The Door Industry Journal: April 2023

Sunday, 30 April 2023

RSL partners with Bicester Heritage for celebratory Flywheel event

RSL, the team behind Radio Le Mans, will be the official in-situ radio and video production service and broadcaster for Bicester Heritage’s ten-year anniversary event: Flywheel on the 17th and 18th of June.

The timing for this historic collaboration could hardly be better, with 2023 marking the centenary of Le Mans.

Born out of the introduction of ‘Special Event Radio’ during the 1980s, Radio Le Mans has been available to listeners at the historic race circuit since 1987, before going global through live streaming.

RSL has become the voice of the world’s greatest race. RSL provides commentary trackside and online across the world as the authority on sports car racing.

Its weekly magazine show Midweek Motorsport is unprecedented in its reach and in making the sport accessible to the masses.

Bicester Heritage’s Flywheel event celebrates wings, wheels and motion, with live displays planned on the Experience and Demonstration Track in addition to a fly-in from the sole surviving Bristol Blenheim Bomber.

Flywheel will see a host of classic motoring marques join the displays along the tree-lined avenues of the historic site.

Fans of vintage flight can expect an equally spectacular showcase, with a broad range of historic aircraft set to grace the site’s grass airfield – winding back the years and commemorating the site’s heritage as an RAF Blenheim Bomber training station.

Philip White, Associate Director, Brand and Marketing comments:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with a broadcaster of such repute in the motorsport sector, not only to celebrate 10 years of Bicester Heritage but 100 years of Le Mans too.
“We hope that by collaborating this year, we can capture the magic of Flywheel at Bicester Heritage and collectively introduce a global audience to our beautiful home of historic motoring.”

Eve Hewitt, Managing Director, RSL adds:

“We're honoured to be a part of projects as important as Bicester Motion and Bicester Heritage, which over the last decade have changed the British automotive landscape.
“And we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to take the 10th Flywheel to a global audience.”

Bicester Heritage has created a revolution in historic vehicle ownership.

Founded in 2013 Bicester Heritage has gone from a standing start to a home for 50 specialist businesses, and growing, with a collective turnover of over £50m, making it the largest player in the industry and set to grow exponentially with a global reach. 

The unique ecosystem of businesses based at the beautiful 444-acre former WW2 RAF Bomber Training Station acts as ‘marina-like’ cluster, promoting skills and expertise, employment, qualified customer footfall, shared business incubation and aggregate growth. The site is all about driving the future of the past.

The former RAF Bicester site on which Bicester Heritage is now based, is of national historic importance. Neglected for the best part of 40 years, it was added to Historic England’s ‘At Risk Register’ in 2008 and designated the most 'at risk' of all Defence Estates in the UK. 

Since Bicester Heritage’s tenure, over 95% of the buildings have been delicately restored or re-activated for modern business use, with the site now held as a national exemplar of constructive conservation by Historic England.

The time-warp base is truly unmatched in evocative character and an active airfield and test track complete its dynamic operation. 

Bicester Heritage is a component part of Bicester Motion, an incomparable visitor attraction which will offer an authentic collection of dynamic and inclusive visitor experiences, less than an hour from London.

For tickets and more information, please visit: www.bicesterheritage.co.uk

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Saturday, 29 April 2023

Hörmann says goodbye to two long serving members of the team

March saw Hörmann say thanks and farewell to Area Sales Manager John Chisholm and Production Manager Jeff Atton as they both retired from the company after many years of service.

Since joining Hörmann in 2004, John Chisholm has ably looked after the company’s domestic garage door customers in the Southeast.

There is no doubt that his customers and colleagues alike are going to miss him, particularly his cheery ways and ever-present smile.

Jeff started with Hörmann in March 1995 as a Garage Door Assembler earning the princely sum of £4.28 per hour and worked his way up to Production Manager.

Jeff had seen many changes over the years and there was little he didn’t know about Hörmann and garage doors.

Hörmann would like to thank both Jeff and John for their outstanding contribution to the business and wish them a very long and happy retirement.

www.hormann.co.uk

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Friday, 28 April 2023

With so many reasons to visit FIT Show – can you afford to miss it?

