The Door Industry Journal: March 2018

Saturday, 31 March 2018

Dave Lewis MD of Ellard Reflects on 40 years in the Door Industry

With more than 40 years’ experience in the door industry, Dave Lewis reflects on its changing landscape and discusses his new role as Chairman of DHF’s Industrial Door Group….

A period of 40 years will yield any number of changes, whatever the industry, and it’s probably safe to say that Dave Lewis has seen a fair few. A glittering career catapulted him swiftly up the ranks, from his first position at Crawford Doors in 1976, to his current role as Managing Director of Ellard, a company which, under his sound leadership and direction, has increased turnover from £4 million in 2008 to £10 million in 2017. Dave’s vision is to grow this to £20 million and diversify its product offering.

“It’s true to say that I have seen so many changes over four decades!” he laughs, “and there are a number that are particularly notable, such as the growing awareness of legislation, CE marking and regulation. There’s been a definite shift towards a more professional approach.”

One of the most significant changes however, has been in the advances of technology and electronics, which Dave describes as ‘incredible’.

“The door industry has been referred to in the past as ‘boring’, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” he explains. “Many of the solutions that are required to make our industry work are complex and innovative. Technology is very much a part of that. When I first entered the sector, 60% of industrial doors were power operated; now, it’s almost 100%. We can virtually service a door in another country from here – now, that’s incredible.”

Of course, with automation comes the need for greater safety. These products are, after all, machines. It was Dave’s desire for a ‘safer product’ that inevitably led him to DHF’s door, the Tamworth-based trade association for companies working with Locks & Building Hardware; Doorsets; Industrial Doors & Shutters; Domestic Garage Doors and Automated Gates. With its history and origins dating back to 1897, DHF is the ‘go to’ organisation for technical advice, training and better standards across the industry.

Holding the position of Vice-Chairman of the Industrial Door Group for four years, in October 2017, Dave took on the official role of Chairman and has his own strategy for successfully steering the group through the choppy waters of a rapidly changing sector. A very dynamic individual, Dave is keen to project some of that vitality into the group’s regular meetings, as well as continuing to increase membership and offer current members value for money.

“The Industrial Door Group meetings are well-attended, but I’m hoping to increase attendance further and help DHF offer door suppliers a greater voice and ‘easy-to-understand’ messages and documentation about industry changes and how these directly impact them,” he says. “Training and the drive for greater industry standards are very much the backbone of DHF’s operations. We work in a dangerous industry, so our enduring message is: a safe product and a safe environment.”

Just last month, DHF launched its latest code of practice (DHF TS 012:2018) designed to raise standards of safety in the industrial door industry. It provides a framework to ensure the safe and compliant installation of industrial doors and roller shutters, drawing on safety legislation, European standards, and industry best practice.

“The new code of practice offers help to all those involved with industrial doors by providing clear guidance on their legal obligation and responsibilities,” says Dave. “At the present time, there are too many untrained people working in the industry, particularly in smaller companies, so getting the message out there about proper training is absolutely vital. Let’s hope to improve this will be the biggest change over the next 40 years.”

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Friday, 30 March 2018

If you need some Easter Break reading, the Spring issue of DIJ is available online now!

The Door Industry Journal is an independently produced and edited trade publication, published on behalf of the door and automated gate industries.

With the Beast from the East consigned to whence it came, there is (at last) a hint of spring in the air. And with it comes the latest issue of the DIJ.

Depending on when you’re reading this, you are probably looking forward to a bit of chocolate – or regretting how much you ate! Either way, there’s plenty inside to keep you occupied:

We start, of course, with a rundown of the recent R+T show in Stuttgart. It only comes around once every three years, so is eagerly anticipated and always makes an impact. This year is no exception, with record numbers of exhibitors and visitors and lots of positive feedback from UK companies. Go to page 6 to read more.

On page 10, meanwhile, there is vital information for anyone who works on construction sites, in a piece by qualified NVQ Assessor Pete Whyatt. In this article, Pete explains the situation on the CSCS Skilled Worker Card, and clears up much of the confusion that surrounds this subject.

