The Door Industry Journal

Saturday, 9 April 2022

BFT Climbs Snowdon to Raise Funds in Colleague’s Memory

BFT Automation has raised £4,234 for Macmillan Cancer Support – and is working towards raising £5,000 for Cancer Research – after climbing Mount Snowdon in a colleague’s memory.

Andrew Hutchins, Automation Advisor at BFT, lost his battle with bladder cancer last year. The climb was originally planned to raise funds for Macmillan, which supported Andrew during his end-of-life care, but following his passing, friends and family decided to direct further fundraising to Cancer Research.

Seventeen colleagues from BFT’s offices in Swindon and Stockport and friends took part in the climb on 2 April as part of a range of fundraising initiatives by the company.

“Andrew was a valued member of the team for many years and we’ve been honoured to climb Mount Snowdon in his memory, after cancer took him before he had the chance to conquer it himself,” said Peter Gansbuehler, an Automation Advisor at BFT, who worked alongside Andrew and organised the climb.

It’s not too late to donate to BFT’s charity climb via: www.justgiving.com

BFT Automation is part of the Somfy group, for more information visit: www.bftautomationuk.com

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Friday, 8 April 2022

Hörmann Partner Standard Dealers Benefit from London Building Centre

Always looking at ways to further develop their Partner Standard scheme and support their dealers, Hörmann UK have announced that their stand at the prestigious London Building is available for Partner Standard dealers to use for business meetings.

Located in the centre of London, the Building Centre provides an inspirational location and provides an ideal meeting space to strengthen and build relationships with key clients.

With access to the Hörmann display stand and a designated co-working space, dealers are provided with the ideal setting to discuss upcoming projects and introduce Hörmann products.

Use of the space is, of course, free of charge and bookings should be made by contacting the Hörmann marketing team.

For further information on booking email m.leroux.lei@hormann.co.uk or call 01530 513058

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Thursday, 7 April 2022

Strand Rewards Top Talent

Strand Hardware has rewarded the skills and expertise of two team members by promoting them to senior roles. Jo Wallis, previously General Manager, becomes Operations Director, while Andy Michel moves from Warehouse Supervisor to Warehouse and Production Manager.

Jo joined Strand Hardware in July 2019 and has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. She began her career as a Supply Chain Co-ordinator for Allgood plc before joining GEZE UK as a Purchasing Assistant and later became its Purchasing and Distribution Sales Manager. She is MCIPS qualified and remains a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

In her new role, Jo has day-to-day responsibility for all operational aspects of the business, including health and safety and human resources for Strand Hardware’s 20-strong workforce. She will work alongside Sales Director Craig Fox to support customer service delivery.

Outside work, Jo, who is married to Richard, enjoys running, exercising and spending time with their dog, Molly, who is a 3-year-old cockerpoo.

She said that she is looking forward to taking on more responsibility for day-to-day operations and becoming more involved in developing business strategies to “help strengthen the brand and help support its future growth”.

Andy joined Strand Hardware in 2012 and his new role will also see him take on more managerial responsibility including production planning, coordination, administration, efficiency reviews and quality assurance.

His duties now extend beyond the distribution warehousing to include manufacturing, alongside fulfilment and dispatch responsibilities.

In his spare time, Andy is a keen amateur photographer who specialises in portraiture and is a committed family man who lives with his partner Edyta.

Strand Hardware’s Managing Director, Steve Marshall, said:

“I am delighted to promote Jo and Andy within the company. They are both integral to Strand’s key operations, ensuring their smooth running and maximising opportunities for efficient and effective work practices.

“As a recent newcomer myself, I am pleased that they will strengthen the management team moving forward. They both have amazing qualities: Jo’s purchasing and sales background means that she is very target and deadline driven while Andy demonstrates great diligence and a commitment to managing services which are effectively the heartbeat of our organisation.”

www.strandhardware.co.uk

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Wednesday, 6 April 2022

Distinction Doors Launches Six New Door Colours

Exciting news for Distinction Doors’ customers, today sees the introduction of six new colours. The new shades vary from vibrant pink and exotic turquoise to cool blue and deep grey. This eclectic mix has been carefully curated in-house with shades to suit all tastes and property styles.

