New office, showroom and workshop

Press, 7 April 1987, Page 36

New office, showroom and workshop

Winstone Glass is now in a new office, showroom and workshop complex at 162 Montreal Street.

The company was previously trading from a building in Princess Street, and from the Windscreen Service Department in Blenheim Road.

“We now have a much higher profile,” says the branch manager, Mr Alan Trent.

"Our showroom and facilities are now much better suited to servicing the public,” he says. "In the past Winstone Glass has mainly been involved in contract glazing.

"Contracts of particular note are the Bank of New Zealand in the Square, the Queen Elizabeth II Park stadium, the National Bank in Hereford Street, the Canterbury Centre and the New Zealand Meat Nominees building in Cambridge Terrace.”

Mr Trent says the new Winstone Glass building had to be fitted out especially for the glass trade because of the difficulties involved in handling large sheets of glass. “We’ve got an internal gantry system which reaches all corners of the

warehouse and makes loading and unloading easy,” he says. “We’ve got full height doors which permit large trucks to enter and unload.

“There’s also plenty of parking for customer and trade vehicles.”

Mr Trent says Winstone Glass operations are divided into two areas. “The first division is the auto glass division which handles any automotive requirement including the supply and fitting of replacement windscreens, sunroofs and van windows,” he says.

“The second division is for general glass and plastic supply and glazing which covers just about any requirement in domestic or commercial glazing. “It can often be hectic in the commercial sector,” says Mr Trent. “When we’re involved with a major contract we can have nearly all our staff tied up on ,one job. “Commercial jobs are usually gained by tender, normally through an aluminium joiner who is sub-contracting to supply aluminium joinery to the builder. Most of the glazing is done on the site.

“Our Christchurch branch imports its own stocks of glass mainly from the United States of America, Australia and Europe.”

Mr Trent says automotive glazing accounts for a significant amount of Winstone Glass business.

“The company is a major importer of windscreens and has its own windscreen warehouse at Mt Wellington in Auckland where some 20,000 windscreens are kept in stock,” he says.

“We manufacture our own sunroofs and sliding van windows.

“Sunroofs are available in either red, black or white. Colour co-ordinated sunroofs have taken off really well this season.

“Much of the work we do involves replacing windscreens or door glasses.

“Toughened glass screens can be replaced with similar glass or shatter-proof laminated screens which are fitted standard to all late model cars.

“Winstone Glass also has the expertise and special equipment to repair laminated screens, if the damage is localised.”