There is more sound advice on page 12, where Neil Sorrell, Channel Manager for UK Access Markets at Somfy, talks us through the latest innovations in the home automation market – and how they can help you and your customers.

On page 16, you can read the reflections of a 40-year veteran of the industry – in a spread devoted to the thoughts of Dave Lewis, Managing Director at Ellard and the latest Chairman of DHF’s Industrial Door Group.

And on page 56 there’s a piece on a nifty new device from Teckentrup – the CarTeck DRIVE. This one-size-fits-all motorised opener features a clever fixed chain and travelling motor design that is maintenance free.

So, plenty to get your teeth into besides chocolate! Enjoy your reading, but before you go.....

Our thanks, as ever, goes to all our readers, advertisers and contributors for your support in producing this issue. We look forward to keeping our readers engaged and assisting companies of all sizes with their publicity requirements in our next issue.

You can now unwrap another egg!

www.dijonline.co.uk

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Thursday, 29 March 2018

Construction employers call on EU migrant workers to stay, says FMB

With exactly one year until Brexit, construction employers in the UK are praising the quality of their EU workers and encouraging them to stay, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The key findings from the FMB’s research on how the bosses of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms view their EU workers includes:

94% of firms describe the quality of EU workers they employ as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

85% of construction SME employers that employ EU workers say that these workers are important in allowing their business to maintain and expand its workforce.

76% of these firms say it would have a negative impact on the health of their business if any of the EU workers they employ returned to their country of origin, now or post-Brexit.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said:

“With exactly a year to go until ‘Brexit Day’, our research demonstrates the extent to which the UK construction industry values its EU workers. More than 90% of firms describe the quality of their EU workers as 'good' or 'very good'. What’s more, three-quarters of firms that employ EU workers think it would have a negative impact on the health of their business if these individuals returned to their country of origin, now or post-Brexit.

“The UK construction sector is more reliant than most on migrant workers from Europe – at present, 9% of our construction workers are from the EU. In London, this rises for nearly one third. Given the severity of the skills shortages we already face, retaining these workers is business-critical.”

Berry concluded:

“Our research sends a strong and positive message from the construction industry to its EU workers. We’re now calling on the Government to step up and help us convince our EU workers that they are needed and warmly welcome. Ministers recently announcement that those who have lived in the UK for five years, or those who arrive from the EU during the transition period, will be able to apply for settled status.

“This is a huge step in the right direction, and what we were calling for, yet we question how well the Government has communicated the news. We’re already seeing EU workers return home for financial reasons, or simply because they don’t feel welcome, so time is of the essence. The Government and the industry must do all that they can to put positive messages across to our vital and highly-valued EU workers.”

About the research

The research came from the guest questions in the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q4 2017. 324 construction SMEs responded to the survey from right across the UK.

www.fmb.org.uk

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Wednesday, 28 March 2018

Multi-purpose Speedors

From retaining heat in a typical warehouse to maintaining air quality in a cleanroom, Hart Door Systems’ Speedor range of automatic, high speed, industrial doors continues to show its huge scope of use in industrial and warehouse applications.

A Speedor ‘Cleanroom’
being installed

Hart is a leading designer and manufacturer of industrial doors systems with its high-speed door ‘Speedor’ now a globally recognised brand. In all there are five types of Speedor in addition to the ‘Super’ variant.

Speedor Storm offers for exceptional wind resistance, Speedor Mini is for internal applications, Speedor Maxi utilises twin layer fabric for large door openings, Speedor Conveyor is for high frequency conveyor systems and Speedor Twinblade has been designed to meet specific air leakage rates.

Hart also produces a broad range of fire and security products for widely differing applications that require automatic action, speed of operation and protection.

For more information call 0191 214 0404 or visit www.hartdoors.com .

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Tuesday, 27 March 2018

Barrier Components Celebrating 30 years trading

Barrier Components Ltd, has traded as a specialist architectural hardware supplier since 1987.

Based in Purfleet, Essex they constantly strive to source new and innovative hardware products, from around the world, to provide a one-stop-shop with respected technical support for their customers.

