Glee 2008 - Review - Page 3 of 4

Page 1 - The Biggies

• Introduction
• Stonemarket
• Bradstone

Page 2 - The Mediums

• StoneFlair
• Global Stone
• Pavestone
• Natural Paving

Page 3 - The Others

• Bowland
• Living Stone
• Longborough Concrete
• R2 Paving Solutions
• Border Stone

Page 4 - Accessories & Awards

• Derbyshire Aggregates
• McMonagle Stone & Romex
• NCC Streetscape
• PointRite
• Chambermate
• EasyPaver
• G-Block
• Summary
• Awards

It's been a couple of years since Bowland last graced us with their presence at Glee, and it's a pleasure to report that they are back with renewed vigour and a much more impressive presence. There are a couple of new products which we'll come to shortly, but there is much more focused approach to sales and marketing. Perhaps they've picked up something from their erstwhile colleagues at Living Stone, or their more obvious competitors serving mid-range products to the retailers: whatever it is, there is now a much stronger feel about the brand.

On the 'front' corner of the stand, they'd cleverly positioned their Baroque Oval , an eye-catching ellipse of their characteristic buff wet-cast paving, backed-up by a huge promotional banner proclaiming the incredible value and profit potential this item offered to retailers. As with other items elsewhere at this show, it was a simple, nowt fancy patio offering that would have enormous appeal to the weekend DIYer. It's all a matter of understanding your market and providing them with appropriate product.

However, profit doesn't come from stationary stock. Products have to sell to generate that profit so it's vital that the offerings will attract customers. While the Baroque Oval will appeal to the budget-conscious DIYer, you need summat that demands attentions to draw in the more selective purchaser, which is exactly what the ostentatious Lakeland Sun patio feature does. Admittedly, it's a variation on a theme, but there's no denying it's a head-turner, and at well under 250 quid, it has to be a winner.

Meanwhile, ex-Bowlanders Living Stone had a larger-than-ever stand with a pair of rather-too-comfy leather sofas forming a cosy chat area, while they had maximised their display area by attaching vertical displays to the back wall of the hall itself, an obvious advantage of this particular location.

Over the past year, Phil and Andrew have pushed ahead with their 'Stone To Home' direct delivery service and report that they are pleasantly surprised with the success the scheme is enjoying. I remember speaking at length about this project last year, as it is apparent to even a myopic old bugger like me that this is developing into a major route to market for many suppliers, as witnessed by the growth of EBay shops amongst paving manufacturers. Living Stone have staked their place at the head of this developing technology and are poised to leave standing many of their similarly-sized competitors.

As is becoming tradition, Lonstone were my first port of call on entering the hall on that Sunday morning, partly because they are very conveniently located right besides the main entrance; partly because of the affable company of Ian Williams and his team; and partly because his daughter makes a good cup of tea, which is just what I need after a 2 hour drive from the north.

I'm sure I've said it before, but there's no harm in repeating the fact that Lonstone are typical of the small-to-medium sized manufacturer that have carried the industry for decades. Their strength lies in producing good quality and value that is ideally suited to a local or regional market. They are never going to stun us with a ravishing new product or stun us with a designer-styled display area, but as with several other exhibitors, that's simply not their intention.

Despite it not being directly relevant to their key market of paths and patios, Ian has prepared a short but readable 'discussion document' regarding the forthcoming legislation for front garden paving, and the likely impact on their customers. This is more than any of his comparable competitors bothered to do, and he'd even managed to put together a simple display of how a basic patio could be constructed along permeable lines. It is just this sort of attention to detail that keeps Lonstone in business and why these smaller, family-oriented firms deserve our support.

R2 refers to the two Richards behind this new distribution company. Richard Featley and Richard Williams have a wealth of experience behind them as senior managers with a certain well-known national manufacturer. An opportunity to distribute the truly excellent HanseBeton paving products presented itself to them so they took the plunge and, with some financial support from the Germans, set-up R2 Paving Solutions .

These are NOT everyday patio flags. They are the very highest quality face-mix paving units that make exemplary use of the best fine aggregates from around the world to create a finish that is difficult to beat. And as if that isn't enough, many of the flags are treated with the exclusive HanseClean coating which enhances colour, inhibits mosses and algae, deters dirt and stains, and eases any cleaning tasks.

The whole range encompasses flags, blocks and permeable paving, and while the economics of international haulage might render the more everyday items uncompetitive in smaller quantities, the flagstones are highly distinctive and sufficiently attractive to justify the small price premium. While I don't expect to see these products laid to the patio of your typical Barratt or Redrow home, I suspect those designers and architects looking to create a distinguished statement at their developments will be delighted with these stimulating products.

Border Stone is the AI sibling charged with a brief to serve the less discriminating end of the market, a task that they have fulfilled admirably over recent years. Border Stone are never going to amaze anyone with their stand, nor with their products: that's left to their bigger brothers, but they can amaze with value. They do offer good quality at a very reasonable price.

They've a couple of attractive new products for 2009, but for reasons best known to themselves, they kept the best discreetly tucked in amongst the pallets of basic wet-cast patio flagstones. Having witnessed my enthusiasm for the Rosemount round-top edging on the StoneFlair stand, Marketing Controller, Ian Wright, dragged me over to the Border Stone stand to show me the even more attractive barley-twist edging cut from a yellowy-orange sandstone.

The second product of note is a leaf-shaped patio kit. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, but a simple alternative to the more usual circles that tend to be used for these stand-alone patios. Unlike certain other elliptical patios that emerged in recent years, this one will actually accommodate a small patio table, just about. It's been knocked out of standard-fare Indian sandstone, and there is a degree of excess wastage due to the shape of it all, but the 12-piece kit is straightforward and should be impossible to lay out-of-pattern. It's eminently suited to DIYers and, sensibly priced, is just the sort of item that weekend landscapers will pick up from their local garden centre on a whim.

Naturally, the usual bags of decorative aggregates were on show, but there's really nothing spectacularly new. Despite the forthcoming legislation regarding front garden paving, I had expected to see more mention given to the suitability of gravel, but it appears that a trick has been missed, and not just by Border Stone.