Producing windows and doors fit for the UK’s harshest environments is all in a day’s work for Inverness-based Cairngorm Group, whose focus on using only high-quality components throughout its manufacturing, assembly and installation is paying dividends as it keeps its long-term growth plans on track.
The company serves retail, trade and commercial customers across the north of Scotland from its 2500 sq. m HQ and main manufacturing plant in Inverness, plus additional sites in Thurso and Elgin. In addition to its PVCu window and door operation, the group includes two glass processing businesses – Inverness Glass and Grampian Glass – as well as divisions providing kitchens and solar panels.
Cairngorm uses Rapierstar fasteners throughout the manufacture and assembly of its PVCu windows, which it produces using the Veka M70 and Halo profiles. According to the company’s operations manager Robbie Benson, this is an obvious fit given that many installations are in areas of Scotland which are subjected to the most aggressive weather conditions.
Robbie says: “Properties in Scotland’s most northerly locations are subjected to more than double the average annual rainfall you’d expect in London, with more than 44 days per annum of air frost versus just 28.6 days in the capital. Choosing inferior quality hardware and fasteners, therefore, will seriously compromise the long-term performance and quality of our installed windows and doors and that’s a risk we absolutely won’t take.
“We’ve been producing and installing PVCu windows, doors and conservatories since 1988 and always given careful consideration to all the products we use. That’s why we partner with Rapierstar who ensure we have a reliable supply of the correct fasteners to maintain high quality and productivity, backed with any technical assistance as and when we need it. This is important to our continued success in delivering windows and doors that are built to last as we promise.”
Finished products from the Cairngorm Group all benefit from the superior corrosion resistance offered by Rapierstar fasteners, including its widely used carbon steel range, with performance assured through rigorous testing. And for enhanced performance in particularly aggressive environments, Rapierstar also offers a comprehensive range of stainless steel fasteners which are ideal for windows and doors provided with extended guarantees and complete end-user peace of mind.
The Cairngorm Group has recently increased its PVCu products output in response to higher demand as the home improvement boom continues, with an average of 500 units now produced every week to customers as far afield as the Shetland Islands and even an ongoing project in The Falkland Islands. This has also resulted in the creation of new jobs, with the company recruiting five new fabricators since Easter to bolster the team to around 100.
Robbie adds, “Like every window and door manufacturer, we are facing the ongoing supply chain challenges across the building sector plus unprecedented demand, but we also have a further issue in respect of recruitment. In our northerly location, far away from Scotland’s main population centres, finding good, skilled people to join is never easy, which is why we are so pleased to have attracted our recent new starters who give us that vital additional production capacity.”
Rapierstar technical consultant, Paul McAuley, works closely with the Cairngorm Group, advising on fastener use and application as well as maintaining supply consistency.
Paul says, “The Cairngorm Group’s forward-thinking approach to product specification and manufacturing is important in giving a competitive edge in terms of the finished quality of its windows and doors. Its longevity in the market demonstrates this extremely well and we are delighted to be helping them as their supply partner for fasteners.”