The company’s product portfolio broadly includes swing, sliding and folding door systems, glass hardware, balustrade systems, gate hardware, shower enclosure components and brush strips and seals. But their success has come not only from a wide product range, it is from the detail and energy they pour into sourcing new innovations, testing them and bringing them to the UK market.

Barrier Components prides itself on the long-standing supplier partnerships it has with leading manufacturers across the world. Brands like FAC of Italy that supply a wide range of steel components for cantilever, swing and sliding steel gates. Their recent additions are bi-folding and telescopic kits for all sliding solutions.

LOCINOX of Belgium is another supply partner with a focus on high security lock systems. They design and manufacture the largest range of locks for steel gate systems in the world together with self-close mechanisms for swing gate systems. HELAFORM of Finland supply Barrier with heavy duty industrial and agricultural sliding door solutions.

The COLCOM group (including SADEV of France) offer a solution for frameless glass facades and balustrade systems and GCC of Taiwan supply an extensive range of glass components for shop fronts and shower enclosures. These are just a few of Barrier Components long-term suppliers, quality brands that ensure that Barrier Components keep on offering the very latest product innovations.

One Balustrade Channel To Rule Them All…

One of Barrier Components most recent successes has been in capturing a large share of the balustrade system market with their supplier Sadev. In the spring of 2016 they introduced the Barrier-SABCO balustrade hardware system boasting a hi-tech, sleek and minimal finish and offering the perfect cost effective solution for Frameless glass providing an installation that’s designed to be simple to install and achieves the stringent BS EN 6180:2011 3kN performance*.

Consistent development saw a now popular addition introduced last year to complement the system, a high quality RGBW LED lighting strip. The strips can be used with either a 12v or 24v power supply and has an impressive 60 LED’s per metre. It is IP68 rated for external use, comes with a 5 year warranty and can be purchased with a range of RF remote controls. They also introduced Juliet balcony kits into their range enabling supply for a popular domestic trend.

Steel Posts & Spigots

Barrier Components selection of stainless steel posts and spigots are also proving to be increasingly popular, triggered by the current growth in sales of glass balustrade systems. They have a range of pre-assembled posts, tilt-loc spigots and stand-off adapters suitable for a wide range of applications.

In fact their broad range of glass hardware includes hinges, patch fittings, door handles, clamps & point fixings, frameless glass seals, spider fixings and articulated fixing bolts, including blast enhanced bolts for point fixed glass facades.

Gated Solutions

The company has a wide range of gate products including hardware for Bottom rolling, Cantilever, swing and bi-fold systems, together with general gate locks and bolts. One of their key suppliers Locinox and FAC work closely with the company to provide technical solutions for a wide range of customers.

Door System Specialist

Swing, Sliding and folding door systems really are a speciality of Barrier Components. They offer a host of domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural door system solutions. This range includes Straight Sliding, Stacking, External Bottom and Top Hung Folding, Interior End fold systems together with many Frameless Glass solutions. Barrier works hard to constantly improve the design and performance of the systems they provide to ensure they carry the latest technology and material finishes.

Their most recently introduced systems are the Barrierslide Strap, Ivan 2 and Crystal that not only save space but reflect the latest look in interior styling. They are ideal for both residential and commercial applications and they will work with solid, framed and frameless glass doors and feature exposed tracks and industrial style running gear which are right on trend. They all come complete with fixing stops, guides and both soft close and open devices.

Brush Strips and Seals

Barrier also sell a range of quality brush strips and seals to reduce draughts, shaking and rattling. The range includes everything from glass to garage door seals to help improve the efficiency of the home or office.

Check out www.barrier-components.co.uk for further details or to purchase on line or call their technical team on 01708 891515

*The product has passed independent British Standards BS EN 6180:2011 testing up to 3kN on most glass thicknesses for both base fix and side fix variants.

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Monday, 26 March 2018

Coals to Newcastle? No, Hardware to China

Astra Door Controls, the concealed closer specialist, is bucking the trend in the AI trade by exporting British-made hardware to China.

Astra 3000 Series closers, manufactured in Preston Lancashire, are being used on projects across Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China, specified for their maintenance-free reliability and sleek design.