JDUK Door Systems is inviting garage door installers to visit FIT Show this year for an opportunity to see its new garage door, entrance door and outdoor living products on the Alunet Systems stand G35, where there’ll also be the chance to see Alunet’s ranges of aluminium systems for fabricators.

And if that wasn’t reason enough, other flagship companies from the group, Comp Door and UK Doors Online, can also be found on stands K31 and K32, where you can discover why they are the UK’s favourite suppliers of composite doors, aluminium roof lanterns, windows, sliding doors, single doors, French doors, Bifolding doors and windows.

Collectively, they are FIT Show's largest exhibitor this year and together they offer a solution for every type of installation your customers could ask for.

So, whether you are an installer that is already fitting a wide variety of products and are looking to streamline your supply chain, or you are looking for ways to diversify into new product areas to grow your business, the question is, can you afford to miss a trip to FIT Show?

Specialists and experts from each company will be on hand for technical advice and to demonstrate what makes the products stand out from the competition.

There will be examples of the best products each company has to offer and should you like what you see and decide to take it to the next step, full set-up support is available, including assisted first fits and a wealth of online resources.

For existing JDUK customers that were unable to attend the series of open days in February and March, FIT Show 2023 is a perfect way to catch up on all the latest products and developments.

We look forward to seeing you there!

To register to attend as our VIP guest, please scan the QR code.

If you would like to know more about the products now offered by JDUK, please visit www.jdukltd.co.uk, call 01924 472924, or email sales@jdukltd.co.uk.

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Thursday, 27 April 2023

GaraDry Scoops Inaugural Kings Award for Enterprise

A product design company which started off life in a shed is celebrating today after scooping a prestigious international business award from King Charles.

His Majesty The King approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that Lancashire-based GaraDry should receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category this year.

The newly renamed King’s Award for Enterprise celebrates outstanding achievements by UK businesses and is internationally recognised. The 2023 awardees were officially announced today, marking Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday.

Ashley Smith, 43, who founded the company in 2009, has now received an invitation from His Majesty the King to visit Buckingham Palace later this year to celebrate his company’s achievement.

Based in Ormskirk, Lancashire, GaraDry designs, manufactures, and sells the world’s largest range of threshold seals for residential garage doors and commercial doors.

The innovative garage door seals and flood barrier kits are designed to form a watertight seal between a garage door and the floor. The threshold seal also prevents leaves, dust and debris from being blown under to ensure a clean and dry garage all year round. The garage door threshold seals also act as a defence against rodents, insects and reptiles.

The 43-year-old, who has a degree in Industrial Design from the University of Central Lancashire, launched his first online business in 2005 selling garage door spare parts which still trades today.

This experience saw him dealing with customers frustrated with the limited options available for them to prevent water from entering their garages. This led to him spotting a gap in the market to create his unique product range that prevents rainwater and debris from seeping under garage doors and into commercial warehouses.

Innovations included adding safety features, such as yellow extruded lines on all its products, multiple sizing options and using robust environmentally friendly materials. The firm also supplies its own brand of adhesive developed specifically for the product range. GaraDry also introduced the first flood barriers for garages that can be driven over. All the products are protected by design registrations.

The company is actively recruiting, employs 11 people, and has grown its sales dramatically in the last three years. Overseas sales now account for 33% of its UK business. It now exports its range of products to more than 40 countries including most European countries and as far away as Australia.

GaraDry opened a subsidiary in the USA in 2017 (GaraDry LLC), to handle strong interest from Americans in the products and launched a fulfilment centre in Tennessee to ship transatlantic orders quickly.

A warehouse was also set up in Germany in 2022 to fulfil all EU orders and smooth the challenges of Brexit.

Ashley Smith, managing director of GaraDry, said:

“I’m delighted and humbled for our company to receive this accolade. It means the world to our team and receiving this acknowledgement from the King only encourages us even further to grow our business and continue designing innovative products manufactured in Great Britain.

