Glass News’ Editor, Chris Champion, attends the Open Day at Truemans Windows, Doors and Conservatories’ new Trade Counter in Sheffield, and looks at how the company has changed over its 20 years in the industry.

It’s interesting how our industry is changing and particularly how companies are adapting to its needs.  Companies are recognising their own strengths and weaknesses and applying good business sense to their strategies, such that how they may have started out some 20 years ago, may bear little resemblance to how they now conduct their business.

A good example of a company that has adapted to market trends is Truemans Windows, Doors and Conservatories.  20 years ago they were a Selecta fabricator and installer operating out of a base in Haslingden, Lancashire, but today they are very different indeed.  Recognising the changes in the industry and the growth of the large fabricators, Joe Trueman stopped fabricating and changed the business model to that of a trade counter business.

“The economics of fabricating has changed over the years and it became clear that you either invested heavily to become a super-fabricator or changed your business model,” commented Managing Director, Joe Trueman.  “And if that applied to us, it also applied to many others, and many who may be too small to demand good prices and account facilities with the systems companies.  Add to that the choice available in the market and the new products that were constantly being developed and there was a case for becoming a supplier of a wide range of products to the installer market….and even some products to those who continued to fabricate windows but now required composite doors, solid roofs, conservatories, and so on. It was from this background that the concept of the Trueman trade counter was born.”

In the five years since Joe Trueman took that decision, his trade counter business has rapidly expanded.  Apart from stopping fabricating, Truemans also stopped installing, too.  “It was a conscious decision and based on the fact that no customer wants to think their supplier is competing against them,” said Joe.

Truemans now supply their ever growing list of customers with a choice of Rehau, Halo and Spectus frames plus, of course, composite doors, conservatory roofs, bi-folds and a timber alternative to the PVCu window.  From being Lancashire based, the company opened trade counters in Doncaster and Sheffield and it would be no surprise to see this empire expand further around the country.

Without the pressures of manufacture the focus is very much on the customer.  Supplying what they need and, because of their buying power, being able to pass attractive trade discounts on to their customers.  It’s clear from looking round the newly expanded Sheffield trade counter – in fact a doubling in size to well over 6,000 sq ft – and talking to the staff, that it is all about the customer and Truemans is happy to take small margins for large turnover so that their customers really benefit from buying from them.

The customer base is largely fabricators and installers but with a growing base of local builders, joiners and DIYers.  Although a fleet of vans can deliver to site or wherever the customer requires, more and more the customer collect from the Trade Counter, themselves.  Joe Trueman: “Although we offer free delivery, it is attractive for the customers to collect as our on-site skip means that they can dispose of frames they have removed, free of charge – not insignificant with the costs of disposal ever growing.”

Looking around the trade counter and the warehouse with the product ready for collection or delivery, the range that Truemans offer is significant.  Composite doors from Door-Stop, Distinction and Solidor, Residence 9 frames and, of course, Rehau, Halo and Spectus.  And what if I’m a builder and the architect has specified a particular product?  “Not a problem,” says Mick, the branch manager at Sheffield, “we’ll do our very best to source it for you.”

It’s clear that this is very much a one-stop shop for the customers coming through the door, and there is a friendly and helpful atmosphere.   We all know people buy from people and there is an obvious rapport between the Truemans’ staff and their customers.  Apart from the wide range of products and the online ordering facilities, there is also the fact that Truemans help their customers with their marketing and have their own Approved Installer Scheme with a very impressive line-up of materials and goods.

All this and technical help when it’s needed, and Truemans seem to have come up with a recipe for their own success and that of their customers.