The new additions are Distinction Slate Grey, Distinction Pebble Grey, Pale Green, Porcelain Blue, Telemagenta and Turquoise Blue. All six shades are available now and span the entire door range.

Bethaney Larkman, marketing manager for Distinction Doors says:

“The launch of new colours is an incredibly exciting time, it’s not something we do very often which makes this even more special. An awful lot of time, thought and consideration goes into selecting each colour. From analysing our usage data, to liaising with expert paint suppliers and monitoring colour trends.”

The new Distinction neutrals

“Driven by the continued demand for grey, we have introduced two new neutrals. The darkest in the new group, Distinction Slate Grey has depth and commands authority. It is likely to prove a popular alternative to our Anthracite Grey. Distinction Pebble Grey is more of a relaxed tone, reminiscent of washed-up stones on a British beach. With a hint of green, it pairs well with cream and soft white tones.”

The new blues and greens

“This group offers the boldest of our new colours – Turquoise Blue RAL 5018. It is far deeper and richer than our other blues, drifting closer to green on the colour spectrum. It’s evocative of a calm, tropical seascape.

“Pale Green RAL 6021 meanwhile is altogether more Gaia, the Greek goddess of Earth. It is a restful shade that grounds you; it is that feeling of grass beneath bare feet.

“Our third colour in this group couldn’t be more different. Porcelain Blue BS 20 C 33 is a wonderfully elegant colour, combining those grey, blue and white tones so reminiscent of 18th and 19th century European porcelain.”

The new pink

“An exotic pink, Telemagenta RAL 4010 is a glamourous addition to our colour palette. Sitting amongst the reds, it is playful and light-hearted. It will offer friends and family the warmest of welcomes and be a joyful pick-me-up every time you step through the door.”

Clean Paints

As with all paints in the Distinction Doors bespoke paint range, these new colours are non-toxic, odourless, low-emission and eco-friendly paints.

For added drama and style, the company can paint both sides of the door. And the colours don’t need to match!

The new shades will replace six existing ones – Signal Violet, Azure Blue, Pastel Blue, Black Grey, Sable and Silk Grey, to preserve the company’s commitment to supply only much-loved, current and inspirational colours for their entrance doors.

Download the Distinction Doors product brochure or visit door-designer.co.uk to view the updated colour range. Distinction Doors is the UK’s largest supplier of composite doors.

About Distinction Doors

Established in 2004, Distinction Doors is the UK’s largest supplier of composite doors and was the first to launch to the UK market.

As the UK’s leading entrance door supplier for over 10 years, Distinction Doors has formed an unrivalled pedigree for providing premium quality products, thanks to its renowned GRP composite door slab, complementary glazing cassette system and triple glazed, laminated as standard Distinction Glass range.

Today Distinction Doors operates from two distribution centres in South Yorkshire. An increased portfolio of superior products and continued business investment will ensure customers’ growth plans are fully supported and that Distinction Doors continues to lead the way.

www.distinctiondoors.co.uk

T: 0345 2000 816

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Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Door Industry Journal announce a regular comment column from Mul-T-Lock UK

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a regular comment column from Mul-T-Lock UK which will commence with our Summer 2022 issue at the end of July.

In order to get the column underway ahead of our next issue, we have agreed to publish the first on this blog and in our daily and weekly e-newsletters.

MECHANICAL INNOVATION

In the first series, with Suresh Peri, newly appointed Head of Commercial and Technical, the global brand looks at the increase in presence of smart systems and argues the case not to forget mechanical innovation.

New product and service development are essential to add value to any company. Mul-T-Lock is no different, and even as a global brand, we are never complacent.

Mul-T-Lock is always looking for ways to evolve, add something our customers may not have been expecting, to enhance or even exceed their expectations, whilst at the same time staying abreast of the latest industry standards to ensure our network of dealers is up to date.

Never has this been so important. As we confidently emerge from the pandemic, Mul-T-Lock believes this is the perfect opportunity to help determine the next chapter in the life of our core business, in mechanical product development.

Mechanical v Smart

There is no question that in line with consumer demands, we have seen a shift towards smart, mobile-first security systems for homes and businesses. We have seen year on year growth in demand for remote solutions that offer technology and convenience without compromising on quality and often retaining high levels of security.

