Fastnet uPVC was founded by local man Stephen Dineen over a decade ago.
The West Cork window company has gone from strength to strength, taking on new business with each customer spreading the good news by traditional word of mouth.
The growth of Fastnet uPVC has been so strong that it left Stephen and his two crews of window fitters with a dilemma – one that has resulted in an exciting step forward: “The company has built gradually over the years to a point where it has become unmanageable, in many ways,” says Stephen.
“As a result, I’m responding to only about 60% of the enquiries I get… Hence, the reason why I needed to make changes.”
The change that is about to happen is a new partnership with Cork-based Energy Glazing.
The 5-star window company will bring their professionalism and experience to join forces with Fastnet uPVC.
Its owner Sean Murphy has strong links with the Mizen, having been a regular visitor since childhood.
His father currently lives in Crookhaven. “When I met Sean, we had a lot of meetings, discussing to see whether this was something that we both could move forward on,” says Stephen.
“One of the crucial things for me was that the guarantees that I could give to my customers on the quality of service and the quality of fitting could continue.
“I got a guarantee that it will be business as usual in the way that we fit and the way that we look after our customers. And my customers are my advertising. That’s the way it has always been.”
Both companies use the same suppliers, so it will be a continuation of the same products that they are both familiar with.
“With this change, I’ll be able to concentrate on what I do best – selling windows: going through all the different choices with people, going through all the technical details and regulations with customers. Then the business side of things will be looked after by my partners.”
They will be opening a showroom in the coming months in Schull – a new ‘window’ on a well-loved service on the Mizen, only better than before.
“We want to take this business to the next level, where people can come in, walk around, touch, feel and see. We’ve always done things on a personal level and that’s the way things work best in our catchment area.”
