The MLA’s Digital Presence Goes into Overdrive

The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) – the leading trade association for the locksmithing profession – has had a successful start to 2015 with the recent appointment of digital marketing and SEO executive Chris Churchill, who has already made a huge difference to the organisation’s consumer-facing website – www.locksmiths.co.uk.

Re-launched in 2012, the MLA website offers a consumer-friendly experience, and allows members of the public to search both geographically and by area of specialism for their local MLA approved locksmith. The website also provides a wealth of security advice and information, through blog posts, advice sheets and FAQs, not only on domestic security but also on how to enhance the security of your vehicle or commercial property.

Chris’s work has seen unique visitor numbers double in the past twelve months. The MLA members’ pages alone are now clocking up an average of 20,000 visits per month, with visits to the website’s ‘find a locksmith’ page, where members’ contact details are located, increasing by over 200% in the last year.

Chris has significantly improved the quality of the website, resulting in a number of MLA pages now ranking in the top three positions on Google.

Several new features have been added to the website including regular blog posts, interviews with locksmiths, and a ‘hall of shame’, giving photo evidence as to why the public should always employ an MLA approved locksmith. Users can now also search for locksmiths that provide particular services, such as auto or safes, with the ‘find a locksmith’ function. 

Chris Churchill, digital marketing and SEO executive at the MLA, said: 

“I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of updating and increasing the online presence of the MLA for the benefit of our members. The new design of the website is much more user-friendly, and the addition of the ‘find a locksmith’ map and members’ company logos to the search results will no doubt continue to boost local businesses.”

Dr Steffan George, development director for the MLA, said: 

“We are delighted with the work Chris has done on the website so far. Not only have our overall hits increased, but we are also now continually ranking highly on search engine results pages for specific terms such as ‘lost car keys’. Most importantly our approved company members are benefiting from their pages ranking highly on search engines such as Google and seeing their revenues increase from work the MLA site is providing them with. The next step is to develop a mobile-friendly version of the site, making our online facilities even more accessible.”

Follow the MLA on Twitter twitter.com/MLA_locksmiths

Follow Chris Churchill on Twitter twitter.com/Chris_MLA

For more information on the MLA visit  www.locksmiths.co.uk

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Only 7 days to go before The Locksmith Expo in Nottingham

Attending for the sixth consecutive year since the show began in 2010, Security Solutions, a division of ASSA ABLOY UK, will be exhibiting at the Locksmith Expo 2015.

Returning to the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham, on the 7th and 8th March, Security Solutions will be showcasing its innovative offerings on stand A1.

Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to get some hands-on experience with many of the most popular products from UNION, a Security Solutions brand, including its StrongBOLT® range.

Known for its superior strength and exceeding the requirements of BS3621:2007, the StrongBOLT® British Standard 5 lever mortice lock fulfils the security needs of home insurance policies. However, UNION’s representatives will reveal how locksmiths can now benefit from an extended StrongBOLT® range, allowing them to save time, without compromising on quality.

UNION’s Eximo range has also been developed in response to customer feedback, and will be on display at the exhibition. UNION’s Panic Exit Device range includes panic latches and bolts, emergency push pads, mortice operated exit devices featuring UNION’s Optimus3 mortice lock cases, and outside access products with lever and knob variants.

Finally, UNION’s Retro3 and Retro4 door closers will also be on display. Offering easy installation, the door closers are non-handed and can be mounted on the hinge or non-hinge side of the door, reducing the need for considerable planning and enabling installers to complete jobs faster.

Tina Hughan, Marketing Director at ASSA ABLOY, said: 

“Having grown out of a family business set up in the heartland of the British lock-making industry, for over 160 years the UNION name has been synonymous with reliable, high quality hardware.

“However, UNION has recently been on an exciting journey developing forward-thinking solutions, whilst maintaining its heritage. This mirrors the locksmith industry as a whole, which is currently pioneering some innovative solutions, while maintaining its core features.

“The Locksmith Expo has always proven to be a great event to showcase the technological advances within the industry, so we are looking forward to attending for the sixth time.”