“As well as people wanting to protect the contents of their garage, businesses see the benefit in keeping the products they store in industrial units clean and dry all year round and this B2B market has opened up opportunities for us all over the world. Safety is another driver for them because water on a warehouse floor is a slip hazard. Our products also protect expensive machinery which is at risk of rusting or cardboard which will get ruined by rain.

“The fact I started the business with a £1,000 inheritance from my uncle proves that a large amount of funding is not always needed to start a business and to be successful.

“Drive and determination are often equally, if not more important. I hope this encourages other entrepreneurs to aim high even if they might only have limited resources to start with.

“I started the business from my mother’s home and used the shed and garage as my stockroom and my bedroom as my office. I’m thankful to my Mum for supporting me during that early phase.

“We’re all truly humbled by this award and hope it can inspire other people to pursue their business dreams.

“We are excited about the future. We will continue to work hard and expand geographically and create new jobs here in Ormskirk. We also have a new innovative product range which is under development which we hope to bring to market this year.”

Staff loyalty and family values are key to the growth of the business. Christopher Davies, the company’s first member of staff is now the General Manager and has been with the company for 13 years. Ashley’s wife, Helen joined the company in 2011 and is currently the Company Secretary.

For more information visit: https://uk.garadry.com/

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Wednesday, 26 April 2023

It’s Time to Down Tools & Hotfoot it to FIT Show

We get it, you’ve got a backlog of leads to fulfil and your order book is looking pretty healthy for the foreseeable. You’re probably thinking there’s not much point in taking time off the tools to make a trip to FIT Show (NEC 23 - 25 May, 2023.)

It’s only been a year since the last FIT Show, so there won’t be much new to see, and you can always go next year, right…? WRONG!

News Flash! After FIT Show this May, our tenth anniversary edition no less, FIT Show won’t return until May 2025. Can you afford to leave three years between your FIT Show visits by not attending this May? This is your chance to secure your future pipeline and drive long-term leads.

And if you think there won’t be anything new to see, you couldn’t be more wrong. Over 25% of the lineup is made of brands who have never exhibited before, and 40% are from overseas.

These are brands and products that you will never have seen at FIT Show before. In the last few weeks alone brands such as Sheerline (Garnalex), Whitesales, Supalite, Gerda Doors by Pioneer Trading, Saint-Gobain, Listers, Glazerite, Business Micros, Chekatrade, Mennie Canada.

Emmegi and Deponti have joined the lineup (And there are even more BIG names still to be announced!) Expect to see 200 brands showcasing thousands of the latest products.

Alongside new brands, you won’t want to miss the brand new Installer HUB feature with live product demos where you will be able to receive training and support on how to install the latest products on the market, as well as speak directly to the people who manufacture them.

Have you heard about our CPD Certified learning programme? We’ve teamed up with GGF & FENSA to curate a programme of 30+ hours of seminars, all delivered by industry experts. You will be able to attend free sessions like these:

‘Facing the future: 2023 State of the Nation’
‘How to avoid a race to the bottom’ (working for sales, selling more high margin products, wider themes)
‘Market trends and expectations’
Building Regs – ‘Future Homes Standards’ & ‘The Building Safety Bill’
U-values and net zero goals - ‘Meeting the demand for the 100,000,000 windows which need replacing’
‘Get social media fit; five easy ways to find and secure sales using social media’
‘How to use storytelling to increase sales’
‘Fire Doorsets: Legislation Changes’
‘Regulation changes in roof lights and lanterns’
‘Sustainable Glazing - the future of recycled glass’
‘Pulse Testing - An alternative to trickle vents?’

You can view the full programme and register for these sessions via www.fitshow.co.uk/seminars.

You’ll be able to combine work and pleasure at FIT Show this May, with a mountain of exclusive show offers and discounts to take advantage of.

FIX Radio will be broadcasting live from the show and there will be competitions running when you’re on site.
Winkhaus will be offering up Virgin Experience Day vouchers as part of their on stand promotion.
Two visitors to ODL Europe’s stand will win £500 of holiday vouchers each.

Exhibitors will be offering genuine discounts on products and services that are exclusive to FIT Show - these are offers that you can only access if you attend this May.

