Company Report: Parry Bowen
Leader in façades Construction Digital profiles Parry Bowen, a world leader in façades

32 Homer Road, Solihull is a prime example of a fast track u

Arsenal's Emirates Stadium

Uxbridge Business Park

The name Parry Bowen is synonymous with quality. Having worked on numerous high profile projects, including Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, it can be, without doubt, considered a UK leader where façades are concerned.

“I would describe Parry Bowen as a leading building façade expert,” says Tim Bowen, the firm’s Finance Director, who says it is the company’s goal to create ‘visually stunning’ façades.

“We have a string of prestigious projects to our name,” he continues. “You mentioned the Arsenal stadium there, which was a fantastic project; albeit very challenging. As anyone that has seen it will tell you, it is eye-catching, and the façade consists of 10 large floor-to-roof glazed screens, which cover the perimeter of the structure.

“Because the screens spanned a number of floors, some of which fronted internal areas, others of which fronted the stands, it presented real challenges and we undertook sophisticated analysis of the thermal requirements to devise a method of construction that worked,” adds Bowen, talking enthusiastically about the £2.7 million project.

“Of course, that’s just one example of what we do – it is certainly a great example.”

Indeed, Bowen – who is the son of the company’s founder and the brother of the current Managing Director - is right; Parry Bowen does offer much, much more and has a comprehensive range of market-leading product types. “Over many years, we’ve worked on significant commercial, residential and public sector developments for the UK’s largest contractors and clients,” he says. “As a consequence, we’re experienced across a spectrum of requirements.”

All of Parry Bowen’s façades are built around one or more of its core products, all manufactured in its own factories. This control of manufacturing allows the company to exercise levels of quality control, which, says Bowen, “are essential for the overall performance of the façade”.

“We specialise in projects that are demanding in scale, in technical requirements, or in both. We have the skills and experience to value-engineer the client’s concept to create a design that works aesthetically and technically within the project budget,” he continues.

A NEW LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM
Parry Bowen was founded in 1979 and started life as a supplier of aluminium systems to the window trade. It hasn’t looked back since. “We entered the major projects market in the early 90s with a reverse takeover of part of the Lyngrid Group, which at the time was a significant curtain walling specialist,” says Bowen. “From the very beginning the company’s objective has been to provide a professional level of service to our customers.”

He says that, ever the forward-thinkers, Parry Bowen were amongst the first to realise the customers were looking for more from a façade specialist – with better understanding of technical demands and better construction methods amongst the new criteria. “We meet this challenge head on,” says Bowen. “We always ensure we have the technical resources needed to address the market’s developing requirements. Customers need a specialist that understands sophisticated structures, thermal performance and acoustics, amongst other things. And, we are that specialist.”

Parry Bowen, it seems, is well placed to tackle large, complex projects. So what’s its secret? “We’re good at anticipating industry trends and, in the last few years, have made significant investments to establish two production lines dedicated to unitised façades, a product that is pre-fabricated in a controlled factory environment and which therefore eliminates much of the quality and programme issues associated with site-built installations,” answers Bowen, almost before the question leaves our reporter’s lips. “We’re always investing in raising our game, whether that be through new facilities or training the next generation.”

DOWNTURN? NOT REALLY
Unfortunately, the recession has seen demand for unitised façades tail off, a source of disappointment for Bowen. “Unitised façades were very popular right up until recession hit,” he says. “They do have a slightly higher initial cost than traditional onsite building methods. And, as a result, they have disappeared into the long grass at the moment, as firms try to save cost. To me that is a false economy; I’m convinced that the total cost of ownership of a site built façade is higher than unitised. It has higher ongoing maintenance because it is impossible to build it as well.”

All things considered, the recession hasn’t hit Parry Bowen as hard as most – because it “thinks and acts fast”. There are fewer “big” orders, yes; however, demand is still strong in other areas.

“We work on a time lag,” says Bowen. “We went into the recession with projects at reasonable margins, so it didn’t really affect us, but is starting to now. Of course, we have been looking for work. We have had a very quiet spell, but we have just picked up £10 million worth of work in the last two months, which means we have 12 months worth of work ahead of us. That is very good.”

Of course, margins are now tighter, which places a strain on the business, but Bowen is still optimistic about the future.

“We’ve got a healthy forward order book and will be involved in prestigious events like the Olympics,” he says.

“Yes, the recession has an impact. And our impact has been that the higher-end projects have declined. So, we’ve been looking for more ‘conventional work’, as it were. Those projects are on tighter margins, so it makes life that much more difficult. However, we are looking forward to the future.”

It has every reason for optimism - Parry Bowen is an expert in designing, manufacturing and installing high quality, integrated building façades. So, recession or not, it should be excited about the future.

“We have been successfully designing, fabricating and installing all kinds of high quality façades for over 30 years,” Bowen explains. “We do so effectively, efficiently and professionally.

Parry Bowen has grown and developed over the years. Resisting the temptation to expand too rapidly, the company has still grown annually at impressive rates - largely on the strength of repeat business from established customers. “Turnover has grown and was over £32 million in 2008,” concludes Bowen.

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