For further information please visit www.uniononline.co.uk

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Bi-Folding Door Tech Support Enhanced At Siegenia

Siegenia technical support: Andrew Grosvenor and Gary Davies

Hardware systems manufacturer Siegenia has strengthened its technical support team to help support its customers using its bi-folding and lift-and-slide door solutions.

Andrew Grosvenor joins the Coventry-based firm in a technical support role, where he will work alongside technical manager Gary Davies and the Siegenia sales team to provide product testing and in-field support for a growing customer base.

Andrew has over 30 years’ experience in the window and door industry, with manufacturing, sales and technical expertise and more than ten years working in window hardware. He says: “Siegenia has a very good reputation in the industry and is well known for its focus on technical advice and support. That’s what first attracted me to the company, and it’s great to be on board.”

Siegenia general manager Alastair Wheeler says: 

“We’re winning new customers as a result of our technical backup and on the back of a successful 2014 we are in a position to invest further in the team to make sure we can maintain that support for our customers, both in-house and in the field. We have plans to introduce a number of new hardware products this year, and Andrew’s extensive experience in the sector will prove invaluable in supporting those product launches.”

 Find out more about Siegenia at www.siegenia.com

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Mul-T-Lock® Smart Solutions Debut at Locksmith Expo

Mul-T-Lock® returns to the Locksmith Exhibition to showcase its very latest innovative product developments in smart access control and high security mechanical solutions. 

Visitors to stand B12 – B12A will be the first in the UK to see a new key free retrofitted motorised cylinder, ENTr™.

ENTr™ is a smart lock solution offering homeowners the known and trusted high security expected from Mul-T-Lock®, together with the ability to be app operated and offer increased user friendliness. 

ArmaDlock® van security solution

Also on show will be the locksmith inspired access control system SMARTair Genesis, together with the popular ArmaDlock® van security solution and the new range of high security NE Series Padlocks, offering locksmiths complete flexibility of design to suit all applications.

Kevin Menzies, Sales Manager at Mul-T-Lock®, said: 

“2015 may only be a couple of months old, but from a Mul-T-Lock® perspective, it already promises to be one of our most innovative yet. The Locksmith Exhibition is the perfect platform to debut exciting product developments such as ENTr™.

“Our mix of new smart access control solutions and high security mechanical product development demonstrates Mul-T-Lock®’s true commitment to locksmiths, and ability to continue to deliver easy to install products that can be combined on a bespoke basis to form high security upgrades for any application.”

For more information, please visit stand B12 at the Locksmith Expo, taking place from March 7 – 8th in Nottingham at the East Midlands Conference Centre. More details can be found at www.mul-t-lock.co.uk
 

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Agrippa fire door holders get top marks at Birmingham school

 

Agrippa wire-free fire door holders have been installed at one of Birmingham’s largest school’s, enabling fire doors in school corridors to be legally held open, releasing them in the event of a fire alarm to protect students and staff.

 

With over 1400 students and 270 Sixth Formers, Fairfax Academy in Sutton Coldfield is typical of many larger, busy schools that have to balance access with safety. Geofire’s advanced, wire-free technology offers the most reliable way to legally ease access in these busy environments.

 

 

Facilities Manager Brian Fox recognises that for many students fire doors can be a barrier to access, particularly for wheelchairs users and people with restricted mobility.

" The Agrippa fire door holders have proved to be the perfect solution - compact, easy to fit and programme. Additionally, their ‘learning’ of the specific fire alarm means that they work perfectly with our alarm bells and there have been no false closures due to any loud noises."

Geofire’s advanced digital technology enables the Agrippa door holders to uniquely ‘listen and learn’ the sound of a specific fire alarm. This ensures the holder’s releasing trigger reacts only to the precise sound of the fire alarm rather than extraneous loud noises, so false activations are virtually eliminated.

 

As it’s installed at the top of the fire door, the Agrippa holder does not cause damage to flooring. Its unique learning function optimises settings to suit the installed position, and it can be programmed for timed daily releases. It requires only two C cell batteries (which last for 12 months), has battery life indication and low battery warning. It is approved to EN1155 and CE Marked.
 

