Transforming the glass transformation business

R.S. First of all, what does MSN mean?

L.B. MSN literally stands for Manufacturing and Supply Network. 18 months ago, Saint-Gobain Solaglas re-organised its businesses into a new divisional structure, in order to be more closely aligned with the requirements of its customers. At this time Solaglas MSN was born, which was a combination of both the old processing and distribution divisions. This Manufacturing and Supply Network now offers a one-stop-shop for glass transformation and supply to customers of all sizes across domestic and commercial markets.

R.S. How is the Solaglas MSN business structured?

L.B. MSN is a federation of 23 co-operative but independent and entrepreneurial businesses, organised through a regional structure with centralised co-ordination and functional expertise. This means that we are able to provide local service on a national level across our full range of glass solutions. The benefits for our customers are primarily heightened levels of service, responsiveness, partnership and understanding.

As well as all the benefits that come from having this national network, MSN and therefore our customers, is supported by the vast expertise and resource of its parent group, Saint-Gobain Glass - Europe’s leading flat glass manufacturer. This bestows many advantages, including access to an innovative and extensive product range, technical expertise and support, financial backing to allow continued investment for the future, and longevity and stability in a fluctuating market environment. This latter point is of increasing importance to our customers in the current climate, where many glass transformation companies are feeling the effects of over-capacity in the market place. Customers need to know that the company they are choosing to deal with will still be there in 12 months time.

R.S. I understand that MSN has invested over £8m in equipment alone during the last couple of years - how has this re-shaped the business?

L.B. The network has been significantly modernised in order to provide a much higher level of service and indeed quality of product to our customers. We have also added core-manufacturing capability to strategic locations right across the country to enable quick response times for all our local customer bases.

We have 6 dedicated DGU sites located from Scotland down to Plymouth and DGU lines at other key locations, giving local service backed up by national capability. This means that, whether we supply from our state-of-the art, fully automated, high volume business in Coventry or a multi-capability site manufacturing bespoke units, we can be very responsive to local businesses and also satisfy the demands of large, national accounts that require standardised capability right across the country. These businesses have invested in new furnaces, tables, washers and arrissers as part of our continuous improvement program to ensure that Solaglas MSN is able to offer the highest quality products. There has also been investment in additional and replacement DGU lines up and down the country.

We also have within MSN the latest CNC capability now spread across 5 sites from Scotland down to the South Coast of England, which is in addition to all the conventional cutting, shaping, drilling and edge-working capability. This means that we can rapidly provide intricate or volume work on a national level along with the assurance of solid back-up via the business network during times of high local demand.

The overall result of this investment in manufacturing capability and its strategic, regional placement is that customers can source all their glass transformation and stock requirements through a local business, which can offer heightened levels of service, responsiveness, partnership and understanding. This local business can then exploit the regional and national capabilities and the expertise of the network to provide the best solution.

R.S. What else has the business been investing in, apart from equipment?

L.B. MSN has a comprehensive investment program designed to position the organisation as a truly customer-facing glass transformation and supply business. We have invested significantly in our people, recruiting high calibre managers who have been implementing dramatic improvements within the 23 businesses. The businesses now also leverage the expertise and experience within the network, and the Saint-Gobain group, and are quick to implement best-practice as demonstrated by their counterparts in other locations.

Ongoing development of employees is also a priority, in order to constantly raise standards as part of the continuous improvement program. This covers every level, from senior management development to interactive DVD training for the shop floor personnel on the safe handling of our soft-coat low-E glass, SGG PLANITHERM, for example.

Solaglas MSN is also investing in SAP IT systems to improve our communication and customer service, developing its fleet of over 140 vehicles and upgrading or even expanding business premises or in some instances re-locating to larger sites.

The network has been significantly modernised in order to provide a much higher level of service

All these various investments are designed to reinforce and further develop our position as the number one glass transformation business in the UK, from the customer's perspective naturally.

R.S. Who are your customers?

L.B. Solaglas MSN is geared up to supply a wide variety of customers, both commercial and domestic, and their specific needs – whether they be partnership supply contracts or one-off requirements from local businesses.

Our DGU sites supply the full range of fabricating companies across all key segments from new build housing to home improvement to the rapidly growing conservatory market and both the private and public commercial sectors. We also offer a one-stop shop toughened, laminated and stock solution for DGU manufacturers and glass processors operating within both the commercial and domestic markets.

Specifiers and contractors are able to rely on our technical support for complex exterior construction work such as façades or canopies, for example, where an in-depth understanding of product characteristics and glass performance is required, as well as detailed knowledge of the relevant standards.

Interior designers and fitters can take advantage of our wide range of high-impact design products combined with our various glass processing capabilities, which offer a broad range of solutions for applications such as interior fit-outs, partitioning, shop-fitting or commercial refurbishment.

R.S. You have touched, a couple of times now, on the glass products that MSN can offer - what is it that gives you, and therefore your customers, the advantage here?

L.B. Being part of the Saint-Gobain group means that we are able to offer customers a wide range of best-in-class products produced by a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of glass.

This is backed-up by significant technical and marketing support. Technical support ranges from assistance with complex project specifications to audits of customer’s production facilities when they wish to process some of our more technical products, e.g. SGG BIOCLEAN, our self-cleaning glass, to simply providing answers to technical queries.

Additional support comes in the form of product training to ensure that customers understand how best to sell the products they buy from us. Or, there is more technical product training available when more in-depth knowledge is required regarding, for example, changing legislation. A wide range of marketing collateral items is also available to help our customers develop sales of their products, with our products in them.

The product, which is the cornerstone of our DGU offering, and increasingly our single tempered offering is the SGG PLANITHERM family of products. These products are, without question, the best selling low-E glass in Europe, dramatically out selling the older technology hard coats. The UK market is now also moving rapidly in this direction, as customers increasingly demand the benefits of improved performance combined, in particular, with the superior neutrality of the glass.

We offer numerous value-added products for solar control, acoustic control, self-cleaning properties, and a myriad of high impact design products as well as sophisticated vision control products.

Full details are available from any one of the 23 MSN businesses, whose contact details are listed on the website: www.solaglas.co.uk.