Simply Windows Ltd has been named Windows & Doors Business of the Year at the local business awards. The Hereford-based independent company supplies and installs uPVC windows, doors and conservatories, and its work also covers composite doors, aluminium bi-folding doors, roof lanterns, fascia and guttering, so homeowners can improve different parts of their property with one firm.
Behind the business is a personal story of determination and change. After years working for local window companies, the owner decided to go it alone following the loss of his father. The company now employs four members of staff, all of whom live locally, a milestone he finds especially rewarding given the long hours and personal sacrifices it took to get there. Winning as a small independent business came as a real surprise. More importantly, it is a chance to recognise the team's hard work and to thank the customers, family and friends who helped make it possible.
Turning years of experience into a business of his own
The owner started working in the window industry at a young age. Over the years he worked for a couple of local window companies, learning the trade and the work involved in supplying and installing windows and doors, and that experience became the foundation for his own firm. The decision to start out on his own was not only about a business opportunity, though. After his father passed away, he found himself at a point where he needed to make some changes in his life, and starting his own business was one of them.
It was a big step away from working for established companies. Running an independent business brings challenges beyond the practical skills of the trade: there are customers to find, projects to organise and decisions to make about how the company should run. Having spent years in the industry, he wanted to put that knowledge to use while setting his own standards of customer care and workmanship. From the start, Simply Windows Ltd has focused on a professional service and on treating customers and their properties with respect. Setting the company up took considerable effort, and seeing it become an award-winning independent business has made that first decision all the more worthwhile.
Windows, doors and home improvements
Simply Windows Ltd supplies and installs products for residential properties: uPVC windows and doors, conservatories, composite doors, aluminium bi-folding doors and roof lanterns, alongside fascia and guttering work. Choosing new windows or doors is an important decision for a homeowner. They are part of how a property looks and works every day, so the quality of both the product and the installation matters. Composite doors and aluminium bi-folding doors, for example, suit different styles and needs of property, and the range means customers can talk through different kinds of improvement with one experienced company.
Whether a job is replacing existing windows, fitting a new front door or a larger home improvement, the business aims for the same attention to detail. The owner's years in the window industry still shape how it approaches each project. He knows customers are placing their trust in the people working on their homes, and the team takes that seriously. The type and scale of each installation may vary, but the aim of a finished result that shows care and professionalism stays the same.
Taking care in customers' homes
The care taken when working in and around customers' properties is, for the owner, one of the things that defines the company. Home improvement work means letting tradespeople into spaces people use every day, and whether someone is having windows replaced or new doors fitted, they are trusting a business to work somewhere personal to them. For customers, the experience of having the work done can matter as much as the finished installation, and professionalism, respect for the property and attention to detail all affect how comfortable they feel during a project.
The owner believes those qualities should be part of the service as standard rather than something customers have to ask for, an approach shaped by his years in the industry and the standards he wants his own business to stand for. An installation is not just a matter of fitting a product and moving on to the next job, because the work is taking place in someone's home. The company's reputation depends on the experiences people have, so every project is a chance to show the professionalism and attention to detail it wants to be known for, and keeping that personal approach remains a priority as the business grows.
The challenges of starting a small business
Years of experience in the trade did not prepare the owner for everything. Setting up his own company meant taking on the practical demands of running a business on top of supplying and installing windows and doors. One of the biggest challenges was the time it took in the early stages. Long working days became routine, weekends were often needed to keep up, and all the while he was trying to balance it with family life.
Many independent business owners will recognise that pressure to give as much time as possible to keeping things moving, set against time with family and a life outside work. Finding that balance has been one of the lessons of building Simply Windows Ltd, while still delivering the standard of workmanship he expects. Building an independent company takes more than knowing the trade: it needs persistence, organisation and a willingness to take responsibility for whatever comes up. Looking back at the long days and weekends, he says that makes the award all the more rewarding.
A team of four local employees
One of the milestones the owner is most pleased to have reached is employing four members of staff. For a small independent business, building a team marks real progress, and it brings the responsibility of providing work for other people. It means all the more to him because all four live close to the business. A local workforce strengthens the company's connection to Hereford and the surrounding community, and it mirrors his own background, having grown up in the area and spent years working for local businesses before starting his own.
As an employer, he has to think about the people who deliver the work as well as the work itself. He is clear that the company's achievements are not his alone, since every member of the team helps maintain the workmanship and customer care Simply Windows Ltd aims for. That is why the award means so much to him: he sees it less as personal recognition and more as an acknowledgment of his staff's hard work, showing that the effort they put into everyday projects is appreciated. Creating local jobs while building a company he is proud of has been one of the most satisfying parts of the experience so far, and the team remains central to everything the business hopes to do.
Why Hereford matters
Hereford is where the owner comes from, where he gained his early experience in the window industry and where he chose to set up his business. Rather than starting somewhere unfamiliar, he has built the company in a community he already knows, which gives him a real sense of belonging and the chance to serve people in the place that has been part of his own life. With all four staff living nearby, the business also supports local employment, something he takes particular pride in.
He understands the value of local people supporting local businesses, and of relationships built on trust. In a community where people know one another and hear about tradespeople through personal recommendation, reputation counts for a great deal, and he wants customers to feel confident that the people working on their homes care about the standard of their service. For him, keeping that reputation is closely tied to his pride in being from Hereford. The business is something he has built in his own community, with employees who also call the area home, and that has made winning the award especially satisfying for a small Hereford firm and the people whose hard work helped it grow.