The holder is part of the Agrippa Acoustic Products Range that includes an acoustically triggered fire door closer. UK manufacturer Geofire specialise in the manufacture of a wide range of electromagnetic door holders and other activation devices used widely as part of fire, security or ventilation systems.

 

 

 

For further information please email; enquiries@geofire.co.uk or visit www.geofire.co.uk

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Powered Gate Safety - A Cautionary Tale

A property developer recently contacted a powered gate specialist about a niggling set up issue with a powered system. On arrival the specialist was horrified by what he found onsite (see below). 

The general standard of fabrication and wiring was excellent but the hazards presented to the users and the general public were on a par with the systems that resulted in the deaths of two children in 2010.

• Crushing forces are too high

• Impact forces are too high

• Ten separate shearing hazards are present

• Four unguarded rollers are accessible

• The system has not been CE marked

• No declaration of conformity or technical file has been generated

• Adequate user instructions and maintenance requirements are not provided

Powered gates are considered to be machinery in the eyes of the law and as such are covered by the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (SMR). Machinery must comply with the essential health and safety requirements of the legislation when first placed on the market or put into service. In addition the machine must be CE marked under the 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive and supported by a declaration of conformity and a technical file retained for 10 years by the manufacturer, who in this case was the company who installed the drive unit.

The only safety provided was a set of photo electric beams, these devices are not rated as safety devices in their own right but are intended purely as supplementary devices (See type D in BS EN 12453 for details) intended to be used when the gate might be encountered by the general public. The gate should already be safe by means of inherent force limitation provided by the drive, safe edges or light curtains. Exactly which technology can or should be used will be dependent on a detailed risk analysis by an expert in the field of powered gates. Some electrical or security professionals may have some knowledge of SMR from industrial or commercial situations but applying this legislation to machines to be encountered by children and the general public is a very different environment indeed. In addition the commissioning process will inevitably require the use of specialist force/time measuring equipment to set up and check the safety of any “contact” safety systems used.

A similar situation to the above scenario exists when contractors are requested to service or repair gate systems, as it is estimated that less than 30% of powered gates are actually safe for users as a result of a general lack of awareness of the requirements for powered gates prior to 2010. It is highly likely that the system you have been invited to work on is not actually safe and if you do any work on it you will become liable for its ongoing safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 or possibly the Workplace Regulations 1992. In one of the child death cases from 2010 the two companies that were eventually prosecuted for the death were the last company to repair the gate and the company who had been contracted to maintain the gate. 

Unless you have detailed knowledge of the legislation and applicable standards you are well advised to either seek the assistance of a qualified powered gate professional or get yourself trained, qualified and equipped before embarking on any form of powered gate works. Doing any work on a powered gate system that does not result in a completely safe outcome could see you facing criminal charges as a result, not to mention the trauma and anguish that will result if your actions or inactions result in injury or death.

The Door and Hardware Federation Powered Gate Group represents the premier suppliers, installers and maintainers of powered gates in the UK. They offer access to specialists, guidance and representation to members and will be happy train and qualify member or non-member contractors working in the powered gate environment.

Please contact DHF on 01827 52337 email info@dhfonline.org.uk or visit dhfonline.org.uk for more details
 

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Recently Discovered Original, Custom Bodied “Hollywood” Cord To Shine At Bonhams Amelia Island Auction

Rare and unrestored, this exceptional automobile has been in private
ownership for the last half century

Recently discovered after having been tucked away in the Pacific Northwest for more than half a century, Bonhams is proud to offer one of the most fabled, important and truly special Cords from the estate of Jay Hyde: the 1930 Cord L-29 Town Car with coachwork by Murphy & Company.

One of just four survivors known to have been built, this exceedingly rare automobile, attributed to famed silver screen actress Dolores del Rio (who starred alongside such legends as Elvis Presley, Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis, Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Orson Welles, and many more) is not only unique in its model and history but also totally original.