Party Time! Did we mention, it’s our ten year anniversary event this May? Join us as we celebrate ten years of FIT Show and a decade of being the UK’s number one trade show for the window, door, glass, hardware and components industry.

To save you time off the tools, we’ll be opening late on Wednesday 24th May (10am to 8pm) so you can always join us after work.

And it wouldn’t be a late night at FIT Show without the PiG’s Party which is promising a BIG extravaganza with live music and an extra place to network after you’ve seen all of the latest products on the market.

There has never been a more important time to plan a trip to FIT. What are you waiting for? Down tools immediately and head to www.fitshow-2023.reg.buzz/door-industry-journal to register for your FREE ticket!

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Tuesday, 25 April 2023

Codelocks Tackles Horsebox Storage Challenge for Horse Owners

From dressage to show jumping to horseracing, the UK hosts a jam-packed timetable of equestrian events throughout the calendar year.

However, for horse owners travelling around the country to compete, the excitement of a day at the races comes with the ongoing challenge of how to store horse tack conveniently and securely.

Whether organised or opportunistic, reports of tack theft are not uncommon throughout the UK. Tack, horseboxes and saddlery are expensive and valuable equipment, and make an attractive target for thieves.

Frequent incidents of tack theft continue to shock the equine community. Hampshire Constabulary recently seized £10,000 of horse riding equipment stolen from multiple locations in the New Forest area. Last year, £30,000 worth of tack was stolen from multiple locked horseboxes at a show jumping event at Arena UK and £50,000 worth of tack was stolen from lorries at a four-day British Jumping Show at Northcote Stud in Blackburn.

Beyond the financial cost of losing equipment, being a target of tack theft can be deeply disturbing for riders who attend events across the UK and beyond.

Generic lock-and-key lockers

A report of tack theft at the Arena UK show, highlights that the problem could be down to the generic living cab and tack-locker keys in use that are easy for thieves to define and replicate. Horse owners and riders are in need of a more sophisticated, robust and bespoke access control solution in order to store their tack and help prevent it from being stolen.

Storing expensive equipment

Some horsebox manufacturers are already incorporating new horsebox locks and offering options to upgrade the generic locks to coded locks, to deliver a more convenient access control solution.

Joanne Milne-Rowe, Sales Director at Codelocks, explains:

“We were approached by a lorry company that was looking to upgrade its access control for horseboxes. It wanted a durable, keyless option that offered personalised and bespoke access. The CL200 Marine Grade Surface Deadbolt was the obvious choice.”

Part of the Codelocks’ Mechanical range, the CL200 Marine Grade Surface Deadbolt is reliable and durable. The sleek black finish is not only modern and aesthetically pleasing but has also been specifically enhanced to withstand harsh outdoor environments. The lock provides reliability due to the robust deadbolt and controlled entry by using a unique code. Users can change their personal code as many times as they see fit and share it with whoever they choose.

Joanne continues, “For all competitors on the road, it’s important they have the confidence to travel around the country with the peace of mind that their tack and belongings are stowed conveniently and securely. Having coded entry removes the worry of misplacing keys and the sophisticated and personalised access control acts as a deterrent for generic locker thieves looking for a quick and easy way in.”

Weather resistant access control

Rain or shine, indoor and outdoor equestrian events occur all year round. Codelocks’ range includes locks with a coating that is specially designed for outdoor conditions. Riders who attend showgrounds all over the UK and park their lorries in exposed, often rural environments have the option of installing Marine by Codelocks. The lock range is perfect for ensuring that riders have durable and reliable access, whatever the British weather throws at their horsebox.

Installing a modern, keyless access control is a perfect solution for horse owners on the move, who want affordable, secure and personalised access to their horsebox.

www.codelocks.co.uk/marine-by-codelocks

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Monday, 24 April 2023

Knock, knock. Who’s there? - Hörmann’s new composite doors

Hörmann UK will be exhibiting their full range of entrance doors at the FIT Show (Stand no. P21 Hall 9) and will for the first time feature composite doors, manufactured by its sister company IG Doors, alongside their established steel and aluminium product range.