Astra’s top-of-the range CE-Marked 3000 Series size 3 concealed hinge-edge door closers are being used across the Far East on projects such as hotels, luxury apartments, and commercial spaces because they enable architects to maintain the minimalist aesthetic that is so fashionable, while still complying with all appropriate fire and safety regulations.

For these kind of blue-chip developments, concealed closers the obvious choice since they are not visible when the door is closed, avoiding the somewhat institutional and ungainly appearance of overhead closers. The Astra 3000 series closers are often chosen because, with full adjustability, they were powerful enough to handle deluxe doors’ weight and width.

Astra MD Phil Gallagher said:

“Astra exports its British door closers across the globe via a network of distributors and partner companies.

“The 3000 Series, designed and made right here in Lancashire, is proving a particular success in the Far East where high rise building – the natural market for the Astra 3000 series – is so popular.

“We are proud to be exporting British technology and manufacturing excellence to markets like China, proving that quality products that solve real-life problems will always find a market.”

Typical of the projects that Astra concealed closers are used on is DUO, an award-winning contemporary twin-tower development in Singapore. The stunning mixed-use development is the showpiece building in the significant Ophir Rochor corridor redevelopment.

Designed by architect Ole Scheeren and scheduled for completion in 2017, DUO was awarded a Silver award in the Best Futura Project category at MIPIM Asia Awards. It is an integrated development comprising premier residences, Grade-A office spaces, a retail gallery and 5- star hotel.

More than six hundred Astra’s 3000 Series concealed door closers have been specified and fitted at DUO.

Astra is well known for its door closer range and the Lancashire-based company can demonstrate many years’ experience in the sector and carries out all its own R&D in-house. It exports its British door closers across the globe via a network of distributors and partner companies.

For more information contact:

Philip Gallagher
Astra Door Controls
Tel: 01772 796901
e-mail: info@astradoorcontrols.com

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Sunday, 25 March 2018

Clever Kids Come up with Green Way to Keep Windscreen Clean – Using Reused Rainwater

It’s an idea that could one day help save billions of litres of water. * Instead of simply wiping raindrops off our car windscreens, why not collect and reuse the water via the washer jets?

Brother and Sister Daniel and Lara Krohn were travelling in the family car last summer when the heavens opened. But when their dad Gerd, who was driving, tried to clear away the smears, the reservoir was empty – and the windscreen just got dirtier and dirtier.

The two clever kids’ idea to capture the raindrops and reuse them won first prize in a local science competition and has now been developed for a full-sized test car.

11-year-old Daniel, from Jülich, in Germany said:

“It was a downpour. There was water everywhere – except in the windscreen wiper reservoir. My sister and I thought this was really funny and then the answer suddenly seemed obvious. Simply reuse the rainwater.”

“We couldn’t believe that no-one had thought of it before,” added 9-year-old Lara. “To try it out, we took apart our toy fire engine and fixed the pump to a model car inside an aquarium. Then we added a filtering system to ensure the water was clean. It just worked really well.”

Engineers at Ford who heard about the idea were so intrigued that they offered to install a full sized device into a Ford S-MAX test car. To collect the water, rubber pipes connected the bottom of the windscreen to the reservoir.

Theo Geuecke, supervisor, Body Exterior Hardware, Ford of Europe said:

“Daniel and Lara’s idea has been staring drivers in the face for decades – and it has taken one moment of ingenuity to bring it to life. In less than five minutes of rainfall the washer reservoir is completely full.”

Water usage by vehicles is expected to increase as additional cameras and sensors also need to be kept clean. Ford engineers are already working on ways to capture water, via rain and condensation, including a way of gathering moisture from the air and filtering it into drinking water – On the-Go H20.

Nicci Russell, managing director, Waterwise said:

“What a brilliant idea! Innovations like these are essential to make the water we have go further. We will all need to change our behaviour to waste less water, but we’ll also need clever new bits of kit like the one Daniel and Lara have designed.”

* Drivers use around 20 litres each year to keep their windscreens clean. With 291 million cars on European roads, if such a “Krohn” system were in every car, it would save almost six billion litres of water each year.