But, we also know, the technological solutions can only work with a good mechanical locking system in place, to provide the physical connection between the door and its frame.

For this reason alone, mechanical security remains to be an important sector in the UK, which has an ever-changing landscape that requires constant innovation and product development.

Good security will always depend on the locking mechanism, especially the quality of the cylinder. We can provide the most sophisticated, artificially intelligent remote scanning system in the world but if the locks are of poor design and poor quality, then security will be breached swiftly.

Opportunist and professional criminals are constantly evolving their attack methods, so it is really our responsibility as an industry to remind those responsible for security, whether of a home or business, of this back to basics approach.

Upgrading Security

There is another reason to be aware of upgrading security opportunities. The requirement for effective mechanical locking solutions is set to increase dramatically as a result of product lifecycles, which will see a significant majority of locks requiring replacement.

The life of a lock can be 10, 20 or 30 years or longer, so technology moves on in this period and there is no question that upgrading the lock cylinder on any door that is over 10 years old will deliver a significant improvement in protection from very little financial outlay.

This is also particularly pertinent in public sector work programmes, especially in schools and healthcare. These sites have been under enormous pressure through the pandemic, and Government funding is focused to refurbish many where security measures have often been in situ since the developments were built.

It is the responsibility of any contractor (such as a locksmith) to ensure at all times that the product they are installing is ‘fit for purpose’ and meets the requirements of the door and building purpose.

In summary, the real key to success is understanding the different market conditions and new opportunities, and being actively prepared to innovate and diversify, without affecting the core principles on which our company was established.

For Mul-T-Lock, our foundation was built on trusted mechanical systems and we are committed to evolving our ranges to ensure the latest innovative products are available. It’s the reason we rebranded and introduced new platform names, an updated colour scheme and premium-designed new packaging to integrate each of Mul-T-Lock’s patented platforms – creating a stronger association between the brand and the hierarchy of our products.

We believe, this shows our commitment to our mechanical product portfolio, as a core strategy in developing any high security patented solutions, however smart they develop.

Suresh Peri

Head of Commercial and Technical

Mul-T-Lock UK

For more information, please visit www.mul-t-lock.co.uk.

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Monday, 4 April 2022

Taking Centre-Stage: SeceuroGlide Sectional Garage Doors

With 25 years in the garage door industry, SWS UK certainly isn’t wet behind the ears when it comes to designing and manufacturing quality garage doors.

Its SeceuroGlide Roller Garage Doors are often regarded as the best rollers in the industry, thanks to the pioneering design and quality craftsmanship.

So, despite initially being regarded as newcomers in the sectional garage door market, it’s no surprise that the diligent and innovative manufacturer is now beginning to see serious traction with its range of SeceuroGlide Sectional Garage Doors.

No longer a side-line to SWS UK’s roller garage doors, SeceuroGlide Sectionals have been developed and refined so that they are now a credible alternative to some of the big-name sectional garage doors.

Indeed, they are quickly becoming the sectional door of choice for many installers who appreciate SWS UK’s commitment to not only designing a quality product but a door that is noticeably easier to install and service. Installer-friendly features include unique, smart-connecting tracks, pre-tensioned springs and extra hanging brackets, as well as convenient flat-packed deliveries.

The success of SeceuroGlide Sectional Garage Doors is largely down to SWS UK’s commitment to product research and development. Collectively, the company has over 50 years’ worth of knowledge with some of their key employees benefitting from previous experience with some of the biggest names in the sectional garage door sector.

‘Having worked for Teckentrup, I can recognise the quality build and innovative design of the SeceuroGlide Sectional’ says SWS UK’s National Sales Manager, Ian Astin.

‘It’s evident that the meticulous design process that made SeceuroGlide Rollers such a success has been applied to SWS UK’s range of sectional garage doors.’

Former Hörmann employee, Roy Sargant who is now a Regional Sales Manager at SWS UK added:

‘Some of the options available with SeceuroGlide Sectional Garage Doors are amongst the best I’ve seen. The attention to detail is superb, as is SWS UK’s commitment to delivering the three S’s…Security, Safety and Style’.

The Whole Package

One of SWS UK’s distributors described the SeceuroGlide Sectional as ‘exceptional value for money’ and that is perhaps due to the lengthy list of features that are supplied as standard.

