An eventful life for a brand that still aims to stand for quality and workmanship based on the vision of its founder.
Founded in 1965 as 'Home Insulation Ltd' in Waltham Abbey, to produce Aluminium Secondary glazing, it was created in the vision of one of its founders David Kingsley to sell new glazing to post-war homes built with no insulation. It was a fortuitous time for Mr Kingsley to start in home improvements. The post-war years of austerity were at an end and living standards were improving considerably with a 40% increase in real wages between 1960 and 1965. More people owned their own homes - almost 50% by 1966. However, many homes were substandard either built in the post-war building boom with limited materials or dating back pre-war and had suffered from years of under-investment through the war years. Mr Kingsley's timing was impeccable and enabled the company to ride a 40-year boom in home improvements based on installing quality products.
Home Insulation Ltd's early success attracted many suitors and a drive to expand quickly led to a merger with Pillar Aluminium Holdings in 1968 which in turn was quickly acquired by Rio Tinto (the miner) to create Pillar RTZ. As the glazing range at that time was exclusively aluminium it gave the organisations direct access to retail markets and as producers of raw materials, they could command premium prices for their products.
From early on Mr Kingsley's aim was to make the best products on the market so the brand could stand apart from competitors. Everest windows were frequently independently tested and always came back as the best. From this, the brand's ambition to 'fit the best' was born and in the 70s this maxim became the cornerstone of the brand. It was also around this time that the company began using the brand name Everest for the first time. Adopted by the management it was felt that it summed up the organisation as the biggest and most well-known producer in the industry.
The brand went from strength to strength through the 70s launching new products such as aluminium double glazing and something truly revolutionary, the sliding patio door. At the time glass had been used sparingly to avoid draughts but the patio door marked a landmark change in a wider trend to dispense with the traditional format of several smaller rooms that could be heated by a fireplace. Instead, the patio door heralded open-plan living and the opportunity to connect the home and the garden. This was not about heating and formality but a more informal approach to design more around fun, fashion and impressing friends.
