The Door Industry Journal

Sunday, 17 May 2015

Stunning 360 Degree Film Unveiled As Sir Stirling Moss Revisits The Mille Miglia

On 14th May the 2015 running of the Mille Miglia began and Mercedes-Benz has combined the old and the new with the creation of a cutting edge 360 degree film to mark a special anniversary.

A little over 60 years ago, on 1st May 1955, Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR – number 722. They drove flat out for 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds and averaged 98 miles per hour – all on public roads.

It was recognised as one of the greatest feats of driving ever – their record still stands today.

In 1955, the W 196 R racers were the most advanced cars in the world – they won every race they finished and used cutting edge materials.

At a time when road cars would struggle to hit 70 mph, the W 196 R could exceed 180 mph. Today only eight examples still exist, but now and again they’re let loose…

Sixty years on, Sir Stirling Moss has been reunited with the 300 SLR number 722, on the very same roads on which he won.

The film released last Thursday allows you to control the camera and watch from nearly any angle as Sir Stirling Moss takes ‘722’ on the roads he and Denis Jenkinson set records on. Three dimensional sound makes the footage even more vivid. You can view the film now at this link.

In the coming weeks the film will be available to be downloaded via iTunes (for the iPhone and iPad) and the Android Store as well as being capable of being experienced on Oculus devices such as the Samsung Gear VR.

www.mercedes-benz.co.uk

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Saturday, 16 May 2015

Record-breaking results for the recent National Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC

Centaur Media Plc’s recent flagship homebuilding event, The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, which took place between 26-29 March at the NEC, Birmingham, experienced the highest level of exhibitor rebookings for over seven years, with 72 per cent signing up for next year’s event as a result of the premium, highly targeted visitor demographic and footfall at the show.

The average spend on a project was £114,000, a six per cent increase on last year’s exhibition.

Over 500 companies from a range of industries exhibited at the event to showcase their offerings within the renovating, interior, eco and self build industries. 55 per cent of visitors showed a keen interest in purchasing doors and windows closely followed by 51 per cent who wanted to source heating products. 47 per cent were revamping their kitchens which resulted in a strong turnout at the seminar on how to refurbish this room in their home. A further 45 per cent were keen to obtain information and meet with exhibitors which specialised in bathrooms, many of whom visited the workshop on this topic.

Steve Newbold, managing director of Centaur Home Interest Media, says:

“We’re delighted with the results at this year’s National Homebuilding & Renovating exhibition. It is clear that confidence is returning to the market and people are spending significant amounts on new build, renovation projects and home improvement. Our strength is in attracting the committed buyer who attends our shows to seek expert advice, benefit from the high quality masterclasses and meet our professional exhibitors to enable informed buying decisions. Yet again we have attracted a strong audience where the average budgeted spend levels position the Homebuilding & Renovating events as the clear market leader in its space.”

Michael Holmes

The show was the first of seven exhibitions planned for 2015, based on a strategy of creating high quality content to engage serious consumers and exhibitors.

The highlight exhibit at the event was the Oakworth Homes full size timber show house which provided visitors with an impression of what their future home could look like should they opt for this sustainable structure. A two-storey stripped-back installation was set up at the event to offer show attendees a guided tour experience with the company’s trusted advisors.

The Dulux Interior Design & Decorating Clinic was another popular feature offering visitors one-on-one consultations to discuss colour trends and furnishing advice.

There was full attendance at the seminar, ‘Creating the Perfect Family’. This workshop emphasised the need for people to invest in design and to choose their architect carefully to ensure that they are aware of the latest trends and briefed on the most-up-to date rules and regulations.

Next year’s Birmingham show will be held at the NEC from 14-17 April 2016. For more information on upcoming exhibitions, visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk.

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Friday, 15 May 2015

Abloy Showcases Locking Solutions At IFSEC

Security expert Abloy UK is showcasing a number of mechanical, electro-mechanical, and electric locking solutions at IFSEC 2015, as well as offering advice to security professionals on compliance, key control and energy efficiency.