In an important move designed to develop a ‘one stop shop’ approach, Hörmann UK will now supply the Truedor range through its own sales organisation, enabling the company to offer a solution for each sector of the market; Hörmann Truedor a competitive composite door, Thermo 46/65 a mid-range series of steel doors and a premium positioned aluminium option.

The recognised Truedor range offers installers a comprehensive selection of composite doors now backed by the Hörmann brand and support.

With over 30 years of experience in the manufacture of composite doors, IG Doors produce the Truedor range from a high-tech facility in Blackwood, South Wales and are the only supplier of GRP composite doors in the UK to manufacture their own door slab.

Selling under the Hörmann Truedor brand installers will have access to a range of high-quality entrance doors, available in an extensive choice of designs, styles, colours, glazing options and accessories.

Featured on the stand will be a selection of doors representing some of the most popular styles and colours in the market, together with their new Clima63 thermal door range with a 63mm door slab offering excellent thermal insulation properties.

Hörmann’s high performance range of Thermo46/65 steel and aluminium entrance doors offer good looks and exceptional security, alongside impressive U-values as low as 0.87 W/m2k.

Manufactured from high grade components and featuring high security locking systems, the range features an extensive choice of styles, accessories, and finishes for the discerning end consumer.

Also new on the stand will be the ThermoSafe Decoral door, a new addition to the Hörmann range of aluminium doors. Thermosafe Decoral offers the combination of a high quality, secure aluminium door together with a selection of new modern décor finishes and door styles.

The Decoral finish is applied to the powder coated surfaces of the ThermoSafe door using a patented coating method which results in a beautiful, colour-fast and detailed appearance.

The range offers five new innovative finishes – Cement, Rusty Pantina, Wild Oak, Barnwood and Barnwood Grey, together with eighteen exclusive door styles.

Supplied with a standard frame in Jet black the ThermoSafe Decoral door is also available with the exterior handles and embellishments in Jet black or in one of the Decoral colour options to match or contrast.

David O’Mara, Marketing Manager of Hörmann UK comments:

“The FIT show is a really exciting time for Hörmann as it provides us with the ideal opportunity to announce our entry into the composite door market.

“The Hörmann Truedor range complements our existing range of products, meaning that we can now offer a door for each price point in the market, all backed by the Hörmann guarantee of choice, quality and service.”

To find out more about Hörmann visit www.hormann.co.uk or call 01530 516868.

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Sunday, 23 April 2023

London Concours to Celebrate France’s Finest Cars at June’s Show

The London Concours, presented by Montres Breguet, is delighted to announce the latest class for June’s unmissable event: Grand Tourisme.

The carefully curated category will bring together the finest examples of France’s ingenious, idiosyncratic automobiles through the decades; cars that do things their own way, often with a dash of madness and always with consummate style.

The gallic machines will join a display of close to 100 fabulous privately owned cars in the immaculate grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company, from June 6th-8th, at what is set to be London’s best automotive garden party yet.

The class will include one of the most elegant French GT cars of all: the Facel Vega Facel II.

Introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1961, the grand, Chrysler V8 powered machine was billed as the fastest four-seater coupé in the world; the top speed was billed as 150mph for the 390bhp, four-speed manual-equipped cars.

In its time, the Facel II was not only one of the fastest cars in terms of top speed, but also one of the fastest accelerating; it was quicker from 0-60mph than the Aston Martin DB4 and Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.

Such performance came with an imposing price tag: this car cost fifty percent more than its direct rivals, and three times more than a Jaguar E-Type.

Owners in the period included Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior and Sir Stirling Moss. It remains one of the greatest - and one of the last - substantial French coupés. Facel Vega declared bankruptcy shortly after the 180-car production run ended, making this the last of an era.

June’s show will feature another elegant French coupé, to many, one of the most stylish vehicles of all: the Citroen SM - in the particularly desirable 5-speed manual, 2.7 injection form.

This variant featured a soulful V6 under the stunning bodywork - sourced from Maserati, who the French marque had bought in 1968.

