Posted: 15th July 2022
July 2022 marks the 20th year in business for specialist trade fabricator Mercury Glazing Supplies. Directors and Co-founders Steve Cross and Martin Halford, take a look back at their journey that has made them the go-to fabricator for vertical sliding sash windows and cutting-edge aluminium products.
When we came to market in 2002 as one of the first manufacturers of the Spectus Vertical Sliding window, we set out a clear business focus to deliver a viable alternative to timber sash windows. It’s fair to say the industry has come a long way since those early days, and our vertical slider remains the product most considered and accepted by planners and conservation officers due to its exceptional traditional styling that perfectly replicates its timber counterparts.
What is interesting to note is the shift in demand for the sliding sash window in today’s modern homes, as the windows high-end characteristics mean they are more relevant than ever before. The broader appeal of the sliding sash window across modern properties is encouraging. Consumers and building contractors are now seeking traditional styling combined with modern-day thermal performance and an expansive colour palette. And while we are still seeing sliding sash window demand for heritage hues such as Cream and Chartwell Green, we have witnessed an industry shift for modern-contemporary colours such as Anthracite Grey or Black.
As a business, Mercury has remained steadfast to the quality of our products and continues to meet our customers’ needs across all market sectors. To broaden our appeal and stay ahead of the curve, we expanded the business in 2008 and began manufacturing a range of cutting-edge aluminium products ahead of the market boom.
Once again, it was a shrewd business move and one that allowed us to capitalise on the aluminium upturn across all market sectors. As we celebrate this milestone year, the business has been through a lot in that time, but the past couple of years have easily been the most eventful.
Despite everything, the business has had an incredible two years of growth. Sales of our aluminium products saw a ten-fold increase along with a step-change in demand for our PVC-U vertical sliders. Feature-rich products are here to stay. Since day one, they’ve been our bread-and-butter and we’ve certainly reaped the rewards of the recent market boom.
Whether it’s PVC-U or aluminium we’re experienced in offering specialist product solutions that help deliver the aspirational projects that homeowners demand and commercial and new build markets must deliver. Put simply, it helps to make us a very attractive fabrication partner. We’ve also invested in the future of the business. We recently opened a new dedicated aluminium manufacturing centre at our headquarters in Gloucester. It means we now have dedicated facilities for both our PVC-U and aluminium production.
As part of the expansion, we made a six-figure investment in automated machinery to ensure the quality is second-to-none across the board. We’ve also taken on new senior-level members of staff too and the Mercury family is now 60-strong and growing.
If you want specialist, feature-rich products, we’re the company you need, whether you work in trade, commercial or residential markets. And the depth and breadth of our portfolio is purposely designed to suit all applications. Our Smart Visofold Bifold series of doors has all the design, thermal efficiency and security benefits you would expect from a highly established product. Add in impressive opening apertures and low threshold options and you have a package that’s hard to beat. Our Cortizo Aluminium Bifolding Door has up to seven leaves each way (14 in total), comes in a wealth of options and has all the durability and reliability bifold doors need. It offers an exciting solution for time-sensitive or budget-conscious projects too.
Our Visoglide Plus Aluminium Patio Door offers contemporary styling, robust performance and superior thermal performance. And with the ability to accommodate larger apertures, it delivers on consumer trends for wide glass expanses too.
Our Alitherm 300 Aluminium Window combines modern energy-efficient technology with the elegant and understated style of a traditional casement window.
Our Alitherm Heritage 47 Aluminium Window has been engineered specifically to replace existing steel and Crittall windows without compromising on modern-day performance.
Our aluminium sash windows have been engineered to combine the traditional aesthetics of classic British architecture with modern convenience. Alongside these, we offer aluminium doors and windows for commercial projects as well as aluminium lantern lights and roof lights and Smarts aluminium designer doors. And with new aluminium products due to be launched soon, the Mercury portfolio of specialist products continues to grow.
We also remain one of the UK’s largest fabricators of the PVC-U Spectus Vertical Slider. We offer both welded and mechanical jointed options, delivering the best in Vertical Slider choice.
We’re in the middle of a four-year plan for growth. We are laser-focused on achieving that while continuing to maintain the customer service levels, turnaround times and quality that we’ve built our name on. We are incredibly proud to have reached this milestone year and it’s humbling to see just how far we have come. Twenty years ago, we were a company of three people manufacturing one product – the Spectus PVC-U Vertical Slider. Today, we are a multi-million-pound turnover company of 60 people manufacturing a comprehensive range of specialist feature-rich products in both PVC-U and aluminium. It has been quite a journey but one we couldn’t have done without the support of our customers or our talented team. We’re now looking forward to seeing what the next 20 years bring for Mercury as we continue on our growth trajectory.
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From sash windows to aluminium bifold doors, our high-quality products are engineered and manufactured right here in Britain. We work with fellow UK-operated companies, Spectus Window Systems, Smart Systems, and Jack Aluminium Systems, to deliver only the very best to our trade, commercial and residential customers.
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