Abloy is keen to highlight the energy saving benefits of its new low energy electric locking solutions, following the launch of the government’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). ESOS is a mandatory energy assessment scheme for UK organisations, which requires them to carry out audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and transport to identify cost-effective energy saving measures.

In instances where the energy consumption of a building needs to be reduced, electric locks are an ideal solution to help increase energy efficiency. Door magnets require an electric current to lock the door, whereas a motorised or solenoid electric lock only uses power to open the door, meaning they use significantly less energy.

With this in mind, Abloy’s handle controlled locks are now available with new low energy technology, combining eco-friendliness and high security.

Abloy will also be promoting web-based security management solution, PROTEC2 CLIQ at IFSEC 2015. PROTEC2 CLIQ allows for the remote management of disparate or large electronic master-keyed sites at any time, from anywhere in the world.

The system provides comprehensive audit trails on cylinders and padlocks and the ability to remove lost or stolen keys from the system, thereby providing tight key management at all times.

Visitors to IFSEC 2015 can get an interactive demonstration of how the PROTEC2 CLIQ and electric locking systems work on stand D1700, with Abloy UK representatives on hand to answer any questions.

Jon Burke, Marketing Manager for Abloy UK, said:

“IFSEC is the world’s leading annual security event, making it the ideal location to discuss compliance, key control and energy efficiency. We want to help visitors understand how they are able to achieve all three of these factors in a variety of applications.”

For further information on any of the products and services available from Abloy UK, please call 01902 364 500 or email marketing@abloy.co.uk

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Thursday, 14 May 2015

Enhanced RES-olution DuraTherm sectional garage door enhances the range of doors from Garage Door Systems

A two-year development programme by Garage Door Systems with its partners, Norwegian engineering specialist Lobas, has seen the introduction of a new sectional garage door product range named DuraTherm.

The project labelled, "inside-out" refers to the trigger for the development - the original fittings box for its existing sectional door. The box contained over 75 parts and fixings and it was this that spurred Garage Door Systems to engineer out complexity, evolve the door gear to a world-class level and pre-assemble many components to simplify the installation process. An equally significant driver for change was customer feedback that was consolidated into a wish list for the new design, on which the new door really delivers!

DuraTherm has, at its core, a new lifting gear design. The RES-R and RES-F, with RES denoting Residential and R and F for Rear and Front mount torsion.

Read about all the details in the Spring issue of DIJ and below.

Just a few of the new door features:

Low headroom rear-mount torsion gear requiring just 145mm to fit door and opener.

Low headroom front-mount torsion gear requiring just 185mm to fit door and opener.

Fully finished 85mm frame legs and a 110mm header with mechanical fix cover profiles for colour matching to the door panels when installation requires that that any parts of the frame or header are visible.

Solutions for behind fix, between and under fix and partial within fix.

Pre-assembled torsion spring, keyed shaft and couplings

New spacer bar and adjustable roller carriers

42mm insulated panels on all ribbed and Georgian styles with new panel heights for beautifully balanced proportions at all finished door heights in a host of finishes and colours.

"The fittings box now has just a handful of parts and a cleverly organised fixing pack - quite a transformation, aside from all the other brilliant features that makes DuraTherm a product we're confident will help our distributors secure sales and reduce installation time" Said Mark McEvoy, GDS's Commercial Director.

For full details of the new Door email Garage Door Systems on info@gdsdoors.eu or find out more in the Spring issue of the Door Industry Journal.

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Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Allegion acquires Sliding, Folding Door Hardware Leader Brio

Allegion, plc, a leading global security products and solutions provider, has recently acquired the assets of Brio, a division of RMD Industries Pty Ltd. Brio is a market-leading designer and manufacturer of sliding and folding door hardware for commercial and residential spaces in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Phil Street, Commercial Director for the UK and MEA regions at Allegion, said:

“The acquisition of Brio allows Allegion to enter the sliding and folding door hardware market with an already strong brand reputation and high-quality products, while also providing expansion opportunities around the world.

"The sliding and folding door hardware market has obvious synergies with the ‘around-the-doorway' security markets Allegion leads, so we already have the technical capabilities needed to support this new product offering for our customers. With our strong global specification writing teams and sales coverage, we'll be able to leverage Brio's position across the globe to drive growth for Allegion and our portfolio of brands."

