New initiatives and
activities are happening all the time
at Palgrave Brown and we are
often featured in the trade media. To
keep you up-to-date with what's going
on we've featured our latest press releases
here. Simply click on the heading to
go to the text.
18/05/2005 - PALGRAVE BROWN
LAUNCHES FIRST MDF FIRE CHECK
DOOR CASINGS
Palgrave Brown, the UK’s leading
timber engineering specialist,
has launched the industry’s
first range of MDF fire check
door casings. Awarded with official
fire check certification, Silktrim’s
two-part MDF fire check door
casings also feature an innovative
design that results in a completely
clean finish.
Medium Density Fibreboard was
previously considered unsuitable
for use with fire doors, but
Silktrim’s advanced two-part
MDF fire check door casings
have been thoroughly tested
to the highest standards.
“We tested the new casings using
fire doors from three main door
manufacturers and were awarded
official fire check certification,”
says Peter Coombes, key account
manager for Palgrave Brown.
“Plus, the two part system uses
an innovative double groove
specification, which makes it
possible to glue rather than
screw or nail the joins. This
means that when the casings
are painted there is no visible
sign of fixings.”
Silktrim’s consistent high quality
means there’s also no need for
sanding or undercoating and
with care, the mouldings will
only need one topcoat of paint.
The elimination of defects such
as knots and warping also ensures
that Silktrim mouldings never
end up in the ‘reject’ pile.
Distributed from Brinscall nationally,
Silktrim MDF mouldings are spiral
wrapped, offering protection
during transit and on site.
For more information on Silkrim’s
two-part MDF fire check door
casings please call 01283 829800
or visit www.palgravebrown.co.uk
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
13/05/2005 - PALGRAVE BROWN'S
NEW STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS
Taylor Woodrow’s annual Supplier
Awards for 2006 announced the
UK’s leading £62 million timber
engineering company, Palgrave
Brown, as Overall Winner and
Best Performer in the Supplier/Merchant
category.
Taylor Woodrow first introduced the awards in 2004. They were originally
designed to reward and recognise
those suppliers who most enhance
Taylor Woodrow’s reputation
and overall business performance
through greater value, simplicity
and reliability.
Andy Warren, key accounts manager
for Palgrave Brown (UK) Limited,
said, “We are delighted to have
been honoured with both Best
Supplier and Overall Winner
by Taylor Woodrow. With
19 sites, Palgrave Brown supplies
its entire product range nationwide
to Taylor Woodrow, which has
very rigorous, objective and
consistent performance indicators.
It is therefore an excellent
endorsement of our complete
‘on time, every time’ reputation
to be recognised in this way.”
Palgrave Brown was approached by Taylor Woodrow and asked to submit a written
application demonstrating how
its services and supply meet
the criteria required by Taylor
Woodrow. Andy Warren continued,
“Each aspect of the business
across the complete range of
timber was examined, from pricing,
lead times and distribution
patterns to innovation and quality.
It was an in-depth analysis
into the way we handle customer
orders. We had to show
exactly how we fitted into each
category and provide evidence
to support our claims.
The whole process was an excellent
way to really examine our procedures
and find better and more efficient
service to both Taylor Woodrow
and all of our other customers.”
Palgrave Brown was also congratulated
on its continuous improvement
and was particularly recognised
for the EcoHomes facility on
its website, which allows customers
to easily assess how they could
obtain EcoHomes credits through
the use of timber. Also
highlighted was its policy of
PEFC and FSC certification on
a number of its products.
For further information on Palgrave
Brown visit www.palgravebrown.co.uk.
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
12/05/2005 - PALGRAVE BROWN
WINS MAJOR INDUSTRY AWARD
Palgrave Brown the £65m engineered
timber specialist has won a
regional award in the McCarthy
& Stone Supplier of the Year
Awards 2004, one of the most
recognised award schemes in
the construction industry.
As a regional winner Palgrave
Brown will be nominated for
the McCarthy & Stone National
Awards to be held on the 24th
May 2005.
The Company’s Avonmouth branch
scooped the award after supplying
McCarthy & Stone with specially
designed roof trusses for seven
of its sites in the Western
region.
Commenting on the award, Ed
Wilkes, Avonmouth branch manager
says: “The relationship we have
with McCarthy & Stone is incredibly
important to us and recognition
in this manner is a fantastic
reward. On many occasions we
‘go the extra mile’ including
the personal attendance of the
contracts manager on site and
fast track manufacturing to
fulfil very short lead times.”
Avonmouth is one of Palgrave
Brown’s 17 sites, which together
supply a large range of timber
engineered products including;
roof trusses, staircases, MDF
mouldings, I-beams, Posi-Joists,
windows and doors to housebuilders
and specifiers nationwide.
