Mackenzie Glass’ investment programme has topped more than half a million pounds in less than a year including new laminate cutting capability, IT, fleet and processing equipment, plus the creation of new apprenticeship roles.
Global giant, NSG, sold its Pilkington Bristol business to Mackenzie Glass at the end of last year. Supplying more than one million square metres of flat glass a year with a turnover in excess of £5m, the deal saw assets and employees transferred with Mackenzie Glass also assuming new status as the first Pilkington Regional Partner.
Now fast approaching a year in, Mackenzie has completed a major investment programme, including significant spend on a new Boterro laminate cutting table, fire saw, CNC, specialist lorries as well as, major investment in new IT infrastructure and recruitment.
This has included the recruitment of eight new ‘colleagues’, bringing the Mackenzie team to 50. This includes two new glass cutters, new finance and customer service team members, plus apprentices, with an ambition to expand its programme so that 10% of employees are apprentice recruits.
Mark Herbert, Joint Managing Director, Mackenzie Glass said: “It’s been a very exciting 10 or so months for us and I think we can look back as a team with a certain amount of pride in what has been achieved.
“The investment we have made in our IT infrastructure, machinery, vehicles and most importantly, our people, has been about putting in place the foundations for growth.
“With the refinement of our product range, we’re now in the right place to offer our customers access to a very flexible and competitive product offer and underpin that with very good and continuously improving levels of customer service.”
The new Mackenzie Bristol site supplies more than 300 tonnes of glass each month, the lion’s share of which is supplied for IGU manufacture, with Pilkington KS (soft coat) a key staple.
It’s value added products and technologies, however, where Mackenzie Glass has placed greatest focus since its takeover.
This includes decorative ranges and the acid etched Oriel range; mirror options including OptiMirror; fire and impact rated Pilkington Pyrostop and Pyrodur, which carry Class 1 BS EN 12600 ratings and Pilkington Optiview.
This features a special anti-reflective pyrolytic coating, which reduces reflection on glass while allowing more visible light to pass through. Suitable for monolithic or laminated application, this makes it ideally suited for retail installation.
Mackenzie are also distributors of restoration glass, gold, pink and antique mirror glass, ceramic heat resistant and satin from 4mm to 15mm.
Investment in its new Bottero 515LAMe laminated glass cutting table. Delivered in July with an accompanying loading table, gives Mackenzie Glass the capacity to handle 4.5m X 3.2m laminated sheets. With 90 second heat-up times, compared to the 8-minute heat-up of its pre-existing table, it also gives Mackenzie Glass far greater flexibility in the supply of cut-to-size laminates.
“We’ve reviewed every aspect of our product and service offer and will continue to do so, so that we are continually improving our service to our customers”, said Mark.
“We’re looking to those products where we see an opportunity to add value and for our customers to add margin, align our offer to some very significant changes in the market. Investment in machinery gives us and them further flexibility.
“We have more work to do to get to where we want to be but we’re now some way along the road and the and colleagues have a huge amount to be proud of.”
For more information email info@mackenzieglass.co.uk or log on at www.mackenzieglass.co.uk.
