Friday, April 7, 2017

News: Revived Yorkshire Windows to focus on retail market

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Rotherham-based manufacturer and installer, Yorkshire Windows, is back in business having ceased trading at the start of the year.

The firm, which had a turnover of £9.5m, said that it had been hit by late payments in the commercial sector and that all 84 employees had been served notice of redundancy.


Now commercial director Ian Chester, who has worked at the company for over 15 years, has set up a new company, IRC (Windows and Doors) Limited, taken on the Yorkshire Windows name, moved premises from Hellaby to Templeborough, and is returning the focus of the business back to the retail sector.

Sheffield insolvency practice Graywoods, was brought in to liquidate the YWC Group which, as well as providing the domestic sector, moved into the commercial sector to supply house builders and local authorities. It enjoyed strong sales in Sheffield and Rotherham thanks to the Government's Decent Homes revamp scheme. Its products were fitted in 20,000 homes in Sheffield and 50% of Rotherham council houses.

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The specialist in uPVC doors and windows, composite doors, bi-fold doors, conservatories, orangeries, garage doors and roofline products is moving away from the commercial sector and is opening a showroom at Dronfield's Ferndale Garden Centre. It has showrooms in Wickersley and Sheffield and is also looking to develop similar sites serving West and North Yorkshire.

Ian Chester, director of Yorkshire Windows, said: "We are moving away from the commercial market to fully concentrate on the retail side of the business, returning to a model that proved such a great success for Yorkshire Windows over many years.

"We are now working with high end specialist suppliers on creating a brand which has all the assurance of quality that Yorkshire Windows has enjoyed for so long and we are all excited as we prepare to launch some excellent new products.

"As we focus entirely on strengthening our position in the retail market, we were looking for new ways to raise awareness of  the Yorkshire Windows brand with the public."

Insolvency documents show that the YWC Group left some £2.3m of debts with around £1.5m of unsecured claims from trade and expense creditors.

A decision to invest over £2m in a new production line at its Hellaby factory coincided with the economic downturn and the company was hit by significantly reduced margins.

Turnover at YWC Group and subsidiaries had halved from £22m a few years earlier to £11m in 2014. The loss of sales volume, managing change and charges associated with new finance arrangements led to losses of £700,000 for 2014.

For the year ending 2015, YWC Group's turnover had reduced to £9.5m with profits posted of £65,000 as the company covered its overheads by being more selective about contracts for the supply of manufactured products and installation.

Yorkshire Windows website

Images: Yorkshire Windows


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