Making the case for professionalism

Owner and Managing Director of Glass Express Midlands, Arun Photay , explains why maintaining high standards is vital to the success of the industry.

When I bought Glass Express Midlands from the highly respected Bill Singh in 2022, the quality of the products the company produced was never in doubt. Bill had a policy of investing in machinery, people and infrastructure to ensure the products that leave our site in Oldbury, in the West Midlands, are of the highest quality.

I will continue this tradition. When glass units play a vital role in the windows they form part of – whether that’s on a domestic refurbishment around the corner in Oldbury, or on a flagship commercial development in Edinburgh – they must be perfect.

So, we have new machinery on order, including technology that will help us meet the demands of the most ambitious architects and specifiers in the country, such as the delivery of oversize units, and unique colours and finishes.

We also have a highly experienced technical team on hand to provide all the support required to ensure the right products are specified for the right projects, and that they are installed correctly. According to some of our biggest commercial clients, not every supplier can offer this level of service, which surprises me. One of our biggest strengths is that we provide a consulting service, which means we can offer valuable solutions that our customers may not have known existed.

As such, we are product partners. We don’t just supply products – we are part of the project and part of the team.

Professional priority

But these are essentials. Investment in products, infrastructure and technical support should be expected of any leading glass product supplier.

Underpinning this should be a commitment to professionalism, including the membership of a trade association like the GGF.

When I joined the glass industry, I was shocked at how little knowledge there was of just what glass could achieve. I’m not blaming the government. Nor am I blaming the industry, but there was clearly a communication breakdown between the two parties. As a result, I made it a priority to join the GGF so that I could help the industry have its voice heard in the places that matter.

A conversation with Thermoseal Group’s Sales Director Mark Hickox quickly led to us arranging a trip to Number 10 Downing Street for members of the GGF. It was a very successful day, where government had access to experts, and the GGF got their message to the people who mattered.

This is only the beginning, but we are making progress, and we are making inroads into the processes that affect the way we work in our industry. Expect to see more developments as we develop stronger ties with government ministers.

I also believe that being a professional business should affect the way you operate on a day-to-day basis.

For example, as a large employer, I have a duty to provide the best working conditions for my employees. They’ve all been given a Glass Express Midlands uniform, and I have extended their range of benefits to include perks such as private healthcare.

This isn’t a gimmick. The people who work at Glass Express Midlands – whether on the shop floor or in the office – bring years of valuable experience to the business and our product offering. I value that, and I know we would lose out if that experience were to leave the business.

Finally, we are proud of our ‘made in Britain’ status, and that we have a low carbon footprint. We insist on buying locally sourced material, whether that’s glass from UK float lines, or components from UK manufacturers.

The determination for many glass processing companies to always buy as cheap components undermines the professional image that the rest of us are trying to build. They may bring short-term gain, but what happens when that cheap source of glass dries up? You either have to pay through the nose for alternatives, or struggle with longer lead times – both of which can damage your reputation.

‘Professionalism’ isn’t a nice to have. It should be a business priority. At Glass Express Midlands, it underpins our industry offering – to both commercial and trade customers – and it helps us improve the reputation of the industry.

For more information, please visit glassexpressmidlands.co.uk, or call 0121 552 7616.

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