Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

CR Smith finds ‘positive approach’ opens doors

Gerard Eadie.
Gerard Eadie.

Window, door and conservatory manufacturer CR Smith toasted sparkling revenue growth after revealing it boosted income by 17% during the year to the end of March.

The major Fife employer said it had seen “steady improvement” across all areas of the business, despite a generally declining trend in wider consumer spending.

Sales revenue reached £18.4 million in the period, up from £15.7m in the previous year.

Operating profits at the Dunfermline-based firm increased more than six-fold, from £41,000 in 2011 to £272,000 last year.

The company also revealed it had boosted its employee numbers by more than 10% from 300 to a total of 333 across manufacturing, installation, sales and customer service over the year.

CR Smith, which is based at the town’s Gardeners Street, said there was continuing growth in demand for the best quality goods and services despite the economic downturn.

Owner-chairman Gerard Eadie said his company had invested in its products and people.

He said the numbers justified his firm’s approach to its business.

“We are pleased with our performance in challenging market conditions,” Mr Eadie said. “Most importantly, it justifies our positive approach to the business.

“In the current economic climate customers demand even better service and value from established good quality providers.”

The company has strong prospects for this year, he added, with new product developments in the pipeline.

Founded in 1917 by Charles Robertson Smith, the company originally operated a paint and picture-framing shop in Alloa, with a glazing facility in Dunfermline’s James Street.

By the time Mr Eadie mounted a takeover in 1977 the company had already moved into the fitting and repair of windows.

Initially serving a glazing apprenticeship with Fife Council, Mr Eadie left the local authority to set up his own firm with the aid of £50 he borrowed from his mother.

He bought glass from CR Smith’s workshop and knew the Smith family well.

At the age of 25 he paid £2,200 to take over the company and buy its Olivetti cash machine after spotting a growing trend for home ownership.

Mr Eadie realised the changing market would mean more residents taking pride in their homes, and his move pre-empted the success of double-glazing and other home improvements.

CR Smith moved to its current HQ in 1981. A purpose-built factory was opened in Cowdenbeath in 1985 to replace premises in Dalgety Bay and an earlier workshop in Lochgelly.

Mr Eadie was a made a CBE in 2011 for services to the glazing industry and voluntary sector in Scotland.