Leading door manufacturer, Hörmann, has dominated the industrial and domestic door industry, globally, for over 80 years. The family-run company is renowned for quality and innovation, and 2017 has seen significant developments. Hörmann’s award-winning loading bay technology has improved warehouse safety and provided greater flexibility for companies to adapt to distribution changes. Meanwhile, the range of internal and external doors has been expanded to include a wider selection; fusing style and technology to create efficient and sophisticated doors. All doors are produced adhering to multiple environmentally-friendly procedures to ensure optimum sustainability. Tom Langley, Project Director at Hörmann UK, spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.

Tom Langley
Project Director, Hörmann UK.

WLN – What are your best-known products and services?

Besides our domestic products, our loading bay technology and sectional industrial doors are extremely popular. In addition to these, we are also well known in the industry for our range of high speed, fire and fire sliding doors.

WLN – Which market sectors and countries are your customers in? Which ones are growing fastest?

We are pleased to have created a global community, whereby our customers are based all over the world. In terms of which ones are growing fastest, we have a number of countries where we are seeing increasing levels of growth; such as India, Russia, China, South America, United States of America and Eastern Europe.

WLN – Who are your major customers and what do you do for them?

Our customer database covers a full range of developers, contractors and main end users. The 360 degree service we provide enables us to see a project right through from the beginning to the end and beyond. We deal with everything from design specification, to installation and servicing, which makes us suitable for end users in a variety of sectors, such as distribution logistics, retail, car showrooms, pharmaceuticals and emergency services. Brands such as John Lewis Partnership, Sainsbury’s and TNT have all chosen Hörmann’s products and expertise.

WLN – How do your products benefit your customers’ businesses?

The large range of products we have available means customers can find exactly what they need, even with a specific set of requirements. Our customers benefit from German engineered, reliable, top quality products, that are fully backed up with a robust service package. An additional benefit, is that products can be tailored to our customers’ specific requirements and pre-existing products.

WLN – Why should customers choose you as their main supplier in your area?

Because we can provide a number of services throughout the process of completing a job, for pure ease and efficiency, we are an ideal solution for customers. In addition to this, not only do we supply and manufacture all our products with a focus on sustainability, we are the industry leader with connections across the globe.

WLN – What’s business been like in the past year? How have conditions changed over this period and how have you reacted?

Despite Brexit, we have had a strong, positive year, and volume wise Hörmann is busier than it has ever been! Our service department has also grown, so under the circumstances we are pleased with the overall outcome of this year.

WLN – What were the business highlights for you in the last 12 months?

The main highlight for us in 2017 has to be the huge rise in services to automotive retail. We have been working with an increasing number of car retailers, who are interested in using Hörmann doors in car showrooms, warehouses and distribution centres. This is great for Hörmann because it facilitates our push for expansion across a range of sectors.

WLN – What’s been your most outstanding recent project?

It’s difficult to pinpoint just one project; the company has had exceptional success with several big names recently. However, we are pleased to be continuing our relationship with one of the world’s largest delivery companies, TNT, and working in partnership with them on their third distribution centre. As well as this, our recent project with Samworth Brothers, focusing on chilled distribution, exhibits our outstanding commitment to evolving the expansive array of work we already undertake.

WLN – How have you fine-tuned your offering in the last 12 months and why?

We wanted to really hone our services to be able to provide our customers with the most refined, efficient and cost-effective process. We now take the time to sit down with estimators to ensure strong communication and better teamwork. On top of this, we have extended our warranty package, so customers can trust that our primary focus is administrating exceptional service.

WLN – What recent enhancements have you made in customer service?

As previously mentioned, we have improved how we work with estimating, as well as the working systems in place for the projects and commercial team. Recently, we have begun streamlining projects from tender to install, with a 360-degree approach to project management.

WLN – What new products have you brought out?

Hörmann takes great pride in presenting industry forward products to the public and 2017 has been a great year for showing off our latest range. Our new range of timber internal doors have been a huge success and we have received great feedback on this range. Other products we have introduced include perimeter protection systems, the Wheel blocker, and a complete control operator, that requires only a single connecting lead to control both the door and the dock leveller – a fantastic advancement for us. In addition to all of these, we also launched the BBS dock shelter which has been developed to improve efficiency and safety in rapidly changing warehouse environments.

WLN – What factors do you see affecting your business in the coming year? How will you turn these into opportunities?

As the industry’s leader, we try to consistently meet the changing needs of the market before it happens.We don’t rely on upcoming issues or yearly factors to affect our business, instead we remain flexible and try to stay ahead of the market.

WLN – Are you planning to branch into any new areas, target new customers and take on more people?

We are always looking to branch out and expand our services, and in 2018 we are planning to explore new areas of marketing. With so many users preferring online outlets, we have made the decision to distribute our marketing activity over both digital and print media. In addition to this, Hörmann is not currently on any social media platforms so as part of our 2018 activity we will be introducing this as part of our exciting venture. Campaigns will also be structured slightly differently and will focus on specific sectors and products. With such a variety of industries requiring our services we feel it necessary to equip them accordingly.

Similarly, our product led campaigns will be run as a way of projecting product specific information to a wider audience. Finally, as you have read, this year we acquired the majority of the shares for the Italian manufacturer, Pilomat. As a result, we now own 70% of the company, which will hopefully allow us to approach a completely different wave of businesses in the new year.

WLN – Are you investing in new premises and extra staff? What about staff development and training?

As an ever-growing company, we understand the importance of having the right staff and resources in place, hence why we now have a dedicated in-house training manager to enable us to share our high level of expertise. Additionally, we have exciting plans to put a new training facility in place in the future.

WLN – Are you involved in any major trade shows or other industry events over the next year?

We are currently in the process of choosing which events we would like to exhibit at and attend in 2018 and 2019.

WLN – What big news from Hörmann can our readers look forward to seeing in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2018?

They can look forward to the new extended warranty, which will help customers trust the longevity of products. In general, readers should be excited as we improve our overall package, and ultimately continue to expand on our successes.

WLN – And finally, if you had to sum up your company in a tweet what would it be?

The best just got better.

HÖRMANN

01530 513000

info@hormann.co.uk

www.hormann.co.uk

 

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