When AluK launched its new IconiK bifold in November, it promised customers a new way to defend themselves from the damaging race to the bottom on price and win strong margin business in bifolds.
Unsurprisingly, the response from customers to that message and the product itself has been hugely positive, with seven fabricators signing up to fabricate the new door within the first month.
Amongst those is Southend based Alu-Tec which is busy extending its showroom to accommodate a sample of the new IconiK. Alu-Tec’s Director Phil Bates said: “We’re excited to be introducing this product to our trade customers. We are confident that having this alternative bifold option will open up their sales to homeowners, and with the easier installation features provided by AluK, it will be another tick on our customers’ lists of product musts!
“Following our own launch of the product, our sales reps have had positive feedback so far from the customers they have visited, with many particularly liking the slimmer sightlines and larger glazing areas available.
“We have already made our first IconiK door ready to be installed into the showroom extension, and the production team have endorsed the fabrication process as well, saying the product is just as easy to manufacture as the current BSF70 bifold door.”
As well as Alu-Tec, AluK fabricator Rhino, which has started offering the IconiK door from its HQ in Broadstairs, Kent, is calling it a ‘Game changing product’ and Midori Aluminium, based in Leicester, is marketing it with the tagline ‘Engineered for Excellence.’
It is just the response AluK was hoping for and as the second phase of the IconiK rollout gets underway, there is another raft of customers ready to start fabricating.
Russell Yates, AluK’s Managing Director said: “We previewed the IconiK at the FIT Show and the feedback we got was that this is exactly what customers are looking for to distance their bifold offering from the commodity end of the market and move away from the pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap strategy which benefits no one.
“The door has all the premium design features needed to justify its price tag, but crucially it is cost effective to manufacture and fit, so it’s a win-win for both fabricators and installers. We couldn’t be happier with the launch so far.”
In fabrication terms, the IconiK minimises stockholding. The same outerframe is used for both double and single doors and just the sash changes for either the IconiK Standard or IconiK Slim, and there is just one gasket and one extendable keep and lock system for all the configurations.
For installers, the IconiK comes with AluK’s hugely popular Quik Clip™ glazing bead as standard which saves valuable time on every installation, and it features a wide range of sub-cills which make it easy to install in almost any property.
It boasts impressive thermal performance – all achieved without any requirement for insulating foams and with all PVC eliminated from the product, ensuring true cradle-to-cradle recyclability. Double glazed using Ug 1.0 W/m²K glass, the IconiK achieves U-Values of 1.3W/m²K and triple glazed it achieves U-Values of just 1.0W/m²K.
AluK is offering the IconiK in both open in and open out configurations and with maximum 2400 x 1200 panel sizes, and with the option to configure it as a French door for maximum sales opportunities.
All the details on the new bifold are at: https://www.alukgb.com/iconik
