Ten years ago, we published a blog called "10 Years at the Top", marking ten years since I became the owner of The Window Co.
Somehow, another ten years have passed.
September 13th 2026 now marks 20 years since I took ownership of the business, and an incredible 26 years since I first joined The Window Co straight from school.
Looking back at that old article, it's amazing to see how much has changed, but also how much has stayed the same.
From Our Old Premises to a New Home
Back in 2016, we were working from much smaller premises and preparing for what was then the biggest investment we'd ever made.
We had purchased a new site in Stretford and were preparing to create a purpose-built home for The Window Co.
The new building opened in 2017 and, looking back, moving there was without doubt one of the best decisions I've made for the business.
It gave us room to grow, a proper showroom for our customers and, most importantly, a permanent home from which we could plan for the future.
Ten Years of Growth
When we wrote the original article in 2016, The Window Co had 13 employees and six vehicles and our turnover was around £2 million annually.
Today we employ around 25 people, operate a 12-vehicle fleet and turn over approximately £4 million a year.
But I'm probably even prouder of the fact that we've grown without losing the things that made us successful in the first place.
Some members of our team have been here for around 20 years, and that experience and continuity is hugely important to us.
Over the last decade we've also expanded our product range, improved our systems, streamlined the way we work and continued investing in better products and better service.
We are undoubtedly a bigger business than we were ten years ago.
More importantly, I believe we're a better business.
And Now We're Building Again
What makes looking back at the 2016 article particularly interesting is that, ten years later, we're almost back at the same starting point.
We're planning for the future and we're building again.
We've submitted plans for a major extension and refurbishment of our Stretford premises, adding approximately 2,000 square feet of additional space.
This includes a new floor above the existing showroom, a complete reorganisation of our offices and much more space for our team.
Once finished, we'll have a showroom of around 3,500 square feet.
The new showroom will allow customers to see far more full-size products in realistic settings, including conservatories, solid-roof systems, aluminium products, windows and a huge selection of doors.
We believe it will make us one of the largest dedicated window, door and conservatory showrooms in South Manchester, giving customers somewhere they can properly see and compare products before making a decision.
The construction, extension, showroom and refurbishment will represent an investment of just under £500,000.
It's a significant commitment, but we're building it for the next ten, twenty and hopefully forty years.
A Completely New Fleet
The building isn't the only major investment we're making.
We're also planning to replace our entire fleet of 12 vehicles, representing a further investment of more than £250,000.
Our installation teams spend a huge amount of their working lives in their vans, and I think they deserve the best environment and equipment we can reasonably provide.
I also believe presentation matters.
A clean, modern, well-organised vehicle creates the right working environment for our team and represents the standards we expect when we arrive at a customer's home.
Between the premises and vehicles, we're investing approaching three quarters of a million pounds back into The Window Co.
That investment is about our team, our customers and the long-term future of the company.
A New Look for The Window Co
Alongside the building and vehicles, we've also introduced a new Window Co identity.
This isn't about changing who we are.
It's about modernising the business while keeping the values that have got us here.
We're still a local, family-run company. We still believe in employing our own teams, providing quality products and doing things properly.
But we don't want to stand still either.
The new branding, showroom and fleet are all part of preparing The Window Co for its next chapter.
40 Years in Business
There's another major milestone approaching too.
In 2028, The Window Co will celebrate 40 years in business.
That's something I'm incredibly proud to be part of.
The business existed long before I became its owner, and I feel a responsibility to make sure we're putting everything in place for it to continue long into the future.
That's really what all of this investment is about.
We're not here for the short term.
We're investing now because we want The Window Co to still be here and thriving for another 40 years.
Here's to the Next Ten
Ten years really does fly.
In 2016 we were looking at drawings and plans for our new premises.
In 2017 I was standing outside the finished showroom for the first time.
And now, in 2026, we're looking at another set of plans and preparing to take the next big step.
I wonder what I'll be writing when we revisit this in 2036.
Hopefully I'll be able to say that we continued investing, continued improving, looked after our team and our customers, and never forgot the values that got us here.
To everybody who has been part of The Window Co over the years, whether as a member of our team or one of the thousands of customers who have trusted us with their homes:
Thank you.
20 years as owner.
26 years at The Window Co.
And here's to the next ten.
Wayne outside the current showroom today, ready for the changes
Wayne Shaw
Managing Director, The Window Co