Door Industry Journal - Winter 2013

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk THE door industry journal winter 2013 MUL- T -PLEXED CREATING THE RECOVERY There are now real grounds for optimism that the UK is finally on the road to recovery. Steve Ross Managing Director of Mul-T-Lock looks at the evidence for the industry. “For the first time in a long time, you do not have to be an optimist to see the glass is half full,” stated Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England in the quarterly inflation report, which raised the forecast for UK economic growth this year and next. PriceWaterHouseCooper (PwC) continued the good news, highlighting in the November economic outlook how the services sector continues to lead the recovery with retail sales picking up over the summer and hotels and restaurants generally seeming busier. But it is not just services that is picking up. UK manufacturers have benefited from somewhat stronger trends recently than in key European export markets. The UK construction sector has also picked up from a low base in the past six months. PwC expects growth to strengthen further in 2014, and whilst the signs are good, Mul-T-Lock shares the view that the economy is a long way from normality. Chancellor George Osborne has himself admitted that the Government is engaged on a ‘decade long project’ to fix the economy and in our view, businesses should not be complacent: there are still plenty of economic risks out there to be monitored and managed. So what can we do to support the recovery? Manufacturing is key to sustainable growth for the next 25 years, not just the next five, to provide new innovations and opportunities to work together and capture the attention of the post-recession consumer. Post Recession Consumer Technically, the recession was over last year, but it’s only really towards the end of 2013 that consumer confidence indices have shown positive and sustained signs of recovery. Whilst there is a general realisation that it’s ‘safe to come out now’ behavioural change can be slow. Consumers across all social grades have made real changes to the way they shop during the difficult economic climate. This was also largely due to advances in technology, making it much easier to make online comparisons with ease and not just direct price comparisons. Social media and increased reliance on review sites such as trip advisor constantly provide an indication as to whether a product or service is worth the extra expensive or not, and making a significant impact on shaping perceptions of value. This behaviour is unlikely to change therefore it is not be enough to assume that business will return naturally to a pre-recession equilibrium. Instead it’s more important than ever to re-visit the questions of who you need to communicate with and what they want and need following their specific experience of the recession. Present and Future Mul-T-Lock firmly believes in research and development. Nobody wants to go backwards and like all companies, we are always looking for the next idea and innovation. We are also firm believers in working with our network of professional dealers across the UK and Ireland. And we have already put in place dedicated target sector campaigns for this year and 2014, with marketing collateral available to help showcase expertise and win new business. In summary, product innovation and service support undoubtedly gives us strength in depth, with the resources and skills to provide customers and end users with the high level of support they need as the market evolves over the next few years. For more information, please visit www.mul-t-lock.co.uk A regular comment column, looking at the bigger picture, brought to you by Steve Ross, Managing Director at Mul-T-Lock. Steve Ross Managing Director Mul-T-Lock UK ASTRA SERIES 3000 CLOSERS MAKE PRESTIGIOUS GRADE More than four hundred 3000 Series concealed closers from Astra Door Controls have been specified and fitted on one of London’s most prestigious developments, The Lancasters. The Lancasters, on the northern edge of London’s Hyde Park, took five years to complete and has involved the renovation of an entire terrace of fifteen magnificent 19th century houses. The development has been carried out by Northacre PLC with commercial property developer Minerva PLC. The seven-storey, grade II listed terrace was most recently occupied by the Lancaster Gate Thistle Hotel but has now been meticulously remodelled to create 77 individual properties including 10 penthouses and two town houses. The specification for the interiors was lavish, retaining the original style and grandeur of the Victorian houses. Ironmongery for the project was supplied by John Planck Ltd in Art-deco style polished chrome, and the Astra concealed Series 3000 door closers were selected to retain the clean lines of the common areas and because, with full adjustability, they were powerful enough to handle the doors’ weight and width. The Astra 3000 series of fully-controlled concealed door closers are a range of ground-breaking products developed by Astra to offer all the adjustability and control of an overhead closer, even for fire doors. Unlike other concealed closers on the market, the Astra 3000 series is fully controlled and adjustable, making it a really viable alternative to overhead products with all the aesthetic benefits of a concealed closer. Astra believes that the 3000 Series are the easiest concealed closer to fit on the market. Manufactured in the UK, in four different power sizes with adjustable closing speed and latching action for different size and weights of doors, they feature a unique hydraulic piston assembly designed in-house by Astra. This offers an adjustable, controlled rate of door closure together with a variable ‘snap action’ for overcoming the latch. The closers’ quality design and build makes it perfect for high traffic applications, both commercial and residential. Astra is well known for its door closer range including the popular Gibraltar range. The Lancashire-based company can demonstrate many years experience in the sector and carries out all of its own R&D in-house. It exports its British door closers all across the globe via a network of distributors and partner companies. www.astradoorcontrols.com