Garador's rainbow of generosity for Red Nose Day

Our amazing team just showed us that when it comes to supporting a good cause, they’re not afraid to get a little colourful! 🌈 For Red Nose Day, we threw aside our usual work attire and turned the factory into a kaleidoscope of colours. We’re talking bright blues, radiant reds, and gorgeous greens – it was like a paint palette exploded in the best way possible!

And let me tell you, it wasn’t just about looking fabulous. These style icons put their fashion foot forward to raise money for Comic Relief. By the end of the day, we had collected a fantastic £109.59! That’s right, every vibrant vest and jazzy jumper helped inch that total higher and higher.

It’s heartwarming to see how a bit of fun and a lot of colour can make such a difference. So here’s a massive shoutout to team Garador for bringing their most colourful selves to work and raising money for a great cause. Until next time, keep it bright and keep it right!

Head on over to www.comicrelief.com to make a donation.

Five ways to upgrade your garage's exterior on a budget

Let’s face it, over time the exterior of our garages often gets neglected. We pass it by every day, not noticing as the paint starts to chip, dirt and dust accumulates, vegetation gets overgrown and the overall vibe begins to feel a bit… well, lackluster. 

But fear not, my fellow DIYers and home improvers! We’ve got some nifty tips to spruce up your garage’s exterior on a budget! There’s no need to shell out a fortune to bring back your garage's original beauty. With a few clever tricks and a dash of creativity, you can breathe new life into your garage’s exterior without emptying your wallet. Let's dive in with five simple yet affordable ways to upgrade your garage's exterior.

1. Paint Power! 🎨 

Nothing beats a fresh coat of paint to make your garage pop. Go for a colour that complements your house or get bold with a contrasting hue. It’s amazing what a difference a fresh coat can make. Choose a shade that sings in harmony with your home’s color scheme or dare to be different with a bold statement color. 

 

2. Hardware Hacks 🔨 

Swap out old handles for new stylish ones. It’s a small change that makes a big difference and the best part is it's a totally doable weekend project that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

 

3. Lighting Upgrades 💡 

Good lighting can transform the look of your garage at night. Installing solar-powered lights is a great way to change the atmosphere of your garage, offering both environmental and economic benefits. Plus, they’ll make your garage shine like a beacon of home improvement success come nightfall.

 

4. Plant Some Green 🌿 

Adding some greenery can soften the look of a harsh garage exterior. Think climbing vines or potted plants for that touch of nature. Plants have a magical way of making any space feel more inviting. Whether it’s a couple of well-placed shrubs or some climbing ivy, greenery can transform your garage from tired to tranquil.

 

5. DIY Decor 🖌️ 

Get creative with some DIY projects. This is your chance to get creative and add a personal touch. Whether it’s a hand-painted sign, some homemade outdoor art, or even a custom-built trellis for those new plants, the possibilities are endless.

Remember, upgrading your garage doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a little creativity and elbow grease, you can have the best-looking garage on the block. So, roll up those sleeves and start transforming your garage's exterior into a source of pride!

Meet the Garador aeroplane: a mini marvel of engineering

Have you ever seen a tiny plane do amazing stunts in the sky? Well, you might have a chance to witness one soon, thanks to one of our talented engineers.

This year marks our 75th anniversary and as part of the celebrations, one of our talented team made this nifty looking model plane, complete with Garador insignia. It looks brilliant

We created a model aeroplane that is a replica of the famous Pitts Special S2A, a biplane that is known for its acrobatic performance. The Garador aeroplane is not just a toy, but a mini masterpiece of engineering. It has a 14-inch wing span and a powerful 450 watts electric motor that can make it soar, loop, and roll with ease. It also has a built-in battery that lasts longer than the usual methanol engines.

The plane is made of balsa wood and plywood, covered with a special film that protects it from the sun. Plus, it has all the features of a real aeroplane, such as accelerometer, ailerons, elevator, and rudder. It took almost a year to design and build this plane, using a laser cutting machine and CAD software to make the panels fit perfectly.

The model aeroplane is a celebration of our 75th anniversary and a glimpse of the talent which goes into our products and services. We've been making garage doors since 1948, and this plane is a testament to our team's passion and expertise. If you want to see this plane in action, keep an eye out for the next airshow near you. You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this mini marvel.

We made donations to our local food bank

Christmas is a time of giving and sharing, and our generous staff are doing their bit to make a difference by donating food to our local food bank in Yeovil, The Lord's Larder.

The charity has been operating since 1991 and relies on donations from individuals, churches, schools and businesses to help feed over 5000 people a year.

Garador's staff have been collecting food items for the Lord's Larder throughout December, filling up boxes with everything from tinned food and vegetables to soups, biscuits and pasta. They also donated some festive treats like mince pies, chocolates and crackers to bring some cheer to those who are struggling this Christmas.

