In looking back on what has
happened since our formation, I think the best summary would be "so far, so
good, but there's a long way to go yet".
From the outset I have been
delighted to get a very positive response from my fellow contractors in what we
have been trying to achieve in establishing quality standards in hard metal
roofing and cladding. Just as pleasing has been the terrific support from the
manufacturers and distributors who have enlisted as associate members supporting
our ideals and providing a significant indicator of the potential value of the UK market.
It is worth just noting
exactly what we have achieved from what was very much a standing start.
- At the start of the
year we have 30 Members from across the UK
- We have 18 Associate
members, including all the significant European manufacturers from the
aluminium, copper, steel and zinc sectors, plus the major specialist UK
distributors.
- Our first Directory
was issued free to 16,000 architects, specifiers and surveyors and resulted
in a steady stream of enquiries for the services of our members.
- Our web site www.ftmrc.co.uk was set up and
immediately began recording "hits" from those seeking the services and
products of our members and associates.
- We have developed and
published our "Guide to Good Practice" which provides an easy to use
technical reference and contains key information regarding the design and
installation detailing of traditional metal roofing, complete with tables,
illustrations and photographs. The Guide is being used within both training and vetting
programmes, as well as providing a practical on-site technical reference
and specifiers guide.
- With the substantial
support of VM Zinc, we created a Metal
Roof Academy
at the Building Crafts College
in London and
delivered zinc training courses to both members and non members. By the
end of the year this had been supplemented by further support from KME,
enabling us to also provide training courses in copper.
I appreciate that some contractors may have heard
of the FTMRC starting up and perhaps decided to adopt a watching brief to see
if this new organisation that promised so much, could actually deliver.
Well, as we said in the last Directory, FTMRC
really could stand for "First to Meet Real Challenges".
I hope now that we have
demonstrated what we can achieve, we will have more contractors deciding it was
time to become involved in the New Voice in Metal Roofing.
Because we haven't finished
yet!
Our next step is to make
training more accessible by the creation of a network of regional training
bases around the country and as this directory goes to press we already have
commitments for a base in Scotland,
the Midlands and two in the South.
The first edition of our Guide
to Good Practice was a good start and has been very well received, but is a
long way from being the finished article. We have already produced a
supplementary technical update on underlays and will be addressing a number of
other issues as further supplements, before producing a revised GTGP in 2010
and ultimately an adopted Code of Practice.
Our vetting programme, which monitors
the standards of workmanship among our existing and potential members, is
itself a work in progress, as we look to raise the quality of our assessment of
both design (setting out) and installation.
As our associate membership
expands, so does the range of products and services in which we are becoming
involved and we plan a series of regional technical seminars during 2009 which
will enable our manufacturing friends to present their products to our members
and provide a technical discussion forum for their application and use.
So it is with some excitement
that I and my fellow Council Members now look forward to continuing with a
sense of purpose the momentum that has been started.
FTMRC - not just contractors,
but manufacturers, distributors and allied services, all going forward
together!
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