The SM, with an impossibly sleek body and a supremely smooth ride, was designed to cruise across Europe at high speeds, in total comfort, thanks to its innovative hydro-pneumatic suspension.

The compellingly stylish package proved irresistible to many famous faces; a Citroen SM owners’ club might have counted football star Johan Cruyff, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, musician Carlos Santana, and the Shah of Iran as members.

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was perhaps the most committed SM enthusiast of all though, at one point reportedly owning seven of the sleek French machines.

Some of France’s more sporting, lightweight coupé offerings will also star this June, including the delightful Alpine A110, in high-performance 1600S trim.

The long-serving A110 was in production from 1963 until 1977, using diminutive dimensions and featherlight weight to deliver superb performance, whether on the road or a rally special stage.

The sub-700kg 1600S variant launched in 1969 and featured a feisty twin-Weber carb equipped 4-cylinder motor, sending 138bhp to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual ‘box - enough for 0-60mph in under 7 seconds and over 130mph flat out. Another special example of French engineering ingenuity.

The Honourable Artillery Company will also welcome the modern incarnation of the A110, the very latest variant, in ultimate ‘Légende GT’ form.

The A110 has won over enthusiasts alike since its introduction in 2017, with a driving experience defined by refreshing lightness and fluid handling.

Many consider the GT Légende to be the sweet spot of the range, combining the softer suspension of the standard A110 with the punchier, ‘S’ spec, 296bhp version of the 1.8-litre turbocharged four.

Mounted amidships, it drives through a snappy dual-clutch ‘box. With only 1,134kg to motivate performance is serious: 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. June’s show will offer a great opportunity to examine this modern Alpine alongside its ancestor.

The display of French icons will also include a contender for the coolest ‘80s car of all: the Renault 5 Turbo. Introduced in 1980 the wild, mid-engined rear-wheel drive machines bore little resemblance to the cooking Renault 5s.

A true homologation special, the Turbo was extensively reworked with one goal in mind: success on the fearsome special stages of Group B rallying.

Aluminium was used for the Turbo’s roof and doors, while the shell was strengthened and widened to give a cartoonish stance.

The 1.4-litre boosted motor put out 160bhp on road trim, and with just 900kg to shift, gave the pugnacious looking hatch a real turn of pace: it could hit 0-60mph in just 6.6 seconds, at a time when a conventionally quick car, the Golf GTI, took 9 seconds.

The 5 Turbo will be joined by its mad spiritual successor, the Clio V6, which arrived on the scene in 2001.

The V6 again shared little with the standard Clio supermini on which it was technically based, transformed with a widened shell, rear wheel drive and a sweet, mid-mounted 227bhp 3.0-litre V6.

The first ‘Phase 1’ cars were built in Britain by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, while the later Phase 2 machines were assembled by Renault Sport in Dieppe.

Today the V6 stands out as another shining beacon of French automotive independent thinking, as well as one of the wonderful flashes of madness that, for many, rendered the early 2000s a high-water mark for the car industry.

This is just a taste of what to expect from this June’s event which will feature a spectacular range of machinery from a range of exotic marques.

Further class announcements will follow in the coming weeks and months, as we build towards the 7th edition of this unmissable event.

Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said:

“We’re delighted to announce that our event this June will celebrate the most fabulous French cars ever produced.

“The Grand Toursime line-up, carefully curated by our team, will highlight the consistently idiosyncratic genius of the French automotive industry, machines that delight with both their engineering ingenuity and stunning looks.
They’re going to add real colour and gallic charm to our show which is now under two months away. It’s going to be our most spectacular yet! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for further exciting class announcements.”

In addition to a fantastic selection of cars - the best yet assembled - guests to the Honorary Artillery Company will be treated to a decadent range of food and drink options - including a brand-new Club Concours hospitality experience, engaging live stage discussions, as well as a carefully selected line-up of luxury brands and boutiques.

London Concours 2023 is set to be another occasion of total automotive indulgence.

www.concoursofelegance.co.uk

www.londonconcours.co.uk

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Saturday, 22 April 2023

DHF announces Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens as new Commercial Director

Door & Hardware Federation (dhf) has announced that current Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, has been promoted to the position of Commercial Director.