Watch the video here: www.youtube.com

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Saturday, 24 March 2018

National Theatre begins work to install new Rooftop Entertainment Space

Work has commenced on the installation of the National Theatre’s new rooftop entertainment venue. Replacing The Deck, a temporary structure originally built in 2007, the new event space is set for completion in summer 2018.

This complex riverside project is underway, with the old structure being taken down, making way for a fresh, open space that will meet the growing demand for a more creative and high-tech venue for corporate entertaining, VIP events, private parties and weddings on the South Bank.

Plans for the new structure include sliding glass screens which will allow the installation to open up to the external terrace, creating a free-flowing space inside and out, while showcasing panoramic views of the London skyline and enhancing the venues unique location on the Southbank.

Future events will benefit from the artistry and stage craft that the National Theatre is renowned for, with event organisers able to draw upon the best talent the theatre industry has, providing creative production expertise, the very best in sound and vision design and costume and prop innovators that have worked on globally renowned theatre shows. This, coupled with the National Theatre’s dedicated events team and world-class in-house catering, will create new unique and immersive experiences.

As one of the venues of choice for creative, design and production agencies in London, The Deck will pick up where it left off last year as it looks set to welcome clients from a wide range of sectors including technology, publishing, finance and retail.

The project is being designed by RIBA award-winning architects, Haworth Tompkins, who completed NT Future a hugely successful £80 million redevelopment of the National Theatre in May 2015.

Wedding guests will, for the first time, be able to dance the night away at the venue, as the floor has been specially modified for dancing.

Tineke O’Brien, Head of Commercial Events and Business Development at the National Theatre, says:

“We’re excited this work has now begun. The Deck has seen continued success since it’s opening in 2007 and the redevelopment of the venue is to cater for the ever-growing demand for corporate events, private parties and weddings and to build on the South Bank’s significance as a destination for both domestic and international clients.

“This project is a testament to our ongoing commitment to enhance and improve the guest experience. We can’t wait for the big reveal in the summer and look forward to sharing progress reports with our clients over the coming months. The finished results will be breath-taking.”

thedeck.org.uk

nationaltheatre.org.uk

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Friday, 23 March 2018

Kevin Lindeque Announced as SWS UK’s New Managing Director

It is with great pleasure that SWS UK have announced Kevin Lindeque as its new Managing Director. Kevin takes over from Colin Reoch who after 23 years with SWS is embarking on a new challenge as Managing Director of Alulux.

Many of SWS UK’s distributors and suppliers already know Kevin who comes equipped with 17 years’ experience within the business. Starting as a Regional Sales Manager, Kevin quickly progressed to National Sales Manager and later Commercial Manager. His progression through the company is testament to his skills, knowledge and commitment, making him the natural successor to SWS UK’s Managing Director role.

The team at SWS UK are looking forward to supporting Kevin in taking SWS forward, as he begins his new role with immediate effect.

Following the appointment of the new SWS Managing Director, commercial responsibilities of the business will now be split between the following two roles:

Customer Relations Manager

Sarah Cooper has worked at SWS since 2016 as Marketing Manager, following a previous career in Marketing Consultancy and Studio Management. She will now be responsible for a number of commercial departments including Technical, Customer Services, Reception and Marketing as the Customer Relations Manager.

National Sales Manager

SWS is also pleased to announce that Dave O’Flynn has been appointed as the new National Sales Manager. Dave, who is the Southern Regional Sales Manager performed exceptionally in independent assessments and has 5 years’ experience in sales team management from the banking sector.

Kevin, Sarah and Dave are excited about their new roles and moving SWS forward.

www.sws.co.uk

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Thursday, 22 March 2018

Product Innovation to be recognised in new Ironmongery Award

Innovative product design will be recognised in a new category at the next GAI/RIBA Architectural Ironmongery Specification Awards.

Organised by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the awards are designed to identify and reward excellence in the specification of architectural ironmongery.

The ‘Best new product: design and innovation’ category has been created to celebrate new door and window hardware product, allowing advancing technologies to be fully showcased and recognised.