The Cord motorcar is regarded by enthusiasts, collectors and historians as one of the greatest American automobiles ever made. Innovative and advanced for its time, Cords were powerful, cutting-edge, luxurious and stylish. Due to the timing of the company’s debut, however – just before the great stock market crash of 1929 – the Cord marque was short lived and production numbers were low. (In fact, it is thought that of the L-29 model, in all its variations, only around 300 exist today.) Furthermore, very few Cords were ever supplied to coachbuilders, making custom bodied examples such as this extremely uncommon; those in unrestored condition, such as this, are as rare as hen’s teeth.

Owned by Jay Hyde since 1959 up until his passing in 2014, the car was carefully kept and sparingly used in a private manner. Very rarely seen in public, in 1987 it emerged to be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance alongside others of its breed in a class devoted solely to custom bodied Cords. With its shorter wheelbase, the beautifully proportioned L-29 Town Car is powered by a strong 8-cylinder inline engine providing 125bhp, while intricate detail throughout illustrates the hallmarks of a bespoke, handbuilt car of this golden age. Still in its original and unrestored state, the car is incredibly well preserved and runs well – a testament to the impressive stewardship of Hyde.

With pre-war automobiles in original condition becoming more uncommon and more highly prized, this Cord, with its scarce coachbuilt body and ascribed Hollywood glamour, is surely one of the most desirable cars of its kind anywhere in the world.

The distinctive Cord, along with many more exceptional collectors’ automobiles, will be featured at Bonhams’ Amelia Island Auction on Thursday, March 12th at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club in Fernandina Beach, Florida. 

For more information about this highly anticipated event, please visit Bonhams.com/Amelia.

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To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

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Powered Gate Safety - A Cautionary Tale

A property developer recently contacted a powered gate specialist about a niggling set up issue with a powered system. On arrival the specialist was horrified by what he found onsite (see below). 

The general standard of fabrication and wiring was excellent but the hazards presented to the users and the general public were on a par with the systems that resulted in the deaths of two children in 2010.

• Crushing forces are too high

• Impact forces are too high

• Ten separate shearing hazards are present

• Four unguarded rollers are accessible

• The system has not been CE marked

• No declaration of conformity or technical file has been generated

• Adequate user instructions and maintenance requirements are not provided

Powered gates are considered to be machinery in the eyes of the law and as such are covered by the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (SMR). Machinery must comply with the essential health and safety requirements of the legislation when first placed on the market or put into service. In addition the machine must be CE marked under the 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive and supported by a declaration of conformity and a technical file retained for 10 years by the manufacturer, who in this case was the company who installed the drive unit.

The only safety provided was a set of photo electric beams, these devices are not rated as safety devices in their own right but are intended purely as supplementary devices (See type D in BS EN 12453 for details) intended to be used when the gate might be encountered by the general public. The gate should already be safe by means of inherent force limitation provided by the drive, safe edges or light curtains. Exactly which technology can or should be used will be dependent on a detailed risk analysis by an expert in the field of powered gates. Some electrical or security professionals may have some knowledge of SMR from industrial or commercial situations but applying this legislation to machines to be encountered by children and the general public is a very different environment indeed. In addition the commissioning process will inevitably require the use of specialist force/time measuring equipment to set up and check the safety of any “contact” safety systems used.

A similar situation to the above scenario exists when contractors are requested to service or repair gate systems, as it is estimated that less than 30% of powered gates are actually safe for users as a result of a general lack of awareness of the requirements for powered gates prior to 2010. It is highly likely that the system you have been invited to work on is not actually safe and if you do any work on it you will become liable for its ongoing safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 or possibly the Workplace Regulations 1992. In one of the child death cases from 2010 the two companies that were eventually prosecuted for the death were the last company to repair the gate and the company who had been contracted to maintain the gate. 

Unless you have detailed knowledge of the legislation and applicable standards you are well advised to either seek the assistance of a qualified powered gate professional or get yourself trained, qualified and equipped before embarking on any form of powered gate works. Doing any work on a powered gate system that does not result in a completely safe outcome could see you facing criminal charges as a result, not to mention the trauma and anguish that will result if your actions or inactions result in injury or death.

The Door and Hardware Federation Powered Gate Group represents the premier suppliers, installers and maintainers of powered gates in the UK. They offer access to specialists, guidance and representation to members and will be happy train and qualify member or non-member contractors working in the powered gate environment.