Supporting local charitable groups
Simply Windows Ltd is also proud to sponsor several local charitable groups. For an independent company, it is a way to give something back to the area it works in, and the business recognises the part local organisations play in bringing people together and supporting those who need help. Having spent much of his working life in the local window industry, the owner sees independent businesses as part of the community around them rather than separate from it. They depend on relationships, local support and the confidence customers place in them, and sponsorship is one way of acknowledging that.
For a company that employs local staff and serves people in the surrounding area, those relationships matter. The owner is proud that the business can play a part in supporting causes in the community, and as it grows, its local roots remain part of the identity he wants to keep. For the team, success means being part of the community that has helped make it possible, as well as the work it completes.
Quality across every installation
Quality workmanship is the standard Simply Windows Ltd most wants customers to associate with its name. Its products, from uPVC windows and doors to conservatories, roof lanterns and aluminium bi-folding doors, look different and do different jobs, but all need careful, professional fitting. Having learned his skills over years in the industry, the owner knows how much attention to detail matters throughout an installation, and taking pride in the finished work is central to how the company operates.
Customers choosing home improvements are making decisions that affect how their property looks and is used every day, and they want to know their investment will be taken seriously. The team aims to give them that reassurance through the care it takes on each project, treating every property with respect inside and out. Asked what winning says to customers, the owner points straight to the pride the team takes in the quality of its work. For him, that is the most important message the award can carry: his staff care about the finished result and the service customers receive. A strong reputation, as he sees it, is built by taking that pride in the work every time.
An amazing moment
Being named Windows & Doors Business of the Year came as an incredible surprise. As a small independent business, the owner had not necessarily expected recognition, and when he found out the company had won, his reaction was one of real amazement. It marks a milestone in what began with the decision to leave employment and start his own business, with all the long days, weekend work and juggling of work and family life that followed, and seeing that effort recognised is particularly rewarding.
He is clear, though, that the award is not only about him. One of the things it means most is recognition for the four local staff whose work is a big part of the company's success, and it is a chance to celebrate their commitment and the standards they help maintain. It also reinforces the principles that have guided the business from the beginning, taking pride in workmanship and treating customers' homes with care. The win reflects the support of the many people who helped along the way, from family and friends to colleagues and customers, and he sees it as a proud moment to share with all of them.
What the award means for customers and the team
Windows, doors and related installations are important features of a home, so choosing an installer is a significant decision, and customers want to feel confident about the service they will get. The owner hopes the award reassures them that Simply Windows Ltd values high standards of workmanship. For existing customers, it celebrates the care the company brings to its projects. For people who have not used the business before, it is a chance to discover a local independent company with an experienced team.
It also matters to the staff. Building a team of four local employees has been one of the owner's proudest achievements, and knowing their contribution has been recognised makes the moment especially meaningful. The company knows its reputation depends on the work of everyone involved, and each installation is a chance to show professionalism, care and attention to detail. Rather than changing anything, the award reinforces those principles and encourages him to keep the same approach as the business grows: quality workmanship, and respect for every customer's home.
The next chapter
The owner is already looking ahead, and one of the things he is most excited about is the projects currently in the pipeline. After the challenges of setting up the business and building a team, having work to look forward to is particularly encouraging, whether it is windows and doors, conservatories or related home improvements. Each new project is another chance to apply the experience and standards that have shaped the company.
The progress so far also brings a strong sense of personal achievement. What began as a decision to make changes in his life after the loss of his father has grown into an independent company employing four local people, combining years of industry experience with the determination to build something of his own. There is satisfaction in knowing the business now provides work for others while serving customers in his local area. The award adds another milestone, but he knows a lasting reputation comes from consistent effort rather than one achievement, and the focus stays on keeping the standards that earned it. With projects ahead and a committed local team behind him, he is looking forward to seeing what comes next.
A thank you to everyone who helped build the business
The owner wants first to thank his family and friends for their support. Starting out on his own was a big personal decision, made when he was looking to change his life, and their encouragement helped him take that step. He is also grateful to the work colleagues who helped in the early stages of setting up Simply Windows Ltd. For someone moving from employment into running a business, that practical help and encouragement made an enormous difference, and he recognises that the challenges of building a company are easier when people support one another.
He has particular appreciation for his four members of staff, whose hard work has helped the business grow and keep up the quality of workmanship it takes pride in, and to him the award is as much recognition for them as for the company. Finally, there is a sincere thank you to customers. Everyone who has chosen Simply Windows Ltd to work in their home has placed their trust in the team, and the owner values that confidence and does not take it for granted. Without customers choosing to support an independent local business, none of this progress would have been possible.
Asked what he would most like to say to them, his message is simple: “Thank you to each and everyone that has supported us.”
From the owner's decision to set up on his own after years in the window industry to employing four local staff, Simply Windows Ltd has grown while keeping its focus on caring for customers' homes. With strong ties to Hereford, a hardworking team and projects ahead, the company is proud of what it has achieved so far, and the values that led the owner to start it, care, attention and quality work for the local community, remain at the centre of the business.