Hörmann is the recognised leader in the industrial door sector, a lead that has been achieved through attention to detail in all aspects of the design and manufacturing process.
Hörmann industrial products are made to order and as such every customer effectively benefits from a bespoke service, where each component is manufactured in a specialist factory equipped with state of the art machinery. This approach ensures the best quality is produced in the most efficient manner, so Hörmann can offer a better product at the market price. Service is also a key element of the success that Hörmann enjoys. The introduction of a new Super Fast Track service, that can deliver industrial sectional doors in 15 working days and have replacement panels ready for collection in only 48 hours exemplifies this service commitment
Alan Jenkins, sales director for Hörmann (UK) Ltd spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
WLN – First of all, what does your role involve day to day? Has it changed since last year?
Yes it has, since I took on the role of Sales Director for both the industrial and domestic divisions of Hörmann (UK ) Ltd, my main focus has been to acquaint myself with the domestic side of our business. Pretty much all of our domestic products are sold through a network of specialist Garage Door distributors, which is slightly different from the sales of our industrial products. On the industrial side I continue to deal with trade customers and directly with both main contractors and end users for larger projects. This year we have continued to grow our sales with many projects for major retailers in the ‘Big Shed’ market. Pleasingly we have gained new clients and won repeat work with existing customers.
WLN – 2013 – How was it for you?
2013 has been a good year for us as we continue to develop our sales in both the domestic and industrial sectors and in our after sales service. The demand for better insulation and other energy saving measures has continued to aid sales for fast action doors. Additionally the use of twin door sets to create loading lobbies, particularly in frozen and chilled operations, is increasing the number of doors we fit on individual projects.
WLN – How has the Doors & Curtains category been performing this year? What do you see as the most significant recent developments?
The category has continued to grow as explained earlier, however it is very competitive. The introduction of the new CE marking regulations and the increased integration of automatic doors into operating and loading systems has also created extra demand for after sales support.
Many customers are now looking way beyond the initial ticket price for items but considering the lifetime costs. Sustainability issues are playing a role in this too, as those products that last longer help to reduce environmental impact. Hörmann has also issued Environmental Product Directives (EPD) for all its door products.
WLN – Have you moved into any new business areas in the last 12 months?
With the acquisition of Huga KG in Germany and IG Doors in Cwbran, Wales by the Hörmann Group, we have continued to expand our product range of internal doors. At the IMHX we also introduced the latest additions to our comprehensive range of multi-function hinged doors for both internal and external use. This means we can supply all the doors required for many projects. An added benefit, as mentioned above, is that we can supply independently verified Environmental Product Directives for all these doors. This information helps architects and designers by providing the relevant data to ensure they meet the environmental targets now established for many builds.
WLN – What was your biggest investment to improve your business this year? What else have you done?
As always, we respond to the needs of our customers and one area of investment has been in after sales where we now offer a full 24/7 breakdown and repair service for all door and loading bay products.
WLN – How are your existing products and services doing? Have you developed or upgraded your existing products and services recently?
Even though we have the most comprehensive range of industrial doors, suitable for the vast majority of sites and operations, we continually look to improve both the individual products and the range.
This is because we are led by the needs of our current and potential customers. For example the award winning light grille, non-contact safety device originally developed for fast action curtains is now available for our sectional door range.
WLN – Have you launched any new products or services, and how are they performing?
This year we have introduced the Series 50 range of sectional industrial doors, an entry level SB Insulated Rolling shutter, relaunched our 24/7 service offer, to include all makes of equipment, and introduced our Super Fast-Track service for industrial sectional door orders.
With the Series 50 we have simplified the designation of our doors but continue to offer the widest choice. These doors include steel faced insulated doors as well as part glazed and fully glazed options. Our unique wicket door with trip free threshold has been improved with hidden hinges in the thinner frame of the series 50 and a new standardised clear passage width of 940mm adopted to conform with accessibility and escape route guidelines. We have also introduced a new internal multi-locking system for our wicket doors.
The SB rolling shutter brings Hörmann quality and engineering to an entry level roller door, the Decotherm option with insulated lathes has been taking the majority of sales simply because it is competitively priced against simple single skin steel roller shutters from other manufacturers and in some cases the insulated lath is lighter per square meter than a single skin equivalent, thanks to the use of the 0.3mm hardened steel used in the production of the insulated Decotherm lath.
Super Fast-Track offers delivery of certain industrial sectional doors within 15 working days from the date of order confirmation to delivery on site and also the availability of certain common panels, for repair work, within 48 hours for collection. Although this service has just been launched, the industry reaction has been very positive.
WLN – What’s been your company’s single biggest achievement in business this year?
Not only have we have been able to retain customers and their repeat business we have won work with new clients in what is still a very tough, demanding and competitive market. Increasing turnover and market share.
WLN – What was your favourite business moment in 2013?
Being recognised for our safety innovations by receiving two prestigious safety awards, one at the IMHX and the other at the TCS&D exhibitions.
WLN – Do you operate in any other countries besides the UK? How are you getting on there? Have you gone into any new territories recently?
Hörmann (UK) Limited is part of a global business, that has 26 specialised factories in Europe, North America and Asia. There are over 80 individual sales locations in more than 30 countries as well as hundreds of authorised dealers in 35 additional nations.
WLN – Have you won any awards recently, or been accredited to any new standards?
As mentioned above, this year we have won two awards. The first was the Design 4 Safety Award with our Light Grille non-contact safety device for fast action curtain doors. One of a number of safety devices and innovations pioneered by Hörmann, the Light Grille makes a significant contribution to the safe operation of high-speed doors. This device exceeds the requirements of BS EN 13241-1 and virtually eliminates the risk of harm to pedestrians from fast action doors. Originally developed for high speed curtains this device has now been re-engineered for use with sectional doors too.
The second was the TCS&D Health and Safety award which reflects a number of safety initiatives. These have been developed as a part of our policy of continual improvement. This approach not only applies to new product development but also the whole solution route that Hörmann has adopted. I was particularly pleased to gain this award since it recognises our planning and forward thinking and the way we work with our clients to improve safety in the workplace.
WLN – Can you tell us about your major projects this year, and what they involved?
We have completed a number of large scale projects working with a good mix of developers, main contractors and end users. Many of these projects include the loading bay as well as our industrial doors. Projects completed include installations in distribution centres now operated by or for Asda, AG Barr, The Co-operative Group, IKEA, The John Lewis Partnership, Lidl, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.
A recent project win is the supply of large folding doors for new train sheds which Volker Fitzpatrick are building as part of the Cross Rail project.
WLN – Can you tell us about your plans for 2014? Where do you see your business going?
For 2014 our focus will be on improving customer care. There is increased demand for manufacturer backed service and routine maintenance programmes so we see this as an area we need to invest in to ensure the support we provide matches the high quality we have built our reputation on.
Phone: 01530 516888
Email: info@hormann.co.uk
Web: www.hormann.co.uk
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