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Vera Venray surprised the trade world at Polyclose with the imposing terrace canopy Q Bull. “We have had a lot of positive reactions from both dealers and fellow awning manufacturers,” says a proud Michèl Willemse. “We are obviously very happy with that.”
Terrace roofing has taken off in recent years, including semi-detached glass roofs built against the facade. Michèl Willemse saw the need from the market, but had nothing to do with the design of most of these roofs, semi-detached or freestanding. “Personally, I don't like the sloping shape of these roofs, which is why we chose purely vertical and horizontal lines for the Q Bull. As with slatted roofs, but then again these are in a higher price segment. Moreover, people are often afraid that they will take too much light out of the house if they are built against the facade. Then glass is a good alternative. With the sloping roof in a cubistically designed canopy, we combine the strengths of both options.”
Willemse says that he and his team naturally looked at similar products from other manufacturers and suppliers. “But the beauty of having our own canopy like the Q Bull is that we were able to design it exactly as we wanted. Consider, for example, the design of the uprights. In some competing products, I personally find them too skinny. This is of course a matter of taste, but by putting our own canopy on the market, we have been able to make everything exactly as we like it. It helps, of course, that we have our own sales. As a result, we are in close contact with the end customer and have a better sense of what he or she wants. We think all the sizes of the Q Bull are now in proportion and form an optimal overall picture.”
‘’We' is a word Michèl Willemse often uses when talking about the Q Bull or talking about Vera Venray. Talking about the awning world and his company, Willemse reveals himself time and again as an inspired entrepreneur. But even an inspired entrepreneur can't do it alone, which is why Willemse praises his team at Vera Venray, which is working full steam ahead for the future of the company. “We have a fantastic team. They feel the vibe and get into it. We are having a joint adventure that should be a pleasure for everyone!”
“We are a relatively small player,” says Willemse. “If you want to get bigger, you have to take steps - dare - put. We are doing that, which is why we are growing solidly.” To accommodate the growth, Willemse and his team are constantly working to further streamline production and make it more efficient. Proudly, he shows what has since changed since Z&R visited Venray just after the summer of 2018. Among them are very practical solutions, such as sliding tool racks at the work tables, roller conveyors so products can be easily transported to the next station and pneumatic elevator mechanisms in the tables to lift the product slightly for easier screwing and packaging.
In addition, Vera acquired a second commercial building across the street. “That gives us air,” explains Willemse. “There will be storage space for our buses, inventory storage and space for the shipping department, giving us more room for our production department.”
To also streamline production administratively, Vera Venray works with software from ISP Vision. “That suits our growth ambition,” Willemse said. “But in the way we work, we want to remain ‘small’. Not bureaucratic but flexible. We work closely with our suppliers to strengthen each other, but also with competitive colleagues in the region. Of course we are each other's competitors, but as industry peers we must also work together to first make sure the cake gets bigger. The distribution will come afterwards. There must also be a certain balance in competition. Mutual respect, without shortchanging anyone.”
The insulated sliding wall was already on display at Polyclose, but not yet in the showroom.
The Q Bull is not made in Venray. For the production of the patio canopy, Vera cooperates with a production company in Helmond, says Willemse. “We looked carefully at the market and also consulted our dealers in order to clearly indicate where we wanted to go with this canopy. The production company then worked out our ideas technically and they also take care of production. A cooperation that is going extremely well, which is confirmed by the reactions at Polyclose and afterwards: many of our dealers are enthusiastic and several showroom models have already been ordered.”
The Q Bull is available with a free span up to 7 m wide, without intermediate posts. The maximum projection is 4 m. The canopy is available as standard in the colors white, RAL 9010 textured, anthracite gray, RAL 7016 textured and black, RAL 9005 textured, and at extra cost in any RAL color of your choice. In addition to clear glass, the end user can also choose exclusive tinted glass or a combination of both. To complete the picture, Vera Venray is also working on a freestanding version of the Q Bull.
Michèl Willemse in the factory. To accommodate growth, production has been streamlined.
Several accessories are or will be available to further enhance the Q Bull's uses. These include screens and glass walls to close off open sides. Again, a choice of clear or tinted glass. The bottom rails for the glass walls have aluminum inserts for better movement of the glass panels. Double glazing is also an option. “It does not make the Q Bull a full-fledged conservatory, because the thermal bridge remains,” Willemse emphasizes. “But double glazing does make for a more pleasant stay under the canopy, not only because it seals out draughts and water, but also because it is soundproof. Optically it is also attractive because of the slender profiles.” Another option under development is a glass wall consisting of a fixed pane below and a movable one above, which can move downward to open and upward to close.
For evening lighting, LED spotlights can be built into the beams and front frame, and LED strips are being worked on. Another option is heating. Michèl Willemse is then thinking of an infrared plate heater. “In my opinion, a heater with a sleek look fits best with a sleek canopy like the Q Bull.” The heater is to be controlled via Somfy IO technology.
In addition, he is thinking of a suitable awning. “The Q Bull can of course be combined with a lower or upper patio canopy, such as those offered by various manufacturers, but we are also thinking of a slatted awning. Narrow blinds mounted in guides between the beams of the roof. Such a solution fits very nicely with the look we have in mind for the Q Bull.” Somfy was chosen to control all of the Q Bull's options to make it compatible with any other blinds.
At Vera Venray, they feel that all the sizes of the Q Bull are now in proportion and form an optimal overall picture.
Interest in outdoor living has not waned, Michèl Willemse also observes. “There is a tendency towards ‘fixed’: pergola awnings, canopies... A patio cover with good glass walls can be used for a large part of the year and thus fits perfectly with this tendency. Moreover, the problems in the housing market in the Netherlands do not make moving house any easier. With a canopy, one's own living environment can be given a boost.”
A canopy naturally requires quite an investment, but many people are willing to do so, Willemse observes. “As an industry, we may still have a hard time looking at large sums of money, but consumers are quite willing to do that. Moreover, the potential uses of a canopy are great because - especially if it can be closed off with insulated or non-insulated glass walls - it can be used for a large part of the year.”
“It is nice to add our own product in this segment with the Q Bull,” concludes Michèl Willemse. “The canopy has been enthusiastically received. We have already had many positive reactions, also at Polyclose. Some of our competitors from the awning world said they would like to have such a roof themselves!”
