New poll indicates increased confidence

The snap-shot poll of more than 200 respondents, found that regardless of material type, manufacturers expected growth to continue throughout this year and into next.

Conducted at the FIT Show in April, it also revealed that 67 per cent of those questioned, planned to invest in new manufacturing equipment.

Joe Hague, Managing Director, Promac Group, which conducted the poll during the industry expo, said that the findings demonstrated a return of confidence to the industry.

He said: “We had a very good FIT Show, as did many others and there was a real sense of optimism for the future. The other thing that we took away was that there has been a huge innovation in machinery and systems.

“The fabricators that we spoke to were switched onto that innovation and a high proportion were planning to invest in their manufacturing capabilities, either to increase existing capacity, or to add new lines to their existing product portfolio.”

The Promac Group also reported a high level of interest in the next generation of the ground-breaking Graf Synergy SL4FF seamless welder which completely eliminates the corner weld.

The SL4FF EVO is the next generation of the product, featuring new flexibility to accommodate increased tolerances in profiles while delivering an enhanced aesthetic.

Hague continued: “If you look at the results, fabricators across the board were looking to invest regardless of whether they were processing aluminium, PVC-U or glass.

“But as a single group, more PVC-U manufacturers planned to invest than any other material type at 72 per cent, something which we attribute to demand for premium foiled PVC-U products.”

The Promac Group supplies PVC-U, aluminium and glass processing machinery from FOM Industries, BDM, Pertici and Forel.