Latest news with #Unex
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Empty Debenhams store 'blights' Ipswich town centre, says council
A former Debenhams store that has been empty for four years is "blighting" a town, a council four-storey Waterloo House building in Ipswich town centre has been vacant since the department store chain stopped trading in 2021 as a result of the continued rise of online shopping, the Covid lockdown and other Ipswich Borough Council said the building's owner, Unex, had rejected several applications from "well-known retailers" to take over the has been approached for comment. Last year, Adrian Morris, Unex's managing director, said that while the company had seen interest in the building, Lloyds Avenue, which runs up the eastern side of it, needed to be pedestrianised to help secure a decent a statement, the council said: "The former Ipswich Debenhams sits at the heart of the town centre. "It's stripped out, vacant state has a blighting impact on the town and it is deeply disappointing that its Suffolk-based owners have not been able to get it reoccupied. "Despite not owning the building, we continue to seek ways to bring about a re-occupation as we know that this would have a significant impact on the town – just as our recently announced action on the Grimwades building opposite will when it's occupied later this year after some 12 years vacant." 'A desolate cornerstone' Out in the town centre, Callum Kempton, 24, hoped the unit was filled soon and claimed that in its current state, it brought an "empty feeling" to the town given its position at one corner of the Cornhill main square."It felt so desolate seeing it disappear because it was the cornerstone for people coming in and it just makes the town feel a lot emptier by not being there," he believed the unit was well suited to a multi-functioning space similar to the nearby Buttermarket Shopping Centre which offers shops, dining, a cinema and leisure facilities - a "massive mix of environments... a ball of everything". Fellow shopper Susanne Knot, 75, said she also hoped to see a new occupant take over the derelict building. "It's awful," she said. "When I was a little girl we used to come into town and there was all the shops... you didn't used to be able to get in the door at Debenhams. It's such a shame."[Waterloo House] is an eyesore at the moment and it needs businesses in there so our town can thrive again." Debenhams shut after online fashion retailer Boohoo bought the brand and its website for £55m, but closed the 118 stores. It was built in 1975 and Debenhams' tenancy agreement started on 8 August 1977, according to sale documents.
Otago Daily Times
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Rylock Otago: Your one-stop window and door shop
The team at Rylock Otago look after their customers in the best way possible. Between them, the team at Rylock Otago have got 118 years of experience in the joinery industry. That's a lot of expertise for their customers to rely on when it comes to aluminium windows and doors. The Rylock brand was first launched in New Zealand over 70 years ago. The family-owned business in Mosgiel followed soon after, and it has operated from the same Gladstone Road site for 60 years, owner Geoff Hay says. 'In that time there's only been two owners – the original owner and then us,' he says. 'In recent years we've redeveloped the factory, and we've just finished the showroom and offices.' The company specialises in the manufacture and installation of Rylock aluminium windows and doors for both new housing and the renovation market. The Rylock brand is part of the wider Altus Aluminium Group, and that relationship provides them with a wealth of technical backup and state-of-the-art product development. This has been particularly relevant over the last few years with changes to regulations improving the thermal performance of building products. As a result of this they now have two thermally broken window and door systems giving plenty of options to meet customer requirements. They manufacture a wide range of products, some of which are unique to Altus Aluminium such as the 'Euroslider/Eurostacker' range of sliding doors, 'Foldback' bifold windows and doors, along with the premium 'Pacific Thermal' system that enables the selection of differing colours internally and externally. Rylock Otago is a member of the Dualglaze network, which is a nationwide group of aluminium fabricators with a focus on the retrofitting of double glazing into existing windows and doors. This involves the replacing of the existing single pane of glass with a brand-new double-glazed unit, the same as what would be used for a new home, and carrying the standard 10-year warranty. The use of high-performance double glazing combining low emissivity glass and argon gas, maximises the thermal performance of the windows and doors. As aluminium joiners, Rylock Otago has solutions for most situations, and they are adept at finding solutions for the trickier jobs. The result is a cost-effective way to improve the way you live through having a warmer, quieter and healthier home, and one that you have added value to. Other products they offer are 'Unex' balustrading, 'Windsor' garage doors and 'Juralco' insect screens. Rylock Otago has a tightknit team of 12, who work hard to deliver the best results for their customers, manufacturing and installing Rylock aluminium windows and doors. They have a wide range of customers from homeowners, commercial building owners, and builders through to national building companies. Recent work has included a 3 story multi-million-dollar home in Queenstown, and a large renovation at Selwyn College in Dunedin involving the replacement of timber windows with new double glazed, thermally broken units. The Rylock philosophy is to create high-quality, functional, and stylish solutions that enhance indoor-outdoor flow, provide superior temperature control and noise reduction, while also offering optimal safety and security. At Rylock Otago they're committed to valuing their employees and promoting an environment where they respect each other and work closely together. 'I think that sets the scene so that staff treat the customers with honesty and integrity as well,' Geoff Hay notes. 'And if we make a mistake, we'll put it right.' Rylock Otago is your one-stop window and door shop from new builds through to retrofitting of double glazing. They offer a free quote service within the greater Dunedin area. The right way towards a warmer, quieter, healthier home. 25 Gladstone Road, Mosgiel, 9024 03 489 4676
