Door Industry Journal - Summer 2017

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk industry news What does it take to become a roller door manufacturer? As UK distributor of Alutech roller garage door components JD (UK) Ltd. are often approached by garage door specialists and others with connections to the door industry, who have an interest in beginning to manufacture their own roller garage doors and roller shutters. So just what does it take to make the transition from simply supplying and installing doors to becoming a manufacturer? Louis Wynne, Northern Area Sales Manager for JD (UK) Ltd, outlines below the advice he offers to prospective new roller door manufacturers: “There are really 3 things I look for when someone tells me they want to make their own doors; how many do they sell currently, what plans do they have to sell more in the future and are they prepared for the investment in time, material and facilities? The first of these, the number of doors currently being sold, is probably the most important. Our guide rails, lath, box sections and bottom rails are supplied in a wide range of colours in a mixture of 5, 5.5, 6 and 7 metre lengths. When a good number of doors is being sold, a new manufacturer quickly re-uses any off-cut lengths to make their next door. However, for smaller production quantities, it is much more challenging”. “New manufacturers who lack the regular flow of sales often experience short term cash flow challenges as they do not re-use off-cut lengths quickly – tying up cash which could be put back in the business.” Smaller scale manufacturing of roller doors is becoming more common throughout the industry, and with recent price increases driven by higher import costs for manufacturers JD (UK) Ltd., are receiving more and more enquiries from garage door specialists hoping to gain a competitive advantage by cutting out the middle man. While this, on the face of it, seems a very appealing prospect there have been many who have attempted the move into manufacturing with limited success. So what are the practical realities of making the transition to roller door manufacturing, assuming a consistent number of sales are already being achieved? Louis explains some of these requirements in a bit more detail; “Having good premises with a good amount of free space for storing, moving and cutting up to 7 metre lengths of material is absolutely essential. The last thing you want is to end up damaging your doors or risking injury by trying to work in a limited space. Next, having good quality tools to work with is essential, particularly a suitable cross cut saw capable of cutting aluminium profiles of various types. There are a range of different saw types to suit different budgets, but we would certainly recommend a good quality system as a worthwhile investment.” JD (UK) Ltd. are UK distributors for the German cross cut saw manufacturer MTS, whose robust and reliable saw and roller table systems are available in a range of configurations including dust extraction units and digital measuring stops. MTS saws have a great reputation and are in service with a number of well known manufacturers around the country. Louis continued; “We offer training and technical support to new manufacturers helping them choose the right equipment and establish good production procedures, including adequate documentation and record keeping. This is essential when manufacturing a compliant product, and our technical team can also offer further training and advice to allow you to steer clear of the possible pit falls”. 18 THE door industry journal summer 2017