Polar widens experience as reputation grows.
Middlesbrough’s most successful window, door and curtain walling company, Polar is winning contracts all over the North East, thanks to its professional approach, wide range of product and installation options and superb service.
The company’s reputation has been further enhanced with the achievement in summer 2007 of ISO 9001, the quality management framework recognised worldwide, proof that Polar conforms to the best recognised management systems in the fabrication and installation of products.
Landmark Refurbishments
A highlight of the past year has been the completion of Polar’s refurbishment work on Bridlington Spa, a landmark building with huge curtain wall windows and aerofoil capping, situated only 12 feet from the breaking seas. The glazing for this listed building (whose extensive refurbishment involved some major engineering challenges) had to be really hi-tech, with a black anodised finish requiring a 30-year lifespan. Polar commercial manager Nick Reay said the team who had worked on this with main contractor Wates Construction were particularly proud of how the refurbishment challenges had been met and looked forward to the official reopening in Spring 2008.
Another landmark refurbishment, also combined with some new build that Polar is working on, is Durham University. Here, Polar is working as the preferred fabricator with Interserve on a third refurbishment project in two months, and is also working with Laing O’Rourke on a new two-storey building, supplying and installing the curtain walling and windows. The latter project involves multi-coloured spandrel panels as well as tinted glazing in blue, green and grey, and when completed, this new building will house the University’s Institute of Hazardous Research.
As Polar’s commercial manager Nick Reay confirmed, working on a site like Durham University presents a multitude of challenges: “As the University is spread throughout the city, there is always a lot of passing traffic or people, and many of the buildings are listed. We are able to work within all the restrictions that apply to complete projects on time and to budget.”
Amongst Polar’s work at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, also in conjunction with Laing O’Rourke, was the replacement of windows on a listed Victorian red-brick Estates Office with stone mullions, integrating the leaded window system into specially designed panelling and improving thermal efficiency at the same time. On a new build theme, the company has also installed a link extension corridor in the Leazes Wing at the same hospital.
New Builds, New Materials
Polar is also involved with three new schools in Newcastle, providing glazing, curtain walling, entrances and automatic door entrances, with all the required doors and windows conforming to the police-initiated ‘Secure by Design’.
The Tyneside Cinema refurbishment enabled Polar to demonstrate its capability in innovative curtain walling as well as steel window replacement, where semi-transparent, polycarbonate-based curtain walling is being installed to improve natural light within the cinema’s new dining area. The new curtain walling, each panel of which is 5 cms thick and has two skins, 30 cms apart, will also improve the building’s insulation, ready for when it reopens later this year. The building is listed, and is reputed to be one of the most ‘haunted’ in the Newcastle area.
Other significant projects Polar is working on include a full refurbishment of all windows at the Nuffield Hospital at Jesmond, and the installation of specially designed anti-ligature windows at St Nicholas’s Hospital in Gosforth.
Always Improving
Making continuous improvements in the factory, streamlining working practices and working towards the environmental quality standard ISO 14001 as well as the Occupational Health and Safety BS OHSAS 18001, is keeping the Polar team busy, at the same time as the number of major projects being won is growing constantly. Polar managing director John Wilson said the need to achieve ever higher standards was being driven by the demands of major contractors and their customers:
“The focus now is on companies’ professional competence and expertise. It’s no longer enough to simply say you can do the work; you have to be able to demonstrate and work well beyond recognised industry standards, in order to reassure those awarding you the contract that they’ve made the right decision and that your part of the job is in safe hands.”
The projects cited above represent just some of the huge variety of work that Polar is currently involved with, across the North East and further afield, and are also indicative of how the company’s growing reputation is winning it prestigious work in both the public and private sectors.
For further information telephone John Wilson on 01642 440844.
Polar Features
Supplying Education
Working successfully in schools represents a very special challenge for installation companies such as Polar with the safety and security of pupils and staff of paramount importance at all times.
Disabled Access
In October 2004 Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) came into effect. Polar have provided some useful tips to help you comply.