Always made-to-measure, a sectional garage door from the SeceuroGlide range comes with finger-safe joints, extra-wide weather seals round ALL 4 sides and additional seals between each panel. Often an added extra with some manufacturers, SWS UK also supply their new and improved spring covers as standard.

A unique track-connecting system ensures a durable door and easy on-site adjustments and their most popular sectional door, the SeceuroGlide Elite uses a side-mounted system that enables it to be manufactured in widths of up to 6 metres.

Excitingly, SWS UK has recently announced a series of additional design options including new colours, finishes and accessories. This includes the addition of popular Black and Anthracite to their standard colour selection, taking their choice of FOC colours from 3 to 7.

Quality Without the Wait

Effective manufacturing methods mean SWS UK can also offer competitive lead times, even for non-standard sprayed colours. This is attracting many garage door installers who are benefitting from rapid production without a compromise on quality or service.

Find out More

To discover the SeceuroGlide Sectional range, visit www.sws.co.uk or telephone SWS UK’s Customer Service team on 01524 772400.

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Sunday, 3 April 2022

Simply Ford returns to Beaulieu for Spring

Book your tickets now for Simply Ford, as one of Beaulieu’s biggest and best-loved Simply rallies returns to the grounds of the National Motor Museum on Sunday 22nd May.

With hundreds of Fords joining the show, this busy family day out is the perfect springtime celebration of cars wearing the famous blue oval badge.

No matter if it is a Mustang or a Fiesta, a Zodiac or a Focus, a Transit or an Escort, all Fords will be the stars of Simply Ford, which has gone from strength to strength since its launch over a decade ago. From historic favourites and iconic classics, to impressive performance models and modern everyday Fords, the show always boasts a rich variety of motors on display.

While inside the National Motor Museum, Ford fans will relish the chance to take a look at the newly-arrived 2002 Ford Focus WRC that was driven by rallying legend Colin McRae in the 2002 Rallye Catalunya – Costa Brava, as well as the 1981 Ford Escort RS1800 driven to second place in the 1981 RAC Rally by rallying ace Ari Vatanen.

Ford drivers are busy booking their treasured cars in to join the show, with Focus, Mondeo and Fiesta STs, Sierra Cosworths and Capris due to be joined by a 1970 Cortina 1600E, 1966 Mustang coupe, 1983 Escort RS1600i, 1995 Probe and many more.

All Fords are welcome to join the event, giving owners and enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to catch up and talk cars, before enjoying all of the features of the Beaulieu attraction.

Ford clubs are also getting their bookings in for the show, with Ford Club GB, Hampshire STs, Oval Lovers UK, Ford OC, ST220 Enthusiasts and more getting ready to take their places in the showground.

Event-goers can vote for their favourite car of the show in the People’s Choice Award, with the winner receiving a Beaulieu trophy and an Autoglym prize. Voting is open to all visitors until 1pm that day, with the presentation taking place at 2pm.

Participants are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance at beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-ford. Participant tickets, for those driving into the show in a Ford to join the display, include entrance to the rest of the Beaulieu attraction.

All other visitors should purchase normal visitor admission tickets, which are available to book at www.beaulieu.co.uk.

Simply Ford is just one of the exciting Simply rallies planned for 2022. Returning for its second year, Simply Electric will be sparking into life on 29th May, while Simply Porsche on 5th June and Simply VW on 18th June are always a big hit with marque enthusiasts. For Beaulieu’s full 2022 event calendar, visit www.beaulieu.co.uk/events.

Visitor and participant tickets include entrance to all that Beaulieu has to offer, including Bond in Motion – No Time To Die in the National Motor Museum, Little Beaulieu, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu home Palace House, Secret Army Exhibition, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and the stunning grounds and gardens.

www.beaulieu.co.uk

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Saturday, 2 April 2022

Securefast acquired by OSL Group

OSL Group headquarters on Burgess Lane in Sheffield

Sheffield-based manufacturer OSL Group has acquired security firm Securefast PLC.

The acquisition takes the number of businesses within the OSL Group to five and further widens the company’s range of products and services, which span the engineering, rail, automotive, and security industries.