Downloadable brochures on Palgrave
Brown’s wide range of products
are available by visiting www.palgravebrown.co.uk
or call 01254 833500 for more
information.
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
05/04/2005 - PALGRAVE BROWN
PLAYS ROLE IN NEW HOLLYWOOD
BLOCKBUSTER
Hollywood’s Matthew McConaughey
and Penelope Cruz may be the
stars of Sahara, the new blockbuster
that hits the big screen on
April 8, but £62m engineered
timber specialist Palgrave Brown
also had an important role to
play in the film’s production.
When the company was approached
to supply 80 extra long I beams
to build a helicopter landing
pad and solar burn tower to
be used in some of the film’s
action packed stunt scenes,
the team at Palgrave Brown rose
to the challenge.
James Chanceong, director of
John Mansfield Timber Supplies,
which is based at Pinewood and
Shepperton Studios, says: “Our
client wanted a cantilever system
and they needed a platform with
the strength to support a ten
foot overhang, giving the impression
that it was free standing. For
this, we went to Palgrave Brown
who I knew could supply the
products and meet the tight
deadlines that are so often
required by film studios.”
The extra long joists supplied
for Sahara are more commonly
used for the TJI Silent Floor
System, designed and supplied
by Palgrave Brown. The joists
are ‘non-residential’ series,
and have a depth of 406mm as
opposed to the ‘residential’
joists that have a general depth
of 241mm or 302mm.
Alan Mirams, design office
manager for Palgrave Brown explains,
“The residential TJI joists
are usually used to give a stronger,
more cost effective alternative
to a Traditional Timber floor
or roofing system. TJI joists
are considerably stronger than
traditional sawn carcassing
of a similar depth. They are
also extremely lightweight,
giving our customers an easy
to install, lightweight flooring
system, with fewer components
and guaranteed performance.”
Available in lengths of up to
15m, the Silent Floor System
allows rapid installation on
site, helping to minimise labour
costs and the potential for
injury.
Filming for ‘Sahara’, produced
by Sahara productions, commenced
in February 2004 in Morocco
and Shepperton Studios and was
released across UK cinemas on
8 April 2005.
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
02/04/2005 - COMMENTARY ON TRUSSED
RAFTER INDUSTRY FROM MIKE FLEMING,
SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR
How is the industry performing?
The trussed rafter industry
is now considered ‘mature’ in
its supply of most timber roofs
built today. The ongoing developments
of the software supplied by
system providers and the new
plant and machinery available
has enabled trussed rafters
to remain the first choice for
flexibility in design and manufacture.
The ability to order different
plots, sometimes individually,
whilst keeping pace with the
ever-restrictive planning requirements
bestowed on most developers
ensure that the future remains
bright for most Trussed Rafter
Manufacturers.
What new advancements are
being made?
Well, there’s no room for complacency
and key issues still remain,
presenting the industry with
opportunities as well as threats.
With the demand for increased
square feet per dwelling footprint,
we are seeing some interesting
alternatives to the conventional
Trussed Rafter Attic design.
Combining I Joists or open web
joists with trusses allows for
far larger spans and increases
in attic room widths to be considered.
The use of electronic trading
is also increasing and our customers
are more frequently looking
to download house drawings directly
into our software so we can
apply the truss designs and
return completed solutions to
suppliers and sub contractors.
Also, an E commerce initiative
has seen a number of major house-builders
link with suppliers using a
common ‘open standard’ for the
exchange of orders and invoices.
The builders have adopted the
BASDA eBIS-XML open standard
and adapted it to meet the specialist
requirements of the construction
industry. See www.ebis-xml.net
The first pilot stage has seen
the successful exchange of orders
and invoices. The next step
is for the fabricators to take
electronic orders directly allowing
for a more efficient process.
Are there any major industry
issues that need to be addressed?
One major concern that persists
in the industry is the availability
of trained designers and the
realisation that in house training
can provide the best results
and increase loyalty amongst
the workforce. At Palgrave Brown
we recognise the importance
of good designers who go that
bit further for the customer
and provide the best economic
solution. We run our own multi
level courses following extensive
competency evaluations of both
our technical trainees and existing
senior designers.
What’s in store for the future?
Customer consolidation is causing
companies to rethink their selling
strategies. Wilson Connolly
being bought by Taylor Woodrow,
Beazer and Charles Church by
Persimmon PLC and McAlpine Homes
and Laing Homes by Wimpey Group
are just some examples.