We've all come together to help others less fortunate during the festive season. We hope that our donations will make a difference to the lives of the people who receive them.

Find out more at www.ycstyeovil.org.uk/the-lords-larder

We're on board for Grow a Tree in 23, with National Tree Week

It's National Tree Week this week, so we decided to make a donation to UK charity The Tree Council to help them plant and nurture 25 trees; from saplings all the way to a full-grown trees.

We are delighted to support such a worthwhile cause, as trees bring our streets, neighbourhoods and landscapes to life with their beautiful green leaves and colourful flowers. They also help us tackle climate change, provide homes for wildlife, improve our health and so much more.

This year, we are celebrating our 75th anniversary of making garage doors. That's a long time, and there have been many changes in the world since we made our first garage door. One thing that we are keen to support is the environment, whether that's manufacturing with renewable energy or reducing waste packaging. We know that trees are essential for our planet and our well-being, so we're proud to do our bit to support National Tree Week.

Find out more about National Tree Week at www.treecouncil.org.uk

We raised £300 for Macmillan Cancer Support

We've just finished our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning that we hosted at Garador offices in Yeovil. It was such a great event and we are pleased to have raised a lot of money for such a worthwhile cause.

Lots of staff went to enormous trouble to bake something delicious, with a tasty selection of cupcakes, biscuits, chocolate cakes, shortbreads and even devil’s food cake, shop floor operative Dessi Elmahdy brought in a hugely popular salted caramel cake and Sales Administrator Michele Jamieson added a savoury flavour with cheese puffs and swirls.

We had a fantastic turnout and a lot of positive feedback from everyone who brought cakes along. We were amazed by the variety and quality of the cakes and drinks that our staff and guests brought along.

We've continued to host our Coffee Morning as a yearly occasion because we wanted to do something good for our community and show our solidarity with those affected by cancer. We know that cancer can be a scary and lonely experience, and we wanted to make a difference in any way we could.

Find out more about Macmillan Cancer Support, by visiting www.macmillan.org.uk

Going green with solar power!!

It's fair to say we've been busy over the last 12 months, and not just with manufacturing garage doors! Back in June 2022, we decided to take the plunge and commission a study to see how feasible it would be to install solar panels on the roof of our Yeovil manufacturing plant. After considering a variety of different renewable options, each with their pros and cons, we settled on solar panels as they were deemed to be the most practical and cost-effective method of generating electricity. 

With the decision to shift towards green energy taken, we then explored costs and potential suppliers to do the job. The roof also needed to be checked and examined to see whether it could support solar panels, which would exert a significant pressure and weight across the building. The factory was built way back in 1984, and opened the following year, and is still in really great condition, thanks to regular maintenance and care from our diligent and conscientious maintenance engineers. The roof sheeting and structure of the building hadn't degraded.

After many months of meetings and preparations, the scaffolding needed to access the roof went up in late March 2023. Work to prepare the roof ready for thousands of solar panels could finally begin. Some good old-fashioned elbow grease was needed to clean the roof and so a team of cleaners' pressure washed the entire area getting rid of any dirt or grime which had accumulated up there. 

By now June had come around, the birds were chirping and the bees were buzzing, and the days were much brighter and longer - perfect weather for working out in the fresh air! Apparently, the roof required a lick of paint too! So we decided that if we were going to do it, we might just as well make a really good job of it and use a protective rubberised paint that would protect the surface for many years to come. We also replaced the roof lights. 

By late July, the roof work was complete, hundreds of square feet of roofing sheets have been painted, fixings replaced and roof lights swapped out for new ones too. Over 1500 solar panels were delivered to our yard just a couple of weeks later and goodness gracious was it an incredible sight to see so many all boxed and palleted up ready to go. 

During August the solar panel installers began loading all of the photovoltaic panels onto the roof, carrying them manually across the roof surface to get them into place. It was a huge undertaking and looking back, you could see the sheer scale of what had to be achieved. 

Back on the ground work was underway to implement a state-of-the-art system, for converting sunshine into the electricity that we know and love. One of the best ways to save energy is via an excellent flexible control unit and the new state-of-the-art equipment does just that, integrating power from our new solar panels when necessary. This means you only use mains electricity when you really need to.

The solar panels will help run all of the production equipment in the factory, so we don’t have to use as much fossil fuel based energy and make less pollution. Back on 28th September 2023 we made our first garage door using renewable energy generated from the solar panels. It's still early days and difficult to predict exactly how much of our energy will come from the solar panels, but currently it looks like the solar panels will give us more than half of the power we need in the summer, and still a lot in the winter. The system will make over 700,000 kWh of clean electricity every year and help to save a lot of money on energy bills cutting CO2 emissions by over 300 tonnes. What an achievement!

We want to do our bit for the environment and the introduction of solar panels is an important step. Keep your eyes peeled for more green initiatives in the coming months and years.