Merseyside window and door manufacturer Warwick North West sees growing reputation as a leading UK supplier rubber stamped after winning national award. Tony McDonough reports
Warwick North West has enhanced its reputation as a leading supplier of windows and doors after winning a “sought after” national award.
Managing director of the Merseyside manufacturer, Greg Johnson, led his team down to London and onto the stage at the G-Awards to collect their Fabricator of the Year accolade in front of an 850-strong audience.
Launched in 2004, the G-Awards recognise the best companies in the window and glazing sector in the UK. Fabricator of the Year is a highly contested and competitive category. There are around 4,500 window and door fabricators in the UK.
This is the latest in a string of award wins for Bootle-based Warwick which has seen revenues rise from £5m to around £12m in the last five years, despite having to navigate the fierce headwinds of soaring energy and raw material costs.
On the night before the G-Awards, Warwick North West won the special award for transformational leadership at the YM Liverpool Property and Business Awards held at the waterfront Crowne Plaza.
And they came just weeks after Warwick won the Business of the Year (more than 30 employees) award at the Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards in October.
It has been a remarkable run of accolades for the business which has seen accelerated growth in recent times due to a shake-up of its management team and significant investment in manufacturing equipment.
Already an established supplier to private developers in the North West and beyond, Warwick and its 120-strong team have increasingly become the “go-to” supplier for the social and affordable housing sector.
Sales are on track to rise again this year. In September Greg hailed a record-breaking sales week. He took over as managing director at the end of 2021 when his father, Brian Johnson, was taken ill and had to step back.
“Winning awards is fantastic recognition for everyone at Warwick” Greg told LBN. “But it is not just winning for winning’s sake, it is a measure of how far the business has come in such a short space of time.
“Winning at the G-Awards is particularly satisfying as it is a real thumbs-up from your peers. We operate in a fiercely competitive sector and to be recognised as the best window and door manufacturer across the UK is very significant.
“We are so proud of that achievement. And as the judges recognised it wasn’t just our growth that stood out it was our commitment to social value. That element cannot be underestimated.”
Greg and his team are not resting on their laurels. He is continuing to shape and evolve Warwick’s management structure. This year has seen the formation of a new junior management team, providing a path to senior roles for ambitious young staff members.
“Its like the old England football cliche,” joked Greg. “Warwick now has a rich blend of youth and experience. We have people with a long track record of delivery and they are passing on that expertise to the next generation.
“I took over Warwick in 2021 before I was expected to. I was really thrown in at the deep end and without those experienced heads around me I’m not sure I’d be where I am now. I can never thank them enough.”
Recognising the importance of net zero and energy efficiency has been key to Warwick’s recent growth. Warwick produces Innolux, a premium range of PVCu windows and doors, along with its own window product, Modus.
It comprises a seven-chambered system (compared to most six-chambered pvc window systems) coupled with a triple glazed unit that reaches the low Uvalue that can achieve the Government’s 2025 future homes standards.
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Greg added: “Our customers have recognised we offer quality and excellence right across the board. We thank them for their loyalty. And it is our suppliers who have also helped us become the business we are. Every element of that eco-system is critical to our success.
“While it is vital we celebrate and recognise current and recent achievements we cannot stand still. Other suppliers are also investing and innovating and we have to make sure we stay a step ahead and future-proof our business.
“At the G-Awards, we didn’t only represent Warwick, but the whole city region.”