PVC-U window & door profile markets in Europe

The European PVC-U windows industry has got used to bad news from Germany, but it came as a shock when, after a run of several good years, volume dropped sharply in the UK, Europe's biggest PVC-U windows market. It shouldn't have been a shock, it had been well flagged. But it is hard to imagine a steep fall when the market seems so strong.

The PVC-U replacement casement window market in the UK is virtually saturated. Volumes are declining, and supply is greater than demand at every level. Total PVC consumption held up for so long because of new build housing, and strong growth from the public sector and conservatories. But even they are not big enough to make good the widening gap when the core replacement window market runs dry.

At every level - systems extruders, fabricators and installers - companies are cutting prices and competing for a smaller market. High costs don't help. There will still be winners of course, the strong always survive, but three systems companies have closed their doors so far in 2005, several are for sale, including one of the largest, and more will follow soon unless they look outside the UK to the growth markets of tomorrow.

German and Belgian systems companies have always looked beyond their borders for growth. Increasingly, other European systems companies are doing the same.

1.6 Million Tonnes of PVC Profile: Good Prospects, Great Opportunities

But just because some large older markets are fading does not mean Europe is history. Europe is at the start of what promises to be its biggest growth phase ever, if you know where to look, and what to look for.

But which countries are worth investing in? There are more than sixty producers of window systems in over twenty five countries from Germany, the UK and Turkey at the top, to Russia, Austria and Spain in the middle ranks, and Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus and Croatia among the smaller countries. Which are big and expanding fast? Which have the greatest prospects? Who has what share of each country? Who are the winners and losers among systems companies?

Five European countries, including Germany and the UK, out of more than twenty five, account for over 80% of today's total output, but as some shrink and others soar, tomorrow's market will be quite different.

The five leading multinational companies that have dominated the market until now, Profine, Deceuninck, Veka, Rehau and Aluplast, are under pressure - from each other and from smaller rivals claiming their space in the sun. We have seen an enormous amount of merger and acquisitions activity among the leading systems extruders in the last ten years. We shall see more. Some will surmount the difficulties and maintain their leading positions, but one or two will not be around as we know them. Tomorrow's market rankings will look quite different. Europe is not only part of a truly global market, but Europe itself is a major regional market with huge potential. Ambitious companies, including fast growing new systems houses that grasp this will change the face of Europe.

In all the established markets we see increasing concentration. The big are getting bigger and increasing their lead. Seven multinationals with a combined share of 83% dominate Germany. Nine dominate the UK. But, where they are growing fast the markets are more open. Much of Europe is as it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK - fast growing, vast potential and up for grabs.

Cross border flows of PVC-U profile are huge, with around a third, over 1.1 billion euro, of Europe's total production profile criss-crossing the continent.

There is also a large trade flow of windows and doors with more than 600 million euro exported and 660 imported within Europe during 2003, much of it tracing the flow of profile but in reverse.

Concentrating on the key markets of the next twenty years

The early bird catches the worm. Get ahead of your competitors and order your copy of 'Tomorrow's Market, Today', our study of the PVC-U Window & Door Profile Markets in Europe.

The report is in two volumes of 157 pages, with 68 tables and 6 charts. The report covers systems companies' consumption and use of PVC-U; who's growing and who's not; consumption and use of PVC-U in over 25 Countries; who's doing what where; trade flows of profile and frames across Europe by country; essential information on each country's population, housing stock and prospects; profiles of more than sixty systems companies including their main markets; forecasts; and a technical and environmental review.

The report also reviews the key issues existing producers must face up to if they are to survive.

Report contents

• 1.0 Background and Research Objectives
• 1.1 Research Method

• 2.0 Executive Summary

• 3.0 European PVC-U Window Profile Output
• 3.1 Volume - Total European PVC-U Window Profile Output
• 3.2 Volume by country

• 4.0 Imports and Exports of Profile
• 4.1 Total volume of Imports and Exports of Profile
• 4.2 Volume of Imports and Exports of Profile by Country
• 4.3 Total Value of Imports and Exports of Profile
• 4.4 Value per Tonne of Imports and Exports of Profile

• 5.0 Volume of PVC-U Profile Used by Fabricators
• 5.1 Volume-Total European PVC-U Profile by Country
• 5.2 Volume of profile used by fabricators in each country

• 6.0 Imports and Exports of Completed PVC-U Window Frames
• 6.1 Total Imports and Exports of Frames by country
• 6.2 Value of Imports and Exports of Frames by Country
• 6.3 Value per Tonne of Imports and Exports of Frames by Country

• 7.0 Volume installed by Country
• 7.1 Total European PVC-U Profile Installed as Completed Frames
• 7.2 Window Markets by Country

• 8.0 Industry Structure and Companies

• 8.1 Industry Structure
• 8.2 Markets and Countries
• 8.3 The Future
• 8.4 European Systems Extruders
• 8.5 Commentary on Countries

• 9.0 European Population
• 9.1 Total Population of Europe

• 10.0 Economic Data by Country
• 10.1 Number of Households by country
• 10.2 Total Housing stock by country
• 10.3 New dwellings completed by country

• 11.0 The Macro Econmic Outlook
• 11.1 Growth in GDP by country
• 11.2 Inflation rates by country
• 11.3 Consumer spending by country

