Door Industry Journal - Spring 2020

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 34 THE door industry journal spring 2020 Industry News Syston Doors Celebrates 100 Years! Syston Doors - a leading manufacturer of roller shutters - celebrates an important birthday this year, with March 11th, 2020 marking 100 years since the firm first opened for business in Syston, just outside Leicester. The company started life in 1920 as J. Taylor (Syston) Ltd as a shop blind manufacturer, with its first factory at 2 Albert Street, Syston. To this day, some very old drop arm blinds with the Taylors of Syston name-plate can be found in and around Leicester. The company continued in the hands of Mr Taylor until 6th September 1945, when it was sold to Frank Gunn (who some readers may remember from Ventolite in Northampton) and his son Roger Gunn, who would go on to become president of the British Blind and Shutter Association. Frank owned a number of companies and asked if his brother Reg and wife Marie would like to help run the business – an offer they took up in 1955. A few years later, Reg’s sons Brian and John came on board. The business prospered and soon new premises were required. The company moved to a large former boot and shoe factory, just up the road from its first premises, at 33 Albert Street - where it remains today. The company continued to make sun blinds and rolling shutters - with the shutters sold under the ‘Syston Rolling Shutters’ brand. The sun blinds part of the business was wound down in the 1970s, as Ventolite was catering for this market. It was then decided to change the company name to Syston Rolling Shutters Ltd, with Syston Doors as a trading name. Over the years the company has supplied and fitted many thousands of shutters - including over 300 fire shutters at the British Library, and two 27-metre high shutters for a grain silo manufacturer in Bristol. The business continues under the direction of Brian’s three children - Phil, Alison and James - who between them already have over 85 years of experience in the trade. “This company was founded as a local business with a solid work ethic and we are still a proud Leicestershire firm to this day,” says James Gunn. “Many things have changed since 1920, but our philosophy of supplying quality products and service remains the same and we are looking forward to another century of success!” To find out more about Syston Doors, go to www.syston.com , call 0116 260 8841, or email sales@syston.com Yale Door and Window Solutions Announced as PiGs Sponsor Yale Door and Window Solutions has announced that it is now a proud 2020 sponsor of the People in Glazing Society. Founded in 2004, the People in Glazing Society (PiGs) is a networking group for the glass and glazing industry. With four events each year taking place in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. The organisation’s quarterly events are widely regarded throughout the industry and provide the perfect space for industry professionals to get together and network in a relaxed environment. Sarah Ball, Organiser of PiGs says: “Yale has been a sponsor for four years, and it’s great that the team at Yale are fully behind us. They come to most of the events, including the ones we’ve done further afield in the US. The relaxed atmosphere of PiGs means people build friendships within the industry. We believe the relationships come first and business second!” To find out more about Yale’s commitments to the glazing industry, please visit www.yaledws.co.uk or call 01902 366800.