Brio's suite of products includes door hardware systems and accessories for interior sliding and folding doors; WeatherfoldTM exterior folding doors; straight-sliding, top-hung doors; straight-sliding, bottom-roller doors; and retractable insect screens.

Brio General Manager Styli Pelekanos said the acquisition was a strategic one for both entities.

"To be part of Allegion is exciting - almost overnight we are expanding our global footprint," said Pelekanos. "Brio has spent many years developing a wide range of unique products that have benefited and solved problems for our customers."

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

For more information on Allegion’s door solutions portfolio, please go to www.allegion.co.uk

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Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Ironmongerydirect Celebrates 100th Catalogue With Prize Giveaway

IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest online and mail order supplier of ironmongery products, is celebrating the launch of its 100th catalogue issue with a series of giveaways.

IronmongeryDirect has come a long way since it was established in 1969. Starting out as a traditional hardware shop supplying ironmongery to local tradesmen it changed its name to Essex Fittings before it started trading under IronmongeryDirect in 2000. Now with the UK’s biggest range of quality ironmongery products in stock for next day delivery as standard, IronmongeryDirect fulfils thousands of orders each week, delivered all over the UK. Customers can browse and purchase over 14,000 items from either the catalogue or online, and everything is delivered next day, as standard.

The catalogue has evolved significantly over the years, growing from just 100 to over 900 pages, packed with specialist ironmongery products such as door furniture, sliding door hardware and the company’s newly introduced fence hardware range.

Despite growing rapidly since the company began, IronmongeryDirect have retained many of their local customers, including 40-year-old carpenter Richard Bunker, from R D Bunker, who has been a customer since it was a small family run shop in Leigh on Sea. Commenting on the release of the 100th catalogue, he said: “I’ve been a customer for many years now as they stock all the products I need and I can rely on them to offer a great customer service along with competitive prices. And the next day delivery service is just what I need as a small business owner. It’s great to see the company doing so well.”

To celebrate the release of the 100th catalogue issue, IronmongeryDirect is holding a competition to give customers the chance to win from a pool of fantastic prizes, including High Street vouchers, champagne, a DeWALT site radio and a top of the range barbecue.

From down the side of the sofa to behind the bathroom door, the IronmongeryDirect catalogue finds itself in the most unusual places. To enter the competition, all trade professionals need to do is visit www.IronmongeryDirect.com/100 and complete a form to answer the question ‘Where do you keep yours?’ The lucky winners will be announced on 22nd May 2015.

Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said:

“Creating this momentous issue has been an exciting and humbling experience. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved over the years and we can’t thank our customers enough for their continued support.”

For more information or to request a catalogue, please visit www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk

IronmongeryDirect
Scimitar Park
Basildon
Essex
SS13 1ND
W: www.IronmongeryDirect.co.uk
T: 0808 168 28 28
E: sales@IronmongeryDirect.co.uk

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Monday, 11 May 2015

Assa Abloy Secures The Supply Chain With UK Manufacturing

A recent survey, carried out by the EEF, of 400 manufacturing firms suggests that the positive run of output in British manufacturing is set to continue in 2015, with early orders indicating a move back into positive territory.

With five product factories across the UK that deliver locks, window hardware, high security doors and hi-tech key and asset management solutions, ASSA ABLOY has always been a stalwart of British manufacturing.

The recent trend for ‘reshoring,’ which has seen one in six companies move production back to the UK between 2011 and 2014, the revival in UK manufacturing is not a surprise to manufacturers who have always valued the flexibility and speed of response afforded by a UK production centre.

Whilst many companies were initially enticed by the reduced overheads of emerging economies, as these markets come to maturity this is equally having the opposite affect, but cost is not the only reason for UK manufacturing to be ‘back in fashion.’ Product quality, skills and innovation, ease of customer communication and shorter, more responsive supply chains are the real benefits of British manufacturing, something ASSA ABLOY has been demonstrating throughout its history.

