Windows

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, has worked closely with local authorities for many years, explains why full-system testing and demonstrable test evidence are now essential for local-authority refurbishments.

As local authorities and housing associations continue to navigate one of the most tightly regulated eras our sector has ever seen, one principle is becoming non-negotiable; products going into people’s homes must be proven to perform, not assumed to perform.

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Birmingham-based window and door manufacturer Shelforce, took to the stage at this year’s Glazing Summit 2025 to speak on one of the industry’s most pressing challenges – skills and recruitment.
Held at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the Glazing Summit brought together leaders from across the fenestration sector, with Howard joining the ‘Skills: Apprentices in Action’ panel alongside Ultraframe’s Andrew Thompson and GGF’s John Mannell. The discussion focused on apprenticeships, attracting new talent, and increasing diversity across the industry.

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, shares how efficiency, value, and social purpose combine in Shelforce’s fire door manufacturing journey, delivering fully compliant fire doors that won’t break budgets.

Whenever we’re behind the wheel of our car ready for a long journey, the first thing we do is put the sat nav on. Not necessarily because we don’t know the way, but because we want the best way. I want the quickest, most efficient, most cost-effective route from A to B. That’s exactly how we approach fire door manufacturing at Shelforce.

Rapierstar has launched the STARFIX PFT, a new button-head version of its market-leading plug-free masonry screw, offering faster and higher-quality installation of PVCu and timber window and door frames.

Continuous innovation in fastening technology by Rapierstar is enabling housing specifiers and contractors to achieve ever higher performance standards throughout their window and door programmes.

The fasteners in its STARPVCU range are instantly recognisable through their ‘tri-thread’ logo which appears on the heads, and they are available in three different metals to suit the target level of corrosion-resistance – zinc coated carbon steel as standard or martensitic stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel for increased durability.

As Business Manager of Shelforce, Howard Trotter has extensive experience of manufacturing and supplying windows, doors and fire doors to housing associations. Here, he discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the sector in 2025 and beyond.

Some industry professionals are campaigning for a consistent approach to monitoring and even limiting projects’ embodied carbon in the built environment. We report.