The current weakness in UK and German constructlon markets is only temporary, according to Dr. Ron Shakesheff managing director of Bowater Windows, a subsidiary of Rexam plc (Bowater House, Knightsbridge, GB-London SW lX 7NN). The md is confident that business will pick up during 1996 and that the windows manufacturer will close the year in "top form" with substanital earnings. Preliminary figures for the group, formerly known as Bowater plc (see Plasteurope.com No 10 1995, "Pointers"), point to sales of around £ 200m in 1995. In the first half year, the Rexam group increased turnover 18% against the 1994 period.

To establish itself as European market leader for plastic windows, the British group is planning a major expansion campaign. A new production plant with capacities to turn out 2,000 windows per week is currently going up at Brno in the Czech Republic. The annual output of 60,000 units is designed to supply local customers as well as the German market. Since April 1995, German profile manufacturer Roplasto Fensterprofile GmbH (Refratherweg 42-44, D-51469 Bergisch Gladbach), a member of the Rexam group through its German subsidiary Wickrather Bauelemente GmbH (Bahnhofstr. 49, D-51491 Overath-Untereschbach), has produced nearly 2,000 windows for the Russian market as part of its cooperation with Moscow-based plastics converter Stroiplast. Roplasto is in the process of establishing its own storage and distribution facilities in Russia as part of a scheme for building up a broad-scale conversion business in the country. Estimated annual demand for windows in Moscow alone is around 1m units.

READER SERVICE: Bowater Windows customer and employee newspaper "Reflections" (issue 11, 1995/1996), with up-to-date information on Rexam window and door production (in English): PIE-No. 39035.