Employing over 1000 people in the UK its heavily invested-in factories are award winning in terms of operational excellence and innovation at both regional and national level. Ensuring that whilst its traditional products remain an important part of its legacy in the heart of the lock-making country, it also invests in innovation to expand into wider markets and deliver efficiencies that make its UK production sustainable and reliable.

Helping to overcome any production cost issues the manufacturing and supply chain strategy is to source globally, where appropriate, ensuring competitive product prices but to configure products locally, this ensures that stock is as flexible as possible to meet customer specification and keep lead times as short as possible.

However, a number of ASSA ABLOY’s products and solutions are manufactured 100% in the UK, including UNION’s C-Series range that is made from raw materials, through to despatch in the UK. This has guaranteed that the same high quality materials and craftsmanship has been delivered since the products were developed and launched in 1958.

ASSA ABLOY’s Portobello site in Willenhall also assembles all of the manufacturer’s master key systems and many thousands of multi-point locks and strikes a week.

Lee Philp, Head of Operations for ASSA ABLOY UK, said:

“I am extremely proud of the manufacturing footprint we have retained in the UK, that enables us to think carefully about the quality and the continuity of the supply of our products to customers.

“In our own lives we all demand better service and the end users of our products are no different, which is why the service we provide to our distribution and locksmith partners is always at the forefront of my mind. At ASSA ABLOY we aim to offer proactive and professional communication and be easy to do business with. Fundamentally, we provide the ‘right product’ at the ‘right price’, ‘when’ and ‘where’ our customers need it.

“I have led many factory tours over the years and virtually all of the attendees are surprised by how much we still do in the UK. I invite all our customers to visit our sites to see UK lock manufacturing in action and to buy British where they can.”

For further information on ASSA ABLOY UK, please visit www.assaabloy.co.uk

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Sunday, 10 May 2015

Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman to Sell Prized Cars at Festival of Speed Sale

Bill Wyman in front of the 1971 Citroën Maserati SM

Bonhams Festival of Speed Sale will feature two motor cars owned by former Rolling Stones bassist, Bill Wyman.

Wyman drove the 1971 Citroën Maserati SM (£35,000-40,000) and 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 S (£20,000-25,000) to studios during the recording of several famous Rolling Stones albums, including the 1968 album Beggars Banquet, featuring the iconic track Sympathy for the Devil; the 1969 album Let it Bleed, featuring Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want; the 1972 album Exile on Main St, featuring Rocks off, and the 1981 album Tattoo You, featuring Start Me Up.

Wyman said: “I had the very first Mercedes that featured blacked-out windows. Everyone was getting black windows – Mick Jagger and Brian Jones did in their Minis. Mercedes had never done black windows though, so I had to contribute to the research on how to make them. It cost me about £350. Then of course, I got stopped all the time. The police usually just wanted to see who was in it.” However, in 1997 the vehicle was subject to restoration, meaning the original tinted windows are no longer in place.

“From 1966 to 1969 I used the car to travel around London and to Olympic Studios where we were recording Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed. When we weren’t in the studio or touring I drove it round England with my camera, taking photos.

Bill Wyman driving the 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 S

“From 1971 to 1982, I was living in the South of France and I frequently drove the Maserati from my new home in Vence to Paris, where we recorded the albums Some Girls, Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You.

“The minute I saw the Maserati, I thought, this is it! It looked so beautiful. They showed me that incredible engine and the double headlights, and I thought, incredible! I fell in love with it.

“I’d drive it to Keith Richards’ place, miles away in Cap Ferrat, to record Exile on Main Street album, and I’d drive to Paris and back, an eight-hour journey each way.

“It was so easy to drive,” Wyman said of the Maserati, “I became great friends with Marc Chagall, Cesar, and James Baldwin over the years, and I’d drive over to their homes on the Côte d’Azur. I’d also drive to Monte Carlo to hang out with Ringo and Spiros and Philip Niarchos of the Greek shipping family.

Bill Wyman

“I drove it to Spain too. And to Marseilles, Portofino in Italy, and back to England a few times. Oh, and of course to Switzerland. I went there twice to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The first time was with Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Pinetop Perkins. Then three years later I again drove there to play with Muddy Waters again.”