Securefast offers a range of locking solutions, including fire and security products under their leading brands Deedlock and Entra. The company provides a complete technical support service with qualified engineers offering specification and scheduling services as standard.

Securefast will continue to trade under its current name but will now become part of the OSL Group, which includes firms such as Cutting Technologies, CQR and Owen Springs.

Mathew Grey, CEO at OSL Group

Mathew Grey, CEO at OSL Group, said:

“We are delighted that Securefast has joined the Group. The acquisition broadens out our security proposition, taking us deeper into access control, enabling us to support our global distribution partners and ultimately our end users.

“The Securefast management team share our passion for developing products that deliver value to our customers and I look forward to taking the new offering to market.”

Managing Director at Securefast, Duncan Crawley, said:

“It became apparent that we needed a larger partner to help us grow and achieve our future goals, so when OSL Group made the approach, it seemed like an ideal opportunity to take the business forward.

“Becoming part of the OSL Group has many benefits, such as enabling us to build a bigger, more progressive security locking and access control company within the security market.

“A key benefit for Securefast is being able to take advantage of the Group’s established export operation, allowing us fast-tracked access to clients worldwide.”

OSL has three divisions operating in the automotive aftermarket, power tool and security channels. Through acquisition and organic investment, it has broadened its product and service offering to its customer base.

OSL employ over 200 staff globally, with turnover for this year expected to surpass £40m.

For more information on OSL Group, visit https://www.oslgroup.com/

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Friday, 1 April 2022

Strongdor launch BrightDor – Innovative colour changing door technology

Strongdor is delighted to announce the launch of BrightDor, an App that enables you to instantly change the colour of your steel door at the push of a button.

Following 3 years of nanotechnology research in partnership with Professor Alex Stride, this new technology will revolutionise how people buy steel doors.

A unique coating is applied to the surface of the door, covered with light-reflecting nanoparticles that have the ability to change the colour of the door.

Using the BrightDor App customers can select a colour from a full-colour chart in the app, which in turn connects to the particles on the surface of the door to instantly change the way the light is reflected and colour is perceived through the eyes.

See for yourself how it works in the video below!

Download the App from the Strongdor website

Tim Devenish, MD explains:

“At Strongdor we always strive to innovate and deliver the best products for our customers. Launching BrightDor is a huge step for us as a business and gives customers access to the latest cutting edge technology of colour transformation.”

Strongdor are industry-leading manufacturers of steel doors, based at their 44,500 sq. ft. factory in Lancashire. Following their tagline of making doors that are Better, Faster and Stronger!

Why pick a colour when buying a new door, when you can choose BrightDor and change it whenever you choose.

The App is available to download now via https://www.strongdor.com/brightdor

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Thursday, 31 March 2022

The Spring 2022 issue of Door Industry Journal is available Online Now!

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Spring 2022 issue of Door Industry Journal, the Voice of the UK Door and Gate Industry.

Warm sun is shining down outside my office as I write this blog. This means that winter is behind us, Easter is on its way, and - of course - as stated above, the spring issue of the DIJ is here.

I hope the weather is just as nice where you are, as you sit down to read this. But – before you reach for the sun cream – let me tell you a bit about what’s inside:

Tradify software is making life easier for many installation firms through a digital approach to job management and organisation (page 6)

Garador has launched a series of new brochures – in both print and digital formats – to showcase its extensive range (page 8)

Tentoma has released a RoRo StretchPack® packaging line for 6-sided sealed door packaging, which offers comprehensive protection against dirt and moisture (page 24)

One-Step Marketing has written a handy guide on how to maximise the marketing reach of recent installations (page 54)

Mydocking has developed a new van docking portal – the VS250 – for the parcel distribution sector, which boosts efficiency by sealing the area between the van and docking area (page 92)

Hörmann UK is combining visual style, security and thermal efficiency with a new range of aluminium entrance doors (page 106)

Strongdor has provided a handy specification guide for anyone who installs steel doors for customers (page 112)

C-Prox Quantek is reporting strong sales of its touch and proximity switches, which enable automatic door activation and access control (page 108)

I hope you enjoy the magazine and have a good Easter. I’ll be back with you in a few months’ time for our summer issue.

Derek Hibbart

Editor, Door Industry Journal

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