Products using new methods of manufacture, a new design concept or displaying originality of thought would be eligible. They could also show a unique way of using a material, a new solution or a new design.

This category is not limited to mechanical products. New innovations or technologies in access control, door automation or any field allied to architectural ironmongery could also be submitted.

In addition to the new ‘Best new product: design and innovation’ category, projects can be nominated for the following categories: residential; commercial and hospitality; public sector health and education buildings; and international projects outside the UK and Ireland.

Architects, specifiers, building contractors, clients and their architectural ironmongery advisers and suppliers across the world can nominate projects for the 2018/19 awards from August 2018. The projects or products must be either completed or released on to the market between 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2018 to be eligible for entry.

David Stacey, president of the GAI, says:

“The Specification Awards ceremony is one of the Guild’s most highly anticipated events. The calibre of entries is always incredibly high and shows architectural ironmongery at its best. The GAI is always proud to see its member companies involved in so many complex projects.

“These awards are unique because they reward the whole specification team, highlighting the importance of the professional partnership between architects and architectural ironmongers.”

For each category in the awards there will be a winner, second and third place. The judges will also decide on an overall ‘winner of winners’. At the 2016/17 Specification Awards, this accolade went to Kings Gate, a residential project by architectural ironmongers izé and architect Lynch Architects. A brochure showing all the 2016/17 winning projects can be downloaded from the GAI website.

There is no limit to the number of entries to the 2018/19 awards. The first entry from a GAI or RIBA member is free of charge.

Follow the GAI on Twitter (@gai_UK) and LinkedIn to find out when the Specification Awards is open for entries.

www.gai.org.uk

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Abloy UK Secures the O2 Arena With Ballistic Doors

Abloy UK has supplied the O2 Arena in London with Hillsborough BR4 ballistic doors. The aim was to enhance the security of the venue as well as offering protection to its occupants from specialised weapons or gun fire.

The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in south east London. It has the second highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the UK and in 2015 the arena was the busiest music arena in the world in terms of ticket sales, handling 1,819,487 tickets.

This presents many concerns regarding health and safety especially when the world is challenged by mounting security threats. With the increase in gun crime and terrorist attacks in the UK, high capacity venues such as the O2 Arena must prepare for emerging threats.

However, in 2017 the O2 Arena faced a problem. Their current interior doors were no longer fit for purpose due to the wear and damage caused from the constant flow of people entering the site. The main priority for the O2 Arena was to have doors which could ensure the safety of visitors and staff from fire or attacks.

Abloy UK are experienced in meeting these challenges and know that security threats are not static and therefore provide flexible solutions to help their customers design systems to resolve their specific concerns.

In the case of the O2 Arena, Abloy UK had a complete understanding of the security requirements from working on many critical national infrastructure projects across varied sectors. Abloy UK provided a full service with survey, supply, install and ensured the job was carried out with one main point of contact.

At the survey stage it was agreed that to ensure the level of security needed and to provide a door which was fire rated, the most suitable door was the Hillsborough BR4 Ballistic Doors.

These ballistic doorsets offer protection from 9mm handguns through to armour-piercing rounds and all testing is to European and British Standards BS EN 1522 and BS EN 1523.

They were also fire certified and therefore compliant to the situation. Furthermore, Abloy UK were able to produce a bespoke colour, O2 blue, to guarantee the doorsets were aesthetically pleasing, matching the arena’s colour scheme.

The outcome was to the O2 Arena’s exact specifications and provided the ideal solution. Abloy UK were in contact with Wren Construction Limited, the main contractors on site throughout the job and were able to adapt to any additional requests during the process.

The interior doors of this iconic venue are now ready to face the emerging threats of today’s world as well as offering fire protection for the arena’s occupants.

The Abloy Door range
A comprehensive selection of pre-engineered Steel and Timber security door sets specifically designed for either internal or external use on a variety of building applications. The Security Series range of doors has been designed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of security requirements.

To find out more about the doors available from Abloy UK, visit www.abloy.co.uk or email abloydoor@abloy.co.uk.