The announcement was made by CEO, Bob Perry, on 30th March in a statement that praised Patricia's 'significant development and improvement of our commercial offering involving membership, marketing and training'.

Patricia joined dhf in 2015, and over a seven-and-a-half-year period, has transformed the Tamworth-based trade association into a modern, progressive, forward-looking organisation that is committed to maintaining and raising quality standards, and very much remains the industry's 'go to expert' on training and technical advice in the industries it serves.

In particular, Patricia has been the driver behind dhf's first refresher course website in 2016, as well as its extensive rebranding in 2017, which incorporated the vision of the federation with new branding, a new website, and newly branded publications that brought continuity to dhf and a thorough overview of the six member areas that it represents.

In 2018, Patricia implemented the online training booking and payment facility which took dhf to 'another level' and enabled learners to book and pay for courses online; this was a first for dhf and the start of things to come.

In 2019, she deployed the CSCS card offering (launched in November), a comprehensive platform held on the dhf website that enables users to complete, apply and pay for a CSCS card online with ease.

The same year saw Patricia positioning dhf to become an ABBE Assessment Centre, offering the accreditation of courses, the only formal theory-based qualification for the industries that complement the NVQ.

Bob Perry, CEO, Door & Hardware Federation, said:

“Patricia has remained a key member of dhf's senior management team and under her leadership, the commercial offering from the organisation has gone from strength-to-strength.
“Since joining dhf, she has been instrumental in driving countless initiatives for growth, and in particular, we applaud her quick thinking during the Covid-19 pandemic when she implemented the Distance Learning Programme (DLP) in just two weeks of lockdown.
“DLP has now grown into a comprehensive training offering that we are supremely proud of. Patricia is a great ambassador for women in the industry, and an inspiring role model for our younger employees.

“She has very effectively developed the commercial team who form a key part of our organisation.”

Further to the DLP, Patricia has succeeded in creating dhf's Training Academy website with on-site training, launched in November 2021, and enabling learners to take control of their own learning and book training and refresher courses online.

Patricia said:

“I am thrilled to take on this new position and look forward to helping dhf grow and develop even further in the coming years. The organisation has a very exciting future and I'm delighted to be a part of it.”

Door & Hardware Federation | 01827 52337 | www.dhfonline.org.uk

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Friday, 21 April 2023

Pyroguard issues Latest Technical Brochure

Pyroguard, part of the Technical Fire Safety Group, is pleased to announce the publication of its brand-new Technical Brochure. Featuring all the latest data and supporting information, this 2023 edition is the one-stop guide for the widest and most comprehensive range of fire safety glass solutions.

Showcasing the company’s extensive portfolio and product capabilities, this issue contains over 460 updates, as well as additional test data and supporting information on market-leading steel and aluminium system providers including: Aluprof, Forster, Jansen, Reynaers and Ottostumm.

Designed to be technically informative yet user-friendly, the guide provides easy-to-navigate product data, helping architects, specifiers and contractors to select with confidence the right solution for their chosen application.

Also new with this issue, and of particular interest to many, is the inclusion of Pyroguard’s new EI90 steel framed certification approvals.

Richard Ainsworth, Group Technical Director at Pyroguard, spoke about the brochure, saying:

“We’re very proud that this latest edition reflects our significant growth in certified applications, following a period of continued investment into new test evidence and thanks to the strength of our ongoing collaborations.
“Our Technical Brochure remains a fantastic resource for communicating all of our latest product information and assisting our customers in choosing the right fire safety glass solutions for their requirements.

“We understand that a key part of this decision-making and selection process is having direct access to this latest product data and so we’re delighted to be publishing this reedition.”

As the world’s leading independent provider of fire safety glass for timber, steel and aluminium applications, Pyroguard has been helping architects, specifiers and installers to achieve safe and beautiful living and working spaces for over 30 years.

The brochure is available as a download by request from the company’s website.

For further information and support, please visit: www.pyroguard.eu

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