Door Industry Journal - Summer 2017

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 10 THE door industry journal summer 2017 industry news EXOVA MARKS OFFICIAL OPENING OF UK SUPERSITE Exova, the global testing, calibration and advisory services provider, has today (6 June 2017) marked the official opening of a new 50,000 square foot supersite in Wednesbury, UK. The new testing site serves the needs of national and international customers in the automotive, door, window and hardware industries and represents a further significant long-term commitment to the provision of technically demanding testing services from the UK. The facility, which will conduct more than 10,000 tests annually, was opened by Paul Forrest, Director at the West Midlands Economic Forum and Ian El-Mokadem, CEO of Exova. The multi-million-pound investment sees Exova expand both its capabilities and its capacity in the provision of testing services for the built environment and the automotive sector. Customers will benefit from a greater range of technically demanding services delivered from a modern facility which will be able to support both today’s demands and the expected future growth in the sectors it serves. As a result, Exova’s highly skilled engineers and technicians will be able to continue to support their customers by playing a key role in their product development processes and improving speed to market. Ian El-Mokadem, CEO of Exova, comments: “This is an important milestone in the growth of our automotive and building products testing businesses, which work for some of the world’s leading household names. Bringing these testing services together, close to our key customers, will enable us to increase efficiency and turnaround times, and give greater access to Exova’s global expertise. “I wish the Exova Wednesbury team the very best for the future of this site which is at the forefront of both customer service and technical standards.” Paul Forrest, Director of West Midlands Economic Forum added: “It is centres such as this that enable the region to drive forward as a key supplier at the apex of global value-added supply chains. Exova’s presence is a significant addition to the already broad range of attributes that the West Midlands possesses, as one of the leading global technology clusters.” Work undertaken at the site will include: testing for the built environment - security, durability and weather testing of doors, windows and hardware; as well as the testing of automotive trim, components and full vehicles for corrosion, UV weathering, environmental ageing, flammability, vibration and emissions. The site will initially employ 32 people, a figure which is expected to rise in the first two years as Exova’s development plans are realised. It will offer testing to British, European, international and OEM standards. SOMMER AND DOCO WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBER - NEIL SMALL Neil joined the SOMMER and DOCO team on 12th June as Sales Manager for the UK. Neil has extensive experience within the garage door industry in the UK and is well versed in SOMMER garage door and gate automation products. He will be working hard to make sure our SOMMER and DOCO customers receive all the support they need and to continue building long lasting partnerships. If you wish to reach out to Neil for information or to book him in for a visit, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and call him on 07918 764 394 or drop him an email to n.small@sommeruk.com .