“I am sorry to say goodbye to these two cars, but having enjoyed them so much over the years and having kept them both in pristine condition, I feel they should now go to people who will love and take care of them as much as I have.”

Bonhams Festival of Sale takes place on 26 June in Goodwood, Chichester. For more information visit www.bonhams.com.

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Saturday, 9 May 2015

Roll up, Roll up! WI Member Shows off New Kerb Appeal

A member of the Women’s Institute from Colerne, Chippenham was surprised to win a new garage door from a top UK door manufacturer.

Every year, Hörmann gives away a number of its high-quality products through a variety of competitions. So when Valerie Osborn received the call to say she had won one of the highly acclaimed RollMatic garage doors, she was absolutely delighted.

Mrs Osborn had been looking to replace her typical up-and-over garage door for some time before seeing the competition in the Women’s Institute members’ magazine and deciding to enter.

The weight and design of their original door meant that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her and her husband to use. In contrast, the RollMatic comes with an operator as standard, which enables the user to simply open and close the door at the push of a button.

The new RollMatic was installed recently and has really made a positive impact on their lives. Mrs Osborn commented: “The up-and-over garage door was getting too heavy for either of us to lift fully. Even the simplest of things, such as getting my bike out, had become a struggle.

“I was impressed with how quickly and efficiently the team at Secure Door Services fitted our door and we’re really enjoying making the most of our garage again.”

To find out more about Hörmann’s range of doors, visit www.hormann.co.uk

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Friday, 8 May 2015

SOMMER Takes Garage Door Operators to the Next Level with base+

Featured at the R&T Show in Stuttgart, visitors to the show were treated to a glimpse at one of the most advanced garage door operators to ever hit the market - the SOMMER base+.

Manufactured at the state of the art SOMMER factory in Germany, the new operator offers speed and efficiency across the board, from handling to installation to everyday use.

The base+ is packaged and delivered in just one box. Installation is then made quick and easy by having the chain pre-inserted into the motor carriage, whilst the roof-mounting bracket can be added after installation of the operator, which is horizontally and vertically adjustable. During use, the base+ optimises speed profiles for faster opening and safe closing.

Two key features of the base+ are intelligence and safety. In the event of an attempted break-in, the standard motor produces a counter pressure and, using an optional lock upgrade, the operator can withstand a force of 300Kg at any point.

The intelligence of the base+ is evident through automatic limit recognition, with only one reference limit switch that is mechanically adjustable. An optional SOMlink then allows the installer to modify settings, gather information and set up the system to match his customers' needs exactly by using his smart phones or tablet.

Optional extras add a range of capabilities to the base+. These include a humidity sensor, parking position sensor and a magnetic lock on the motor rotor giving 300Kg force protection, even in the ventilation position. Other options are an additional LED light strip on the operator casing, a relay that enables additional switching for lighting, and an increased memory card able to store up to 450 different handset codes.

Installers benefit from the ability to programme regular service intervals. Services are then simplified by the fact that the motor carriage can be removed, maintained and then replaced without disassembling the track.

The new bi-directional handsets are delivered coded to the operator and boast a vibration feedback feature that informs the user that the signal sent has been received by the operator. The encoding is handled by a 128-bit AES encryption, the same technology is used in online banking security, ensuring total safety.

A clever auto-repeat function helps to utilize the full range of the new radio system. When you press the handset button for more than a second while you are still a long way out of range, your handset will repeatedly send a signal every 3 seconds. As soon as the receiver is in range it will confirm the signal and start to open the door. The driver can concentrate on traffic and is not distracted from driving by handling the handset whilst turning onto the driveway.

UK customers will have to wait until summer 2015 to purchase the base+ and Theuns Liebenberg, Technical Sales Manager at SOMMER UK, is expecting strong demand when it hits the market:

"The base+ was the star of R&T Stuttgart 2015 and it's easy to see why, as it offers greatly enhanced speed, efficiency and security," he says. "There is nothing else like it out there so we are expecting a huge response when it launches over the next few months."

base+ sales leaflets and price lists are now available from SOMMER UK. To get yours simply email enquiries@sommeruk.com quoting base+

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