Please contact DHF on 01827 52337 email info@dhfonline.org.uk or visit dhfonline.org.uk for more details
 

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We post articles up to twice a day and never delete them - we only archive them each year so that they continue to remain visible to search engines.

To have your story published - just send us your news item, logo and image(s) and we will review the material, make any necessary changes to the wording / wordcount and then advise you when it will be published.

If you take display advertising or product and literature features in our printed and online publications, you will qualify for regular free postings on this blog while you continue to advertise with us.

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GAI appointments boost business support for the architectural ironmongery industry

GAI Team Douglas Masterson, Rachel Tipton and Lucy Apsey

The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has recently appointed three new people to its London based head office team to strengthen further the services it provides to its members.

Rachel Tipton has been appointed as the GAI’s Training and Development Manager. This new role emphasises the GAI’s commitment to helping architectural ironmongers continually expand and enhance their technical and commercial knowledge.

Rachel has worked in the architectural ironmongery industry for more than 28 years. She started her apprenticeship with Josiah Parkes & Sons (Union Locks). She then moved to Thomas Laidlaw and also secured a silver medal for the GAI Diploma. During 18 years at Laidlaw, she worked in many sales and customer service roles gaining a wide range of experience and expertise including technical product knowledge, contract management, selling to specifiers and contractors and assisting architects to write specifications.

Rachel says:

“For over half a century the GAI has been offering a successful Diploma programme that is undertaken by hundreds of students every year. Diploma holders are encouraged to follow the GAI’s CPD programme and achieve RegAI status. One of my objectives is to provide opportunities for students to continue their personal development to meet the requirements of the industry and their lifelong learning needs.”

Douglas Masterson is the GAI’s new Technical Manager, the first time that the Guild has had a permanent, full-time expert who, amongst other responsibilities, will be managing its technical helpline, providing technical updates to members and representing the interests of the Guild membership when sitting on technical and standards committees in the UK and Europe. Douglas has worked in the architectural ironmongery industry for more than 25 years, ten of these as Regional Manager of MB Architectural for MacNaughton Blair/Lloyd Worrall Group. Prior to that he worked for major players in the sector including Allgood plc and Laidlaw. He also obtained a silver medal in attaining his GAI Diploma in 2000 and has sat on the Executive Committee of the GAI since 2008.

Douglas says:
“I am relishing the challenge of taking my commercial experience and knowledge and using it to help GAI members large and small, increasing technical knowledge across the wider AI industry.”

Lucy Apsey has joined as the Guild’s first marketing manager tasked with enhancing GAI’s position as the only trade body in the UK that represents the interests of the whole architectural ironmongery industry - architectural ironmongers, wholesalers and manufacturers. Lucy has 7 year’s experience in marketing across various industries and countries. She holds both an Honours degree in Marketing and a specialised CIM in digital marketing.

Lucy says:
“The GAI is revered as a professional trade body. My focus is on helping the Guild and its members move forward by optimising the use of digital media and online communications to ensure that dialogue with members is appropriate, timely and proactive.”

www.gai.org.uk 

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UKTI assists Selectrite Hardware with Gateway to Global Growth

Warwickshire based manufacturing company Selectrite Hardware have obtained the globally renowned UL certification for their unique product, their MK2 fire door selector.

With the help of the International Trade Team based in Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber, various UKTI workshops and signing on to the Gateway to Global Growth programme, Selectrite Hardware have developed their export strategy to ensure that their product can be used within global construction projects.

The firm have been providing their door selector through UK distributors as a CE marked product for the last 20 years, however it was only when signing on to Gateway to Global Growth through their local Chamber of commerce that they saw the potential for further growth overseas. The UL marking for their door selector ensures that the product can be specified for projects throughout the United Arab Emirates, North America and Canada.

Mark Townend, the managing director of Selectrite Hardware commented:

‘Obtaining the UL mark for our product was the obvious next step for us as a business and we are excited to see what happens in 2015’.

