Mumford & Wood Takes a Window of Opportunity
These are clearly challenging times for businesses of any size and any discipline and for some there is only a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. For others there is reason for greater enthusiasm for a job well done and for Mumford & Wood, the Tiptree in Essex-based specialist timber window manufacturer, there is cause for some celebration.
The Company, a family run business of almost 55 years until a company buy out by The Performance Window Group just two years ago in October ’06, has witnessed unprecedented growth. This amounts to a 75% increase in turnover and confidence in reaching the ambitious £11m target set for 2008.
“Our success is built on a strong brand which offers top quality timber products that combine modern performance with traditional and contemporary styles,” says Chris Wood, Managing Director and son of one of the founders of Mumford & Wood.
To the detriment of other materials, the timber window market is growing at a phenomenal rate. This truly sustainable material is valued by architects, construction professionals and end users alike who are well educated in the environmental concerns of materials such as plastic. Added to the admirable aesthetics of this natural material, timber has the ability to enhance the built environment – a gift to be enjoyed for generations – providing immediate influence on the kerbside appeal and value of new and existing properties.
Mumford & Wood, who make bespoke timber windows and doors for period Victorian terraces, to listed mansions and cutting edge contemporary pads, believe there is still much to achieve and complacency is not on the agenda.
“It is apparent that a great number of the general public are simply not aware that quality modern timber windows are fully factory finished to very high standards, are fully weather-stripped, and offer ever increasing security and protection from noise,” says Chris Wood, “but what is most surprising to some is that these high performance products are double glazed and come with low maintenance paint systems.”
The Company is committed to a further investment of £500k in the next few months. It places great value on its skilled and loyal workforce, now in excess of 100 and rising. Additional office and production space is currently under negotiation adjacent to their state-of-the-art manufacturing and sales facility in Tiptree, and there is a further substantial timber processing unit in neighbouring Maldon.
During this period of growth Mumford & Wood has achieved many enviable recognitions through its membership of the British Woodworking Federation and its independent approvals processes. The products can now boast impressive energy ratings for casement and sash window styles, and carry the cosseted BSI Kitemark of excellence. Energy Saving Trust Approved and now with the most recent Secured by Design accreditation (for flush casements and entrance doors) these are badges of comfort, security and environmental conscience. Mumford & Wood is a founder member of the Wood Window Alliance, Chris Wood being an executive committee member.
An installation and fitting service - carried out by Mumford & Wood’s own surveyors and installed from a register of approved professionals -commences with full site survey and processing of all building approvals, and is now offered by Mumford & Wood Installation Ltd., a facility clearly valued in the replacement market. It too has seen a massive growth in turnover in just a year of its introduction. The Company has also had a number of successful export activities including projects in Gibraltar and Bermuda.
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