With over 80 years’ experience in the manufacture of industrial doors and loading technology, Hörmann UK is a key partner and supplier to all the major developers across the UK including Prologis, Panattoni, GLP and St. Modwen.

Industrial Division Manager at Hörmann UK
Being able to call upon the experience and resources of an international organisation, Hörmann UK are ideally placed to respond to a continuously expanding warehouse and logistics market. They provide a complete service from initial consultation through to design, installation, and long-term maintenance and service support – an all-encompassing support package which is second to none.
The company now includes FBS Hörmann who are best known for operating the largest industrial service and maintenance team in the UK and Hörmann Transdek who supply the UK and European markets with a specialist range of modular loading and lifting equipment.
Phil Thorpe, Industrial Division Manager at Hörmann UK spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
Hörmann UK supply an extensive range of quality products primarily for major new build warehouse and logistics projects including loading bay systems, level access, high speed and fire sliding doors together with steel door sets. Whilst FBS Hormann supply a specialist service for the refurbishment of existing warehouse stock, together with a dedicated Perimeter Protection Division offering the market full turn-key solutions for access and security projects.
Specialist modular loading and lifting solutions including surface-mounted, rapid-install double-deck lifts designed for high-capacity double deck trailers, vehicle to ground lifts for level-access sites, scissor lifts and mezzanine goods lifts are all supplied through our Doncaster based Hörmann Transdek.
All products and systems are backed by a nationwide, comprehensive maintenance and service capability provided by FBS Hörmann.
How do you think your industry sector is performing at the moment?
Generally, it was a slow start to 2024 mainly as a result of larger projects being put on hold. This was caused by the impact of higher interest rates and the uncertainty surrounding the possible change of government. However, the lid has certainly been lifted and Hörmann have been getting a lot busier since the summer.
One of the big differences we are seeing this year is a lot less speculative sites and more built-to-suit. In previous years we saw a huge demand from online retail customers, but the emphasis seems to have now shifted to major build projects for well-known high street brands and food retailers.
How many markets are you in and what is your biggest market?
Hörmann UK is responsible for projects within the large shed market, and this still represents the biggest part of our business, with our sister company FBS Hörmann servicing the smaller refurbishment of existing facilities. We also have numerous trade partners throughout the UK, and they are constantly busy supplying Hörmann products and systems to a wide variety of projects, including incineration plants, luxury car showrooms, vehicle depots, distilleries and fire stations – to name a few.
In what ways does your company stand out from its competitors?
Hörmanns’ ability to offer a one-stop-shop solution, which has been further enhanced by the addition of FBS Hörmann and Hörmann Transdek.
As well as having a truly comprehensive choice of products, suitable for a wide range of industrial markets, we are able to call upon the extensive resources and experience of a multi-national organisation. This means that we can provide a complete service from initial consultation through to design, planning, installation, and long-term maintenance support – an all-encompassing package which sets us apart in the market.
Experts from our teams are always on-hand to provide advice and support to ensure that the best possible solutions are selected to meet the needs of a project, whether it be large or small. Skilled Project Managers are available to work on-site who are able to develop new ideas and options to suit specific operational requirements.
We also benefit from being a family run business, albeit on a global scale, which means that we can offer the market stability and reliability – an essential element when dealing with challenging times.
Can you tell us about any recent customer contract projects and how you helped the customer meet their challenges?
Hörmann UK have worked with Panattoni on the completion of two warehouse units at Panattoni Park J28, installing full loading bays with safety and operational equipment including dock buffers, dock lights and traffic lights, plus sectional level access doors and fire exit doorsets.
The total installation consists of fifty-three loading bays and seven level access bays, with the loading bays comprising of Hörmann SPU F42 sectional doors with HTL-2 dock levellers, featuring a one metre telescopic lip which provides an optimal range loading platform. 48 ‘single bay’ and 6 DSS-G ‘double/euro bay’ dock shelters have been installed to provide protection from the elements for both operatives and goods, helping to reduce heat loss during loading and unloading operations.
Other elements of the Hörmann loading bay system include reinforced Dock Bumpers, which are constructed from recycled tyre rubber with 15mm thick steel faceplates. The buffers are designed to minimise any potential damage to the bay in the event of a vehicle making direct contact with the building. Traffic lights and dock lights complete the loading bays offering the highest standards in safety and operational efficiency during the docking and loading processes.
The provision of 28 STU steel fire exit doorsets, installed throughout both warehouses and offices, completes an impressive range of products supplied, all chosen for their quality construction and the impressive service offered by the company.
How do your business levels in 2024 compare to previous years?
Even after a slow start, 2024 has been yet another positive year for Hörmann and looking forward to 2025 our order books are strong. As a company we are always looking at ways to improve our efficiency in the market and maintain our high standards of customer care, with this year seeing the Hörmann industrial team brought together in one office. A large, successful recruitment programme was also undertaken by FBS Hörmann to increase the service engineers on the road to over 140, based throughout the UK.
What is your strategy for growth and success in 2025?
Our strategy in the market is simple, to continue doing what Hörmann are well known for – an undoubted well-earned reputation for quality products and high levels of service, together with the ability to go that ‘extra mile’, which we describe as the ‘Hörmann Difference.’
The addition of FBS Hörmann and Hörmann Transdek to the business also opens up new opportunities and there are ambitious growth plans for 2025 and into the future.
What work are you doing in the area of sustainability?
At Hörmann we think and act green.
As a family business, Hörmann are very conscious of their responsibility to future generations and consider that sustainability is about collective actions which affects all aspects of our daily operations. Committed to sustainability for many years, the Group has made sustainable manufacturing a core objective, adopting an established climate strategy of calculating, reducing, and offset. The majority of the electricity used by our European production sites is generated from renewable sources and over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 are offset by promoting wind energy and reforestation projects in co-operation with Climate Partner.
In the UK, the company’s headquarters in Coalville is powered via solar panels and all products are produced with confirmation of sustainability through an Environmental Product Declaration. All industrial doors, operators, loading technology, construction project doors and perimeter protection systems are now available as CO2-neutral products upon request for an additional charge.
What exhibitions can we expect to see your company exhibiting at in 2025?
The Hörmann Group will have a large presence at the BAU Exhibition, being held in Munich, January 2025. The Group uses this exhibition as a showcase for its total product range and to launch new products onto the market. The industrial side of the business will be well represented and we will be exhibiting important new solutions for the market.
HÖRMANN UK
01530 513000
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