Flexseal is reporting real sector changes and purchasing trends in the form of “significant uplifts in the use of Twin Wall drainage pipes”. PBM reports.
The construction industry is constantly adapting, some changes stick and others fade away in a natural selection process which ensures the industry continuously improves. Accordingly, it is important for these changes to be recognised and tracked.
“We track lots of our own data, but we also work with all of the Nationals and most of the Buying Groups to get a real view of the direction the sector is moving,” commented Ricky Hasprey, National Sales Manager for Flexseal. “We don’t sell any form of piping, but we do support the market with jointing and sealing products for specific pipe materials. When we see an uplift in certain products, we combine our data with that of the merchants’ data to see any similarities and from there we’ll talk to end-users to gain more clarity and this information is then shared amongst our partners.”
Some of Flexseal’s customers have reported a significant increase in Twin Wall sales volume over the past 12 months. The boost in Twin Wall is reported to be a result of a number of factors; firstly, the features and benefits of Twin Wall have captured the attention of contractors. Secondly, refurbishment and the need to connect into existing Twin Wall is reported to have increased.
Flexseal is reacting to this change in contractor behaviour by raising awareness of specialist Twin Wall jointing products. The company says that it designs and manufactures “an abundance of products designed specifically for Twin Wall pipes”, including flexible couplings and lateral connections. Both of which, Flexseal says, “support the contractors need for quicker and easier installations.”
Connecting into existing drainage can be tricky work if not using products designed for refurbishment and this is where Flexseal says that its products specialise and add value.
To support the increased Twin Wall trends, Flexseal is specifically raising awareness of its innovative range of lateral connection saddles for Twin Wall pipe, which provide several benefits when used to connect into new or existing drainage.
Ricky Hasprey explained: “A saddle is basically a more flexible substitute product of a pipe junction. If you’re wanting to connect waste water from buildings or surface water from gullies into the main systems, then a Flexseal saddle can be used to connect the lateral pipe into the main pipe. Our saddles are a fraction of the cost of the equivalent pipe junction and come with an abundance of other benefits too, such as, quicker and easier installations — reduced excavation time (no digging beneath the pipe), one person job, small and lightweight making it easier to transport and store, more flexible positioning (and it) can be combined with other Flexseal products to be made more universal.”
Flexseal’s Pipe Adaptor (PA) Saddle range is specifically designed for connecting lateral pipes into Twin Wall main pipes from DN300-600 (saddles for larger Twin Wall pipes also available). One of the major benefits of using a saddle is that only the top part of an existing pipe is required to be excavated, from there a core hole can be drilled and the saddle can be installed. This benefit alone, Flexseal says, significantly reduces the time taken to complete a lateral connection.
“For a merchant to pass on these material and labour-saving benefits makes them more competitive without needing to reduce profitability,” added Ricky. “The range of Flexseal PA Saddles is approved by WRc, a third party testing body which is recognised by Water Companies, so merchants and end-users have the confidence that the product is fit-for-purpose.”
He continued: “The increase in Twin Wall sales is ultimately having an impact in the amount of PA Saddles that we are selling, so merchants will need to decide whether they want to benefit from this cross-sell opportunity and add PA Saddles to their stock profile.”
Flexseal reports that it is supporting merchants who wish to grow their saddle sales with various support materials and tools. One of which is a new Lateral Connections brochure, which makes it easy for merchants to select the correct saddle for a specific application. The brochure is full of useful products for connecting lateral pipes as well as helpful tips and Flexseal technical contacts for additional support.
The company is also supporting its merchant partners with training by offering free membership to the recently launched Flexseal Academy. The new training academy combines in-branch merchant training with easy to digest online learning which users can complete at their leisure.
“Customer service and support is at the core of everything we do — that’s why we’re reacting to market changes by offering opportunities to our customer base and the tools required to capitalise on those opportunities,” concludes Ricky.
For more information on Flexseal’s range of products and support services visit www.flexseal.co.uk.