New procurement teams have not
allowed trusses to escape their
product portfolios whereas,
in the past, trusses were always
regarded as being too complicated
to include in their National
deals. Many smaller company
takeovers and mergers continue
with rumours of further larger
ones forecast this year. As
a result regional price variations,
as supplied by several manufacturers,
will disappear and be replaced
by a more competitive one or
even two year fixed deal.
From an industry perspective
this is a new issue because
the bespoke nature of truss
manufacture does not always
lend itself to mass production
methods and the associated cost
reductions.
Also, everyone is time poor
these days, with all of us under
pressure to perform to increasingly
demanding standards. Therefore,
we\re all looking for solutions,
and those companies who can
offer not only product but strong
customer service back up will
be the ones who win.
It’s not just down to price
these days as specifiers are
looking at the holistic cost
– it’s why our service of offering
a total floor to roof solution
is proving so popular. In a
practical sense ensuring all
the designs are kept under one
roof and all fit together means
that there’s less time spent
liasing between suppliers of
different products, and of course
the risk of down time on site
during build when systems don’t
quite match is kept to a minimum
– as it’s all been designed
in together.
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
02/04/2005 - PALGRAVE BROWN
DELIVERS A SECURE SOLUTION
Security was of paramount importance
when Palgrave Brown designed
and manufactured specialist
roof trusses for a new, 80 bed,
medium secure mental health
hospital in Blackberry Hill,
Bristol.
The development, managed by
Rydon Construction, part of
the South East based Rydon Group,
instructed Palgrave Brown to
design and manufacture the truss
rafters for the hospital’s 8000
m2 roof.
Ed Wilkes, branch manager for
Palgrave Brown’s Avonmouth branch
said: “The hospital had a particularly
complex roof design due to the
building layout, which featured
a number of wards all joining
a central corridor and therapy
block. We also had to design
the trusses to meet very specific
security requirements because
of the nature of the hospital.
Our design team took everything
into consideration and produced
trusses with spans of up to
13m and a pitch of 22 degrees.
The design incorporated four
plant rooms, all associated
services, continuous clear maintenance
walkways and access points.”
Throughout the development,
Rydon Construction used traditional
building techniques to produce
a robustly built facility, which
incorporated landscaped gardens
separately enclosed by dividing
fences and a secure perimeter.
Eddy Tipping, senior project
manager for Rydon Construction
said: “Security was a key issue
throughout this development
and Palgrave Brown delivered
a truss design that fully took
this into consideration. It
was by no means an easy task
but it delivered a professional
and specialist service throughout
this development.”
Palgrave Brown, the £65 million
engineered timber specialist,
has been awarded Pan European
Forest Chain of Custody certification
(PEFC) across all branches for
its range of roof trusses and
Posi-Joists, making it even
easier for developers to gain
additional EcoHomes credits.
For more information on Palgrave
Brown please visit: www.palgravebrown.co.uk
or call 01254 833500. For more
information on Rydon Construction
please call 01672 841034.
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
16/03/2005 - PEFC CERTIFICATION
AWARDED TO PALGRAVE BROWN
Palgrave Brown, the £65 million
engineered timber specialist,
has been awarded Pan European
Forest Chain of Custody certification
(PEFC) across all branches for
its range of roof trusses and
Posi-Joists, making it even
easier for developers to gain
additional EcoHomes credits.
The PEFC certification assures
customers that Palgrave Brown's
roof trusses and Posi-Joists
originate from sustainably managed
forests and as such enables
specfiers of these products
to increase EcoHomes ratings.
"We already hold FSC certification
for our range of Silktrim MDF
mouldings," said Andy Warren,
key accounts manager for Palgrave
Brown. "The addition of PEFC
certification strengthens our
strong environmental credentials
and demonstrates that we recognise
our responsibility to the environment
and it means we can also help
our customers improve EcoHomes
ratings."
The PEFC Council was officially
founded in 1999 to provide a
means of assuring customers
of woodland owners, that the
products they buy come from
sustainably managed forests.
In accordance with the PEFC
regulations, Palgrave Brown's
roof trusses and Posi-Joists
will be identifiable through
the licensed use of the PEFC
logo, label and certification
number. The PEFC accounts for
over 57 million hectares of
certified forests producing
millions of tonnes of certified
timber to the market place,
making PEFC the world's largest
certification scheme.
For more information on Palgrave
Brown's roof trusses and Posi-Joists,
please call 01254 833500 or
for more information on PEFC
please visit:
www.pefc.org
For MORE information contact
Rebecca Wyatt or Susannah Wright,
Omnia PR The Saxon Centre,
Christchurch,
Dorset BH23 1PZ
Tel: 012025-490011
Fax: 01202 499687
Email:Becky@omnia-pr.com
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