CMS Window Systems

CMS Window Systems employs 290 staff between its manufacturing headquarters in Cumbernauld and factories in Kirkcaldy and East Kilbride. 

It designs, manufactures and installs PVCu and aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling – non-structural glass façades for the external walls of buildings.

“Our products contain high levels of recycled content and are 100% recyclable after their long service life,” explains CMS Marketing Manager Sarah Wilson. “Because they’re thermally efficient and secure, it helps householders reduce their carbon footprint and heating costs.”

“We work with social housing providers and private developers on refurbishment and new-build housing contracts. And in the commercial development sectors, we work with some of the biggest names in UK construction.”

CMS produces 3,000 windows and doors weekly and thousands of square metres of curtain walling annually and opened two new factories in 2018 and 2019, with dedicated recycling facilities.

“We are committed to providing the highest quality, energy efficient products with all waste, including all extracted window and door material, passing through our dedicated recycling facilities,” Wilson says.

Its recent environmental awards include a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, an International Gold Green Apple Award, a Green World Award and Scottish Green Apple Award.

VIBES credentials

CMS has been a VIBES winner twice and has also won the EBAE award:

2016-17: Winner of the European Business Awards for the Environment (EBAE) – Management category for Medium and Large companies

2015: Winner of VIBES Management Award SME category

2009: Winner of VIBES Management Medium Size category

Martin McCrimmon, Business Systems Director at CMS, oversees environmental sustainability for the company and said:

“VIBES helps us maintain our focus on environmental sustainability and is an independent marker in the sand in terms of our performance.

“We won a VIBES award in 2009, then again in 2015, so entering around every five years allows us to stay on track, network and learn from other pioneering businesses to improve even further. And our participation with VIBES helps to inspire confidence with our customer base through our openness to be independently assessed and scrutinised by experts in this field.”

Environmental and business benefits

• Waste is designed out at project tender stage and lean manufacturing techniques are applied throughout CMS’ manufacturing facilities.
• Windows and doors extracted during refurbishment contracts, alongside manufacturing and office waste is reused, recycled and reintroduced back into the manufacturing cycle wherever possible, to avoid sending to landfill.
• CMS changed the requirements for the handling of waste in council tenders in Scotland. All window refurbishment tenders must now include recycling.
• Removable containers on the company’s lorries are left on site and refilled with extracted waste, cutting emissions and costs.
• By developing dedicated recycling centres alongside its manufacturing plants, CMS sent zero waste to landfill for the last 2 years eg FY2018-19, 97% of waste - 2,806 tonnes - was recycled and 3% sent for Refuse Derived Fuel or Waste to Energy
• CMS supply chain partners have sustainability credentials compatible to its own, and preferences the use of local supply chains.
• CMS separates waste into seven streams and approved recyclers handle, transport and treat these safely and effectively.
• Waste plate glass is sent directly back from CMS to construction materials group Saint-Gobain and remade into new double glazed units which become part of the new windows CMS manufactures, an example of circular ‘closed loop’ manufacturing - products are reused rather than treated as waste.

Wider benefits

• A derelict warehouse at its Cumbernauld site that was ‘G’-rated for energy efficiency has been retrofitted with CMS products and is now ‘A’-rated for energy efficiency.
• Running this Innovation Hub costs under £5 a day, showcasing what can be achieved through refurbishment rather than demolition, with waste going to landfill.
• The Hub’s state-of-the-art conference facilities are offered free-of-charge to customers, educational institutions and charity organisations.
• CMS provides work placements in its recycling centre for those far from the job market, leading to permanent positions.
• The company’s Apprentice Academy trains around 12 young people annually.
• CMS pays the living wage, holds Investors in People Gold, Investors in Young People and has helped 100+ people achieve SVQ qualifications.
• Installing electric vehicle chargers has prompted four colleagues to purchase electric cars.

Website: cmswindows.com