Display Case

Vitrum Poster Case. Available in wall-mounted, post-mounted and monolith versions Vitrum incorporates a toughened glass front with printed ceramic borders and low energy LED illumination.

If, like me, you tend to view the “News” page of a website as a mechanism for gauging if the company concerned has any discernable pulse, you might be forgiven for assuming from the evidence of our own site that all at Greenbarnes expired sometime around February.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that we have been busy. So busy in fact that some of the routine tasks like updating the website have had to take a back seat for a while. So what has been keeping us so occupied?

Well, to start with, in February we said goodbye to Chay Leach, our Technical Sales Assistant, who after four years sterling work left to pursue a career in a totally different direction. As many of you who had come to know Chay will appreciate, he is hard act to follow.

The diverse nature of what we do, together with the fact that much of it has a bespoke element, ensures a steep learning curve for anyone joining us. This was certainly the conclusion reached by Chay’s replacement, Andy Brewer, not least because he joined us at precisely the moment when we experienced an explosion in requests for quotations! Five months on, we’re delighted to report that Andy has survived his “baptism of fire” and is busily engaged in answering your sales enquiries and generating quotations.

If February and March were about sending quotations out, the months which have followed have been all about work coming in. Contrary to what might be expected if you’ve been listening to Robert Peston and his fellow pedlars of gloom, we have enjoyed the busiest start to a financial year in our 25 year history. Starting with our biggest single job to date, for a leading charity, we have seen a steady influx of work from a variety of sectors, including some prestigious individual projects, of which we will write more in future postings.

Against this hectic background the ongoing process of product development has also continued apace, with several new items scheduled for launch later in the year including additions to the Vitrum ranges of poster cases, notice boards and monoliths one of which is illustrated above.

So, as you can see, despite the prolong news page silence, we are most definitely alive and kicking!

Vitrum monolith poster cases.

Vitrum has been developed as a direct result of what designers and specifiers have been requesting for some time… an outdoor, back illuminated poster case with LED lighting housed in a contemporary aluminium frame, with edge to edge toughened glass cover with ceramic printed borders, all lockable, secure and watertight but with easy access for updating.

Vitrum is available as freestanding monoliths, single and double-sided post-mounted versions, and a range of wall-mounted cases in standard sizes and finishes, but can also be customised to provide special sizes and colours. The substantial locking system affords complete security whilst the top-hinged doors rising on gas stays make changing the media a quick and easy procedure.

LED illumination ensures low power consumption and hence low operating costs, by using one third of the energy of traditional lighting and offers a projected life of 50,000 hours without maintenance, whilst delivering exceptionally even lighting across the entire width of the case.

To discuss how Vitrum might help you meet your display requirements ring us on 01280 701093, or email our Sales Department

Maintenance-free Man-made Timber notice boards from Greenbarnes Ltd welcome visitors to the National Trust's Cragside Estate in Northumberland.

Visitors to the National Trust’s Cragside Estate in Northumberland are now presented with the information necessary to make the most of their visit courtesy of a series of recently installed information boards manufactured from recycled plastics.

No less than 15 boards from the Greenbarnes Man-made Timber (MmT) range have been installed throughout the extensive property which has 9 separate car parks and 30 miles of footpaths.

The Trust’s decision to opt for maintenance-free MmT boards rather than their traditional timber equivalent is in keeping with the pioneering spirit of the property which, as the family home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong, was not only the first house to be lit by hydro-electricity but also boasts a wealth of other ingenious gadgetry including fire alarm buttons, telephones, a passenger lift and a Turkish bath suite.

“I am very happy with the boards. They are perfect for what we wanted and have made a great impact in the few weeks they have been up. They fit into the landscape/setting very comfortably, particularly as we are a Grade One listed landscape. I am particularly keen on the use of recycled materials”, commented Duncan Norman of The National Trust, on the decision to opt for MmT in such a sensitive location.

I am very happy with the boards. They are perfect for what we wanted and have made a great impact in the few weeks they have been up. They fit into the landscape/setting very comfortably, particularly as we are a Grade One listed landscape. I am particularly keen on the use of recycled materials.

As the accompanying photographs illustrate, we think he has a point! To learn more about the benefits of our maintenance-free recycled plastic notice boards ring us on 01280 701093, email our Sales Department or go to www.greenbarnes.co.uk/product-type/noticeboards/man-made-timber-notice-boards

An A3 portrait format menu case from Greenbarnes' new Man-made Timber Smallboard range.

Restaurant owners know that now, more than ever before, success depends upon creating a good first impression. If passers-by don’t even break their stride to glance at your menu, then its content is irrelevant, they won’t be dining. So presenting the information in a tidy and professional fashion becomes a prerequisite of success, but how is this best achieved?

In many cases, particularly in urban surroundings, the answer lies in the use an aluminium menu case (and we offer plenty of alternatives to fill this requirement), but is there something more appropriate for use elsewhere, in more rural surroundings?

The traditional and obvious answer to this question is to use a timber display case of some description, but these do require unflinching dedication to their regular maintenance in order to keep them in tip-top condition.

But fear not! Now there is a maintenance-free solution that looks like timber but has none of the inherent problems of wooden menu boards – the Greenbarnes Man-made Timber Smallboard.

Greenbarnes have been manufactured larger scale notice boards in this versatile recycled plastic material since 1994 and, as a result of demand, we are now pleased to offer these menu-sized cases in 3 standard sizes, A2, A3 & A4 in portrait and landscape formats. Man-made timber will not warp, rot, split or fade and as it is totally impervious to salt, it is ideal for use in sea front environments.

For more details of the benefits of man-made timber, please click here. Alternatively, to discuss the possibilities, including branding and bespoke sizes, please call our sales team on 01280 701093.

Comrie in Colour volunteers pictured with their new recycled plastic notice board

The beautiful village of Comrie in Perthshire, Scotland, lies on the banks of the River Earn at the edge of the Scottish Highlands and is in the heart of the scenic West Strathearn area of Perthshire, with mountains rising to the north.

When it comes to their recycling activities, the local population must be ranked amongst the most resourceful of citizens. Amongst the many active village organisations is “Comrie in Colour” which, last year, successfully gained awards in the Large Village category of ‘Take a Pride in Perthshire and ‘Scotland in Bloom. Building on this success the group has now decided to compete in ‘Britain in Bloom’ and to this end it has been working hard in and around the village.

“We have planted over 4.000 plug plants for the baskets to hang in the village, this involved making our own liners for the baskets out of re-used plastic resourced locally”
- says the group’s page on the village website.

Most recently however, the group has furthered its green credentials by choosing one of Greenbarnes’ range of maintenance-free Man-made Timber notice boards, also constructed from recycled plastics, to publicise its own work as well as that of other village groups.

For further details of all our recycled plastic notice boards call us on 01280 701093 or email our Sales Department or go to www.greenbarnes.co.uk/product-type/noticeboards/man-made-timber-notice-boards

A-Max cases used in Ely Cathedral wayfinding project

We are delighted to be able to report that our A-Max aluminium display cases were recently specified as part of a signage project for Ely Cathedral.

Designers Maddison Graphic were commissioned by the cathedral Architects, Purcell Miller Tritton, and the Dean & Chapter at Ely Cathedral to design replacement wayfinding and information panels. The signs are positioned at seven entrances to the cathedral precinct, the idea being that any visitor to the cathedral would pass one of them. Three of the information panels are abutted by a second poster case containing notices.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ELY CATHEDRAL WAYFINDING PROJECT