TECHNAL UK: Our History

When people ask how long TECHNAL has been operating in the UK, there is no single answer.

For some, the story begins with TECHNAL's origins in France. For others it starts in Gloucestershire with Monarch and Glostal, or in Wakefield with Viking Aluminium Systems. Many long-standing fabricators, installers, contractors and architects will remember working with Sapa Building Systems or Hydro Building Systems before the TECHNAL brand became the market-facing identity it is today.

Today's business combines the experience, innovation and industry relationships built through these histories, supporting construction projects throughout the UK.

Foundations in France and Sweden

The story starts in 1960 when André Bos founded Alusud in Toulouse, France. The business would later become TECHNAL and establish itself as a supplier of architectural aluminium systems across Europe.

Three years later, in 1963, SAPA (Skandinaviska Aluminium Profiler AB) was established in Sweden. As the aluminium industry expanded, SAPA became a major contributor to aluminium extrusion and building system technology.

Throughout the 1970s, TECHNAL expanded internationally through export and entered the UK market, introducing its architectural aluminium systems to British construction projects.

The experience developed by both businesses later became part of the wider organisation operating today.

The Gloucestershire Story

For many within the industry, Tewkesbury is still closely associated with the development of aluminium building systems in the UK.

Two businesses are central to that history. Glostal Aluminium was established in 1968, while Monarch Aluminium Limited was founded in Cheltenham in 1971. Glostal specialised in commercial glazing systems, storefront and framing, while Monarch were recognised for residential aluminium windows and doors.

As the market changed, the two businesses were brought together. Following the merger, the head office and warehouse operations were based in Tewkesbury, while manufacturing was centred at the Bishop's Cleeve production facility.

The merged business subsequently evolved through several operating names:

• Monarch Aluminium Limited

• Gränges Building Systems Limited

• Sapa Building Systems

• Hydro Building Systems

While the company name changed over time, much of the knowledge, experience and customer base remained with the organisation.

Tewkesbury continues to serve as the headquarters of Hydro Building Systems UK Limited, supporting customers across the UK and Ireland through the TECHNAL and WICONA brands, with logistics support, customer service, warehousing, technical support, marketing and product development.

The Wakefield Story

Alongside the development of the Tewkesbury business, a separate heritage was evolving in Wakefield.

The roots of the Wakefield operation can be traced through Thomas Bennett & Sons before evolving into Viking Aluminium Systems, a name still familiar to long-standing fabricators and installers. Over time, Viking became known for its practical approach to aluminium systems and understanding of market needs.

As ownership structures evolved, the business passed through several operating names, including:

• Viking Aluminium

• Alcan Viking

• Viking Architectural Systems

• Technal Viking

• Sapa Building Systems Wakefield

Although the business changed names over the years, the engineering and fabrication knowledge developed in Wakefield remained part of the organisation. For many in the industry, the Viking name remains associated with the development of aluminium building systems in the UK market. That knowledge and experience continues to form part of the capability supporting TECHNAL customers across the UK and Ireland.

Consolidation across the aluminium systems sector

The early 2000s marked a period of consolidation throughout the European aluminium industry.

In 2002, Norsk Hydro acquired TECHNAL, bringing one of Europe's leading architectural aluminium systems brands into the Hydro portfolio. This connected TECHNAL with a global organisation operating across aluminium production, recycling, extrusion technology and building systems.

At the same time, SAPA continued to expand its UK building systems operation through acquisitions and business integration. Expertise from Monarch Aluminium, Glostal and existing SAPA operations was brought together within a broader organisation serving both residential and commercial construction.

By 2006, the UK division of RC Systems, based in York, also became part of the wider organisation. The acquisition brought the well-known Elegance facade into the UK product portfolio.

The next major milestone came in 2013 when Norsk Hydro and Orkla combined their aluminium extrusion business. For the first time, TECHNAL and SAPA Building Systems operated within the same global organisation, sharing resources, technical knowledge and manufacturing capabilities.

In 2017, Hydro acquired the remaining shares in the joint venture, becoming the sole owner of the global SAPA business and creating a more integrated organisation.

From SAPA Building Systems to TECHNAL

For many customers, the SAPA name remains familiar within the aluminium building systems sector.

In 2020, Hydro completed the integration of SAPA UK into the TECHNAL brand within the UK and Ireland. The people, facilities, technical capability, customer support functions and product knowledge remained in place. The change was to the market-facing brand.

The move brought together the heritage of Monarch Aluminium, Glostal Windows, Viking Aluminium Systems, Sapa Building Systems and TECHNAL under a single brand.

Legacy systems that helped to shape the market

Throughout this history, a number of aluminium systems became widely recognised across the UK. Products such as the Crown residential suite, Dualframe 75 and Elegance became widely used among fabricators, installers and specifiers, while earlier Monarch, Glostal and Viking systems helped establish aluminium as a practical solution for residential and commercial construction.

Although these systems are no longer part of the current product portfolio, many of the engineering principles, fabrication considerations and practical lessons developed through them continue to inform product development today.

TECHNAL and WICONA

Today, the UK and Ireland market is served by two brands within Hydro Building Systems: TECHNAL and WICONA.

Both brands are owned by Norsk Hydro and draw upon the same expertise in aluminium production, recycling, extrusion technology and building systems. While the brands share a common foundation, each has its own focus within the market.

TECHNAL

TECHNAL UK and Ireland specialises in design-led, high-performance aluminium building systems across residential and commercial applications.

Our portfolio includes:

• Aluminium windows

• Aluminium doors

• Aluminium curtain walling / facade solutions

• Complementary facade products including louvre systems, Juliet guarding and pergolas

TECHNAL systems are used on projects ranging from private homes and housing developments to schools, healthcare buildings, commercial offices, industrial sites, student accommodation schemes and public-sector projects.

Supporting architects, contractors, fabricators and installers throughout the project lifecycle remains a core part of our business.

WICONA

WICONA is widely known within the commercial facade sector for larger and more technically demanding projects.

The brand is frequently associated with:

• Unitised facade systems

• Cross-border and international projects

• Complex curtain walling solutions where bespoke elements are required

Together, TECHNAL and WICONA provide complementary solutions within Hydro Building Systems, giving customers access to a wider range of aluminium systems and support.

One shared foundation

Although TECHNAL and WICONA maintain distinct product portfolios and market positions, both draw on expertise developed over decades within the aluminium systems industry.

That shared heritage includes the contribution of businesses and brands that have played roles in shaping the local and international market, including Monarch Aluminium, Glostal Windows, Viking Aluminium, Alcan Viking, Sapa Building Systems, Hydro Building Systems and TECHNAL itself.

Looking forward

Performance standards, sustainability requirements and project complexity continue to increase across the construction sector.

The need for systems that can be specified with confidence, fabricated efficiently and installed successfully remains the same.

These principles have been present throughout the development of the business, from Monarch and Viking through to Sapa, Hydro and TECHNAL. They continue to guide the way the business develops products, supports customers and contributes to the built environment today.

For some, our story began with Monarch Aluminium. For others, it started with Viking Aluminium Systems, Glostal Windows or TECHNAL itself.

Today, those histories come together within one organisation, supporting architects, contractors, fabricators and installers across the country with the expertise, technical support and aluminium systems needed to deliver future construction projects.