Member Article

Weru UK ‘Riding the Coronavirus Storm’

Family run Blackpool-based Weru UK – a distributor for the Weru Group - Germany’s market leader in windows and doors, has put well laid plans into place to ensure that its business as usual for its clients.

Despite the showroom being temporarily closed until recently, the forward thinking business has been working resourcefully to ensure minimum delay for customers who have construction or renovation projects on the go.

Not wanting to let its trade or individual customers down, the team has been conducting remote surveys of projects by connecting with builders or home owners via Skype and Facetime, and putting into play a series of additional checks to ensure measurement accuracy. This process has been working well for Weru UK, to the extent that a number of high value projects throughout the UK are now being fulfilled at the production site in Germany.

One notable example of how well their remote working is in practice, is a 56 window project for a large bespoke residential build in the North East, which was surveyed via Skype by the Weru UK team, and is now on the production line at the Weru Groupsite in Germany.

Graham Lindsay, MD of Weru UKcomments: “The fact that we are operating so effectively would have seemed unimaginable a few weeks ago, however through honing the remote surveying process, we have maintained a steady flow of production orders through to Germany on this basis.

It does mean far more cross checks and in fairness we are prepared to share risk provided the client checks and double checks the detailed size check drawings and data we prepare for them. However, the system is working very well and there are some surprising positives. Most notably,that the Weru Group had already invested very heavily in automated robotic production at its sites in Germany, which has ensured continuity of production even during lock down. 

Moreover, they are able to maintain safe working distancing due to the very low ratio of manpower per m2 within the vast frame production areas and glazing lines.

“Graham continues: “With each window and door item being bespoke, when you have programmed production you will get inevitably exactly what you order. This rule is thorough care and accuracy in the ordering process. With 30+ years of ordering at a 1000 km distance to the build site, we are well prepared for the recent challenges and our live-link communications tothe factory systems ensures no time delays or confusion, once the shipping borders open up. We are therefore in constant contact with the production facility, so our customers are kept fully informed every step of the way.”

Weru UK is based at Amy Johnson Way, Squires Gate, Blackpool and established 33 years ago, serves a UK wide client base, from its national support centre, and showroom at the impressive 8000sq ft site, The family business was established in 1985 and Graham Lindsay still heads up the operation along with his daughter Kate, and their professional team that have amassed significant experience in making continental windows reach their true potential within UK homes and commercial buildings.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Melissa Chawner .