HGVs and 12 trailers and invested in an innovative Schirmer machine/cutting centre. These are both ‘gifts’ to ourselves but also to our loyal customers, who we believe deserve nothing but the best when it comes to product quality, service and support. We like to think, in our 50th year, we have the golden touch when it comes to all three.”

Veka UK Sales Director Neil Evans said: “Huge congratulations to Mark and the team on their 50th anniversary this year. The fact that JFPL has stood the test of time in such a competitive market is testament to their hard work and commitment to continuous business improvement. Halo and JFPL have enjoyed a close relationship over the years, and we look forward to this partnership continuing to go from strength to strength throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond.”