The Crittall Group’s acquisition in midApril of Fendor, the north-east-based manufacturer of windows, doors, façades, and atria for acute and mental healthcare, custodial, and petrochemical applications, will bring significant benefits in broadening the markets for both companies’ products – geographically and sectorally, Stuart Judge, managing director of both the Crittall Group, and the resulting new windows and doors business, Crittall Fendor, has told HEJ.
When Fendor went into administration in early April, the Crittall Group saw the chance to buy its trade and assets as ‘a really sound acquisition opportunity’, Stuart Judge explained. He said: “The two businesses’ product portfolios complement each other well. While the established Crittall Windows business has a strong foothold in glazing for high-end residential, commercial, factory, education, and hotel installations, Fendor has traditionally specialised in manufacturing windows, doors, and associated products, for mental healthcare, custodial, and fire and-blastresistant applications. It has also recently developed a range of blast-resistant windows for petrochemical sector applications.
“The acquisition fits extremely well strategically for us. While we formerly had a presence in the custodial and mental healthcare sectors, it was largely Fendor’s development of products for these markets that edged us out of them a little sooner than we would have liked. Fendor is a fantastic brand; it serves some really interesting markets, and its security windows are market-leading.”
Fendor employs around 65 staff at its Washington, Tyne and Wear facility, around 40 of whom work in production. There are no plans for significant staff changes. Stuart Judge said: “Overall management of Crittall Fendor will be undertaken by myself and Crittall’s financial director, Graham Eyles, in conjunction with former Fendor commercial director, Jason Davidson, who becomes sales director, contracts director, Andy Vinton, and financial manager, Judy McCartney. We were delighted to be able to secure the future of the business and its workforce, and will be looking to invest in additional production equipment, and potentially also extra staff.
“The workforce – which is highly focused on products, service delivery, and relationships with the market – was a major part of our investment decision, while the 60,000 ft2 Washington factory has excellent transport links, and will allow us to invest further in technology, design, and R&D. Adding Fendor’s product portfolio to ours will strengthen our mental healthcare and custodial window and door offering, while we see significant potential for Fendor-developed products in the US via our well-established sales channels there.
“We will also be looking to more actively target UK acute healthcare providers, and to launch some of the innovative blast-resistant windows that Fendor has recently developed, one major potential market being the oil sector.”