Brian Mountford, International Trade Adviser at the Chamber of Commerce said, 

‘It is great to see Selectrite Hardware making strategic decisions to open up new overseas markets. This a good example of the help that UKTI can give to companies to help them develop new international markets.’

For more details please visit their website www.selectritehardware.com , call 01926 259 307 or email mail@selectritehardware.com

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IN2 Access & Control announces partnership with AERF

IN2 Access and Control is delighted to announce it’s latest partnership with Spanish electrical manufacturer, AERF. Located Barcelona, AERF is dedicated to the door automation electronics sector.

The partnership is the latest of several collaborations for Shropshire automatic door and gate component supplier, IN2 Access.

Most recently, the company collaborated with German company Witt Sensoric, which develops and manufactures safety and sensing products for the industrial and garage door sector. IN2 Access also has a long-standing partnership with producer and international supplier of safety and sensor systems, Bircher Reglomat.

AERF’s proven experience and outstanding professional background have the company a leader in the sector. Maximum quality and reliability is AERF’s ethos. A high degree of professional involvement and constant technological innovation means AERF products are specially adapted to meet customer needs.

IN2 Access’s director, Derek Forman said:

“We see this recent collaboration with AERF as a perfect fit, allowing us to provide complete control, activation, sensing and safety solutions for the garage & industrial door, automatic gate & barrier, and pedestrian door industries.”

A move to larger premises in 2014 and new training facilities means IN2 Access & Control now offers next day delivery on most of its products as well as technical training. Demonstration of their ever-growing product range is possible at its Oswestry offices, as well as at customer sites when required.

www.in2access.co.uk
 

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Optimum Security

 

Security expert Abloy UK has launched OPTIMA, a range of electronic handle sets and escutcheons that provide standalone single door control, operating as an electronic master-keying system.

OPTIMA is the ultimate combination of protection and state-of-the-art access control. The range features handle escutcheons, battery operated lockcases, wall readers, lift control, panic hardware, locker locks, electronic cylinders, and energy savers.

It is available in four different platforms including both software and non-software based access control, such as standalone, offline, update-on-card, and wireless. The system can be operated via a web-based client and mobile app, and boasts intuitive software and email alerts.

The system is simple to program and easy to use, and has features such as time schedules, event logs, and instant cancellation of lost or stolen electronic cards. The software allows users to be deleted and modified easily, and authorisation rights to be amended. Audit trails from doors and software administrators can be monitored and printed too.

Installation is quick and easy and there is no need to wire the door, meaning minimal disruption and inconvenience to the day-to-day work environment. In addition, OPTIMA can be mounted directly onto the existing mechanical lock, and the solution fits almost any lock and type of door.

What’s more, the solution is robust with all control elements on the secure site, and it can be incorporated into existing access control systems, including retro-fitting to existing mechanical lock cases. Minimal maintenance is required, as the device will give an alert when the battery needs changing, which is approximately every 40,000 cycles.

OPTIMA battery-operated lock cases provide a high security solution in the market. This solution uniquely offers monitoring status of the door, certification to European standards EN179, EN1125, CE marking and fire test certificate. A perfect alternative to a wired, high-end solution as no cabling or alterations to the doors are required during installation.

Abloy OPTIMA is an ideal solution for a wide range of sectors and applications, such as public and commercial offices, hospitals, banks and financial institutions, sport centres, tenements, schools, universities and dormitories.

Jon Burke, Marketing Manager for Abloy UK, said: 

“Access is not just about firewalls and locked doors, the challenge is managing access with maximum transparency and efficiency.

“Abloy OPTIMA is a wireless, electronic ready-to-use locking solution for easy and effective access management, and the solution makes an excellent addition to any public or commercial building.”

For further information on OPTIMA or other products and services available from Abloy UK, please call 01902 364 500, email marketing@abloy.co.uk, or visit the Abloy London Showroom at The Building Centre on Store Street, London.

 

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Energy efficiency with steel window style

Dating from the 1930s, One Southampton Street has been refurbished to provide eight floors of flexible open plan office space that average 3,400 ft² and offer superb natural light thanks to some 120 new steel windows installed on three sides. 