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Tuesday, 20 March 2018

French Gates Specialist expands into the UK

Nick Corbett, managing director, Country Gates & Barriers

A leading European manufacturer of specialist aluminium gates has launched on the UK market after signing an exclusive deal with a perimeter protection firm.

Premium French brand Horizal is expanding its business interests across countries all over the world – including the USA, Russia and the Netherlands – and sees the UK and Ireland as a key market.

It has made Greater Manchester-based firm Country Gates & Barriers the exclusive distributor, and is also looking to establish a network of 100 approved installers, known as ‘Portaliers’.

These installation experts are trained, approved and regulated by Horizal through Country Gates & Barriers, which is the firm’s first approved installer, and will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support.

Horizal makes high-end aluminium gates, railings and fences for the residential and commercial markets, which are durable, secure, and suitable for all architectural styles.

Fabrice Marchand, sales and marketing director for Horizal, said:

“We are very excited to be entering the market in the UK and Ireland, which is a key territory for us.

“We are thrilled to be working with Country Gates & Barriers, which has an excellent reputation in the field, and has already started recruiting Portaliers for the network.”

Country Gates & Barriers will run the Horizal operation alongside its existing business, and has invested £100,000 in a showroom at its base in Stockport to showcase the new range.

Managing director Nick Corbett said:

“We are pleased to have been selected as the exclusive UK distributor for the Horizal brand, which will further our ambitious expansion plans.

“We have already had a lot of firms interested in becoming Portaliers, and we are confident that Horizal’s premium products will receive a warm welcome over here.

“They are a very established and well-respected brand, and we look forward to working with them.”

For more information, visit Horizal or Country Gates and Barriers.

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Monday, 19 March 2018

Allgood Ironmongery Completes Thoughtful Design at Maggie’s Centre In Oldham

Maggie’s Centre in Oldham has incorporated Allgood’s Holt ironmongery to complete its thoughtful and hopeful design. Handcrafted from European oak, the Holt range seamlessly blends with the hardwood cross-laminated timber (CLT) building and reduces the impact of neuropathy for the centre’s patients.

Maggie’s Centre’s provide free practical and emotional support to people with cancer and their family and friends. Founded upon Maggie Keswick Jencks’ view that people should not “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying”, each Maggie’s Centre is designed to alleviate the clinical and dispirited feel of hospital environments, while enabling patients to feel empowered and comfortable.

Built in the grounds of The Royal Oldham Hospital, Maggie’s Oldham: The Sir Norman Stoller Building is the first hardwood CLT building in the UK.

Designed by acclaimed architects dRMM, the practice chose to use tulipwood CLT for the positive influence the material has on people and for its beauty, strength, and warmth. With research suggesting wooden structures can help lower blood pressure and pulse rates, the Wood Housing Humanity Report found that the material has more health and wellbeing benefits than any other.

Incorporating nature and sustainability at the heart of the building, a tree has been planted in the centre of the property to help create feelings of hope, strength and empowerment.

A calm and inviting building, the innovative use of hardwood CLT and glass means that visitors are met with a light, open space and views down to the garden below – the inverse of what is expected from a traditional healthcare facility.

Jasmin Sohi, Associate at dRMM said:

“When specifying the ironmongery for the building, the use of timber was integral. Warm to the touch, timber ironmongery reduces the effects of neuropathy. A common symptom of chemotherapy, neuropathy results in pain when touching cold items – such as stainless steel door handles.”

Visiting the Allgood showroom in London, dRMM were introduced to the Holt range, designed by Alex Mowat. With an elegant super circular shape, the Holt range is handcrafted from European oak and provides the optimum grip for users.

Jasmin added: “The Holt range provides a beautiful, unique timber solution for what, in a typical hospital environment, is stainless steel and cold. Conceptually essential, the use of Holt ironmongery ensures that all visitors’ first physical contact with the building is a positive and welcoming experience.”

Incorporating Holt L shape lever handles, WC turns, coat hooks, doorstops and toilet roll holders as well as disabled toilet furniture, Maggie’s Centre in Oldham has created a thoughtful environment for its users.

For more information on Maggie’s Centres, please visit: www.maggiescentres.org

For more information on Allgood plc, please visit: www.allgood.co.uk

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