In the early 1990s, at the end of a recession, one man had the shell of an idea to help homeowners with out-of-warranty windows and doors. Now, a month shy of that company’s 30th anniversary, UPVC Maintenance operates two trade counters, has a growing online following of its ‘how-to’ tutorials and is about to launch its own hardware line. How did that grain of an idea turn into such a successful business and which three words supported three decades in industry? The Locksmith Journal had to find out…
In 1992, David Earnshaw noticed that many homeowners had been left without warranties on their UPVC windows and doors as companies went of business during the recession. In terms of work experience, David had previously worked as an installer, surveyor and installations manager for various window companies around the UK; in terms of life events, a toddler daughter and baby son – and a converted garden shed meant that he had a great business plan and the opportunity for great work/life balance.
Thirty years later, David’s ‘toddler daughter’ is now Director of UPVC Maintenance with a baby girl of her own and her soon-to-be husband, Nathan Brown, works as the business’ Sales Manager. Celebrating three decades of business is certainly no mean feat, but far from resting on their laurels as they approach that pearl milestone, UPVC Maintenance is putting its own pearls of wisdom from the last 30 years to even better use by launching its very own Springwell line of door and window hardware…
“From the very beginning, the three things that have defined UPVC Maintenance have been Knowledge, Service and Inventory,” explains Emma Earnshaw, when The Locksmith Journal caught up with Director and daughter of the company’s founder ahead of the impressive business anniversary.
“Even though my dad’s first business premises was our garden shed, his knowledge of what the market needed, the service he provided and the astute inventory he kept laid the strong foundations of UPVC Maintenance as we know it today. When more and more people approached him to help them source the hardware they needed for their own maintenance and repair jobs, he quickly realised that he needed a bigger space to further enhance and enforce this three-point ethos.”
The shed turned into a lock-up, which then grew into a trade counter in Pudsey, before relocating to the current HQ on the Springwell estate in Batley; opening a second trade counter in Rotherham on their 20th birthday. Having a large space is essential for the vast portfolio of products on offer – although each is still carefully researched and sourced as if David himself would be using it for one of his own repairs back when he was ‘in the field’. A second reason for needing easily accessible and spacious locations though is that it is not unknown for installers to bring entire door slabs to the trade counter to ask for assistance when it comes to identifying certain hardware parts…
Emma continues: “We pride ourselves on our technical knowledge. Our technical team are experienced in the industry so have the knowledge of being on site and doing the job themselves. They know what works and what doesn’t; they’ve seen everything you can imagine. So yes, we get photos and text messages every day asking for help, but also it is quite comical when installers turn up with a door or window they’ve removed, put on the van and driven over to us. Going back to those three magic words though – Knowledge, Service, Inventory – it’s what we’re here for, and it makes me very proud that we have such a strong reputation in each one of those vital points.
“Not everyone comes to the company from within the fenestration industry, but when they join UPVC Maintenance, the technical training starts immediately. No matter how much the company has grown and evolved over the past 30 years, that has never changed.
“From our base in Yorkshire, we distribute all over the UK and Ireland, and even have some customers in the USA. Our customers include DIY-ers, locksmiths, installers, housing associations, builders merchants; they all have different wants and needs. Therefore it is not only very important for us that everyone in the team understands the products we sell, but also why we stock them, who needs them and how to use them.
“Whoever the customer is and whatever project they are working on, they will receive personal service. We don’t just want to know your product code. We will help you if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for; if it’s obsolete, we will know the correct replacement. We will help you save money if we can by offering alternatives etc and if we don’t do the product, we will source it for you. We will take the procurement hassle away from you.”
With an in-depth knowledge of the industry, service that could seem to easily rival any national hardware supplier and an inventory running into thousands of product lines, it would be easy to assume that UPVC Maintenance has found the perfect excuse to sit back, relax and enjoy its 30th birthday. Far from it, says Emma as they prepare to launch a product range of their own; named after its site in Batley…
“We are delighted to be launching our own product range – Springwell,” continues Emma. “At present we have a selection of window and door handles, friction hinges and restrictors. Including our very own multi spindle window handle which we are thrilled with. Each piece very much epitomises all of the experience and expertise we’ve collectively amassed along the way. As the industry changes and people’s needs and wants adapt, we must also evolve our own offering. For example, even in my own time here I’ve seen the development of the 3* cylinder lock; just when you think you reached the pinnacle of a product; something safer, securer, more stylish comes along.
“When my dad first started repairing doors and windows, then supplying hardware to his own small base of customers, there wasn’t much call for fire escape hardware or restricted hinges; now they’re something that are on the daily shopping lists of installers.
“Yes we have an impressive inventory when it comes to the sheer volume of units we have in stock, but the old adage of ‘quantity over quality’ has never been more true. At UPVC Maintenance, we happen to have both.
“Despite and perhaps because of all of this, our mission moving forward is to continue to expand our product range, and make further improvements to our website to give a better buying experience for our customers. We have an exciting new product launch coming towards the end of the year too.
“The fact we’ve always wanted to improve, from day one of my dad ‘setting up shop’ to launching our own line three decades later is what has kept us going, I’m sure. Even in the past few years, we as a company are grateful that we haven’t been impacted by covid financially or with staff. Since the pandemic we have seen an increase in sales with last year being one of the best years for us.
“Secondly, no matter how we have grown, UPVC Maintenance has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. The trust we have for each other as a family emanates to our customer base too. We are not an anonymous warehouse on the other side of a computer screen or something the customer can only contact through a call centre. My dad is still there every day, the teams at both sites are an extension of the Earnshaws. Even my ‘baby brother’ who is now a Graphic Designer plays his part when we need creative input. I love the fact that we can honestly call ourselves a family business and the success of the company – and our customers’ success – is more than 9 to 5, it’s a part of our lives.”
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