Better products and deeper relationships are giving us good reason to stay optimistic. MiTek UK & Ireland’s Managing Director, Richard George, outlines our plan for an unpredictable future.
It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that the world is going through some turbulent times. Interest rates, gas prices and supply chain disruptions are conspiring against our industry. New homebuyers are nervous about entering the market with so much uncertainty. The next six months are going to be unpredictable, and we have to be honest about that.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. People will always need somewhere to live. The simple fact is that we need to keep on building new housing, and that housing has to be sustainable. For MiTek, and others in the industry, that means long-term commercial security despite the headwinds.
Investing in trusted products
We’re going to continue to succeed together because we’ve got great products that people are eager to invest in. Posi-Joist has a big role to play in the ongoing sustainability transition. The UK alone has tens of thousands of low-carbon homes in the pipeline. Our products are the right fit for them, and the industry is already using them or adapting to a future where they are integral to their design process.
In fact, we’re pleased to announce that Posi-Joist and our Connector Plates have all been EPD (Environmental Product Declarations) verified in the UK. That lets specifiers, architects, designers and consumers check the environmental impact of what we sell across its whole lifecycle from cradle to gate. It’s a big vote of confidence in us and proves that our products compare very favourably in the marketplace.
These factors no doubt helped in the selection of Posi-Joist being used in the eHome2 project. This collaboration between Saint Gobain, Barratt Developments and the University of Salford explores how far sustainable housing can go. eHome2 is being built inside The University of Salford’s globally-unique Energy House 2.0 research lab, which is part funded by the European Research Development Fund (ERDF). The technologies used are way beyond what today’s legislation demands.
Understanding the relationship between high performing fabric solutions and mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment is a key learning point for the research being carried out in Energy House 2.0. Pasquill designed and supplied both housing (creating a roof located utility area) and free service runs (using Posi-Joist cassette) for future mechanical and electrical requirements. Both the Posi-Joist cassettes and roof/attic truss solutions were designed using MiTek’s PAMIR software and hardware.
Our product takes its place next to sustainable innovations like air-powered showers and anti-pollutant plaster. Like MVHR and indoor air quality systems, these clever innovations and services become second nature to install with Posi-Joist at play. The open webs allow ducting to be routed through the floor zone, with absolute ease.
On the software side, PAMIR is expanding to include wall and panel design. As sustainable homes become more advanced, we’re working towards providing one package capable of designing an entire structure. Coupled with our physical product line, it’s going to make life much easier for a lot of our customers.
Staying part of our community
An even greater sense of security is coming from the way we continue to invest in relationships. As well as working with Barratt Developments we’ve also begun a knowledge sharing programme with a US client, called Thrive. We connected the two companies together on a recent visit to Salford University for a tour of Barratt’s Zed House.
Thrive Homes is a sustainability trailblazer across the pond, having set the trend on sustainability well before any government commitments. They have committed to building zero carbon homes by 2023. The North American homebuilder is leading the way in indoor air quality and net zero energy homes, having already won the award for housing innovation in 2021 with a net zero carbon home.
We’re looking forward to seeing what we can all learn from one another.
Closer to home, we’re continuing to pay our success forward by supporting a range of charities. From food banks and housing charities to helping construct ‘Mary’s Place’ bringing to life a redundant space in the grounds of Mary Stevens Hospice, we’re committed to staying active. With a bumpy road ahead, it’s important to do what we can for local communities.
Great products delivered by talented people who reinvest their success in the world around them. That’s the basis of MiTek’s strategy for an uncertain future. We believe it’s a winning formula that’s going to carry us forward into a successful 2023 and beyond.