The windows replace the building’s original windows and were manufactured and fitted by Steel Window Association member West Leigh to meet the latest standards of energy efficiency.

One Southampton Street stands in the Strand Conservation Area alongside London’s Covent Garden and has been developed by Aviva Investors. The 1930s marginal pane steel section windows were single glazed and it was necessary for the replacements to closely replicate these to meet planning conditions laid down by Westminster City Council.

West Leigh went to site and surveyed every window opening to ensure each new window would exactly fit within the stone facade. The original profiles were then matched using W20 rolled steel sections and the windows were manufactured to the existing layout with most windows having two openers and two fixed panes. W20 sections offer narrow sightlines and allow hinged casements to be hung at top, bottom or side, and swing windows to pivot horizontally or vertically. The new windows have a factory applied, white polyester powder coat finish.

The building has recently received BREEAM Excellent certification, the highest ever rating for an office refurbishment. To meet the Part L requirements for energy efficiency, the new windows were fitted with 16mm double glazed, krypton gas filled, toughened units giving a U-value of 1.2 W/m2K. This was based on a centre pane measurement as a concession to the planning requirements. After much consideration, it was decided that, rather that forming them separately, the marginal panes would be created using glazing beads applied to the glass, as this helped gain the required U-value and provided a reduction in overall cost.

For further information on the Steel Window Association, please visit www.steel-window-association.co.uk or call 0844 249 1355.

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Road To Wales Announced For 2015

High flying Osian Pyrce was a Road to Wales prize winner in 2013 and 2014

 

The organisers of Wales Rally GB are delighted to confirm the continuation of the widely praised Road to Wales scheme for 2015.

Introduced in 2013, the programme rewards Britain’s best rallying talent with free entries into the season-ending Wales Rally GB (12-15 November), providing them with an amazing opportunity to compete against the sport’s elite on the world stage.

The Road to Wales prize roster offered no fewer than 11 free entries into last year’s over-subscribed Wales Rally GB. Six of these were awarded to front-runners from various classes in the 2014 MSA British Rally Championship, the remaining five to the winners of the UK’s five premier national rally championships.

With the BRC taking a brief sabbatical in 2015, those entries have now been transferred to six of the individual rounds that featured on the 2014 BRC calendar: Pirelli Carlisle Rally; Rally North Wales; Rally Isle of Man; RSAC Scottish Rally; Ulster Rally and Jim Clark Rally. Organisers of these events have set up their own selection criteria for the allocation of the Road to Wales prizes. 

 

Scottish champion Euan Thorburn

 

As last year the respective champions of the MSA English Rally Championship, ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship, Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship and the REIS – RAVENOL BTRDA Rally Series will be offered free entries into the WRGB National Rally. In the MSA ANICC McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship, the no-cost entry will be part of a bigger honour that will see one promising young driver receiving a free prize drive on Wales Rally GB in a Citroen DS3 provided by David Greer Motorsport.

“The Road to Wales has proved to be a huge success and we had no hesitation in continuing the initiative in 2015,” said Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Wales Rally GB. “Wales Rally GB needs to be not only the climax of the WRC but also a fantastic end-of-season festival to celebrate the very best of British rallying and the Road to Wales makes sure that some of this country’s best will be on the stages in November.”

Among those benefiting in 2014 were young Welsh rally star Osian Pryce who furthered his credentials by finishing 18th overall and first non-priority driver, Scottish champion Euan Thorburn and BTRDA champion Steve Perez who entered his crowd-pleasing Lancia Stratos.

“It’s a great opportunity,” confirmed Pryce, 21, who will be stepping up to the Junior World Rally Championship in 2015. “To compete on a WRC event on home soil is a real honour and gaining crucial experience on a world championship event has provided me with a stepping stone towards progressing my career. Not having to pay for my event meant I could focus my budget on other areas such as moving up to an R5 category car. There aren’t many prizes in rallying and the Road to Wales award is something I just had to take up.”

All the latest news on the Road to Wales – as well as confirmation of prize winners – is available on the www.walesrallygb.com website and via the event’s official social media channels.

Full details of the 2015 route will be published later in the year with ticket details announced at the same time.

 

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