Business leader offers advice on surviving in a dowturn

Business Link is hosting the event, called Survive and Thrive in Rotherham this month with Ian Davy MD at Rotherham-based glazing specialist Solaglas Windowcare. The free event takes place at the Holiday Inn, Rotherham on April 22 (6.30-8.30pm).

Ian Davy will give a genuine and down-to-earth account of how he built up his company from scratch. The Hellaby-based company was sold in 2002 to French giant Saint-Gobain and when the new company was formed, he was asked to remain as MD. Since then, Solaglas Windowcare’s turnover has grown, doubling to £27m in the past four years. Since 2005, turnover has increased by almost 30%.

The business provides repair, replacement and refurbishment for the country’s largest insurers and intermediaries and increasingly is serving retailers, public sector agencies, facility management companies and hotels.

Mr Davy will talk about the challenges the company has faced over the last year and how they have managed to overcome them.

The event also features a presentation from Sharan Gohel, QED, about talent management and managing change in the current economic climate.

There will also be the opportunity to network with delegates, speakers as well as experienced business advisers who will be on hand to explain the free business support services available through Business Link Yorkshire.

For more information, visit the events section of www.businesslink.gov.uk/yorkshire.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Images of MD Ian Davy are available from Nigel Charlesworth 07964 900 861.

Ian is available for interview by arrangement with Nigel at The Smart Agency.

Solaglas, a company of Saint-Gobain, acquired Windowcare UK in 2002. Solaglas Windowcare is the industry leader in the repair and replacement of windows and doors on behalf of insurance companies, making major savings compared to equivalent replacement costs. Solaglas Windowcare employs 400 staff and has a full manufacturing facility including double-glazed units, timber, aluminium and uPVC frames.

Solaglas Windowcare operates in sectors:

* Insurance Services

Nationwide 24 hour emergency repair and replacement service for glazing, windows, doors, garage doors, conservatories and locks. Clients include many of the UK’s leading insurance companies.

* Commercial Glazing

A highly experienced team provides advice, designs and quotations for planned projects, from conception to completion, as well as providing a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, emergency service, for cases involving break in, vandalism, ram raid or accidental damage. The Commercial Glazing sector provides a nationwide service and currently operates out of the head office in Rotherham and branch offices in Preston, Dartford and Portsmouth.

* Maintenance Services

Solaglas Windowcare’s Maintenance Services sector provides a market-leading planned and reactive maintenance service for doors, windows and conservatories, with an emphasis on repair rather than replacement.

* Call Management

Solaglas Windowcare provides a tailored out-of-hours call management facility for a range of brokers, claims service companies and loss adjusters.

About Saint-Gobain Glass

Saint-Gobain Glass is part of Saint-Gobain Group – one of the world’s top 100 industrial companies and a leader in the design, production and distribution of materials for the construction industry. With a commitment to innovation, Saint-Gobain Group invests more than £257 million a year in research and development.