• 12.0 Demographics v PVC Window Profile Output and Frame Manufacture by Country
• 12.1 Profile Production per 1,000 people by country
• 12.2 Profile production per 1,000 dwellings by country
• 12.3 Profile consumption by fabricators per 1,000 people by country
• 12.4 Profile consumption by fabricators per 1,000 dwellings by country
• 13.0 Technical & Environmental Review
• 13.1 PVC Materials
• 13.2 Profile Processing
• 13.3 Waste Management
• 13.4 Design & Alternative Materials

List of tables

Section 3: European PVC-U Window Profile Output

1. Production output 2003 ('000 Tonnes) - ordered alphabetically by country
2. Production output 2003 ('000 Tonnes) - ordered by group and ordered by tonnes

Section 4: Imports and Exports of Profile

3. Imports and Exports of profile by country (000's tonnes) - ordered alphabetically by country
4. Imports and Exports of profile by country (000's tonnes) - ordered by balance of net trade
5. Imports and Exports of Profile by country 2003 (Euro Million) - ordered alphabetically by country
6. Imports and Exports of profile by country 2003 (Euro Million) - ordered by balance of net trade
7. Value per Tonne for Imported profile by country - ordered alphabetically by country
8. Value per Tonne for Imported profile by country - ordered by Euro/Tonne 27
9. Value per Tonne for Exported Profile by country - ordered alphabetically by country
10. Value per Tonne for Exported profile by country - ordered by Euro/Tonne

Section 5: Volume of PVC-U Profile Used by Fabricators

11. Profile Production v Profile Consumption by country 2003

Section 6: Imports and Exports of Completed PVC-U Window Frames

12. Imports and Exports of Frames by Country 2003 ('000 Tonnes) - ordered alphabetically by country
13. Imports and Exports of Frames by Country 2003 ('000 Tonnes) - ordered by balance of net trade
14. Imports and Exports of Frames by Country 2003 (Euro Million) - ordered alphabetically by country
15. Imports and Exports of Frames by Country 2003 (Euro Million) - ordered by balance of net trade
16. Value per Tonne for Imported Frames by Country 2003 - ordered alphabetically by country
17. Value per Tonne for Imported Frames by Country 2003 - ordered by Euro/Tonne
18. Value per Tonne for Exported Frames by country 2003 - ordered alphabetically by country
19. Value per Tonne for Exported Frames by country 2003 - ordered by Euro/Tonne

Section 7: Volume Installed by Country

20. Window and Door Markets by Country ('000 Tonnes)

Section 8: Industry Structure and Companies

21. Major Window System Extruders 2003 - Production Output (tonnes) and % share
22. Countries included
23. Countries not included

Section 9: European Population

24. Population by Country (2003-2005)

Section 10: Economic Data by Country

25. Number of Households by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002 - 2010
26. Number of Households by Country - Actual and Forecasts 2002- 2010 (In order of % change 2004/2003)
27. Number of Households by Country - Actual and Forecasts 2002- 2010 (In order of % change 2010/2004)
28. Total Housing Stock by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002- 2010 - Millions of Dwellings
29. Total Housing Stock by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002- 2010 (In order of % change 2004/2003)
30. Total Housing Stock by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002-2010 (In order of % change 2010/2004)
31. New Dwellings Completed by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002-2010
32. New Dwellings Completed by Country - Actual and Forecast 2002-2010 (In order of Total New Build 2005-2010)

Section 11: The Macro Economic Outlook

33. Growth in GDP 2002-2006 by Country (%)
34. Inflation Rates 2002-2006
35. Consumer Spending 2002-2006 (Ranked by % change)

Section 12: Demographics v PVC Window Profile Output and Frame Manufacture by Country

36. Profile Production per 1,000 People per Country 2003
37. Profile Production per 1,000 Dwellings per Country 2003
38. Profile Consumption by Fabricators per 1,000 People per Country 2003
39. Profile Consumption by Fabricators per 1,000 Dwellings per Country 2003

List of charts

1. Production Output by Grouping 2003 (%)
2. Production Output by Country
3. Profile Consumption by Country 2003
4. Profile Production Output v Profile Consumption 2003 (%)
5. Proportion of Total Tonnage by Window Products
6. Major Window Systems Extruders (% share)

Follow the growth; follow the money

The UK, which consumes the most PVC window profile in Europe, is changing rapidly. And Germany, which produces more PVC window profile extrusion than any other country in Europe, is heavily dependent upon exports, although Germany's main export markets now have strong or growing domestic industries. So, how long can Germany continue to export to these markets?

Those companies who confine their focus to the UK will find it increasingly heavy going. Even the fastest growing most successful companies cannot outperform in a slow growing or declining market for any length of time. Ambitious companies and those who want to build a long term sustainable business must go where the growth is.

Whether your business is in PVC-U window systems, raw materials, machinery or in a related industry you can use the report to prepare your business and marketing plans for tomorrow's growth markets, and invest in the right markets to position your business for the next twenty years.

The cost of the report is £2,950+VAT. To order please call Lucia Di Stazio on (01453) 521621 today, or order online to get the facts on Tomorrow's markets, Today.