Door Industry Journal - Winter 2017

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk industry news feature 11 THE door industry journal winter 2017 “ dhf is very much regarded as the ‘centre of excellence’, with a network of professional consultants in all sectors,” explains CEO, Bob Perry. “This makes us a single source for technical expertise, information, knowledge, advice, and practical help.” How it all began… In 1897 an employers’ association, called the Brass Masters’ Association, was formed in Birmingham to negotiate pay and conditions with the industry trade union, the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers (later to become the National Society of Metal Mechanics). By 1943 the association had become to be known as the National Brassfoundry Association having gone through various name changes. By the early 1970s, the association, still based in Birmingham, had established two sections, one dealing with plumbers’ brassfoundry (which kept the NBA name) and a second dealing with building hardware which was known as the Association of Building Hardware Manufacturers (ABHM). Industrial relations still featured heavily in the work of NBA and ABHM, but technical standards were also becoming important. The retirement of the long-serving secretary, Edgar Hiley, resulted in the appointment of Eric Skelding as secretary and director. Bernard Henderson, of P.C. Henderson Ltd, was a member of the ABHM Management Committee and suggested that NBA/ABHM could provide a secretarial service to the Door and Shutter Association (DSA), which was looking for a new secretary. With the agreement of ABHM and NBA, Eric added the secretariat of DSA to his existing roles. The Door and Shutter Association had been founded in 1940 as the Steel Rolling Shutter Association, mainly in order to lobby government for steel supplies during the war. Michael Skelding joined the joint secretariat in 1987, by which time the NBA had disbanded, leaving the ABHM to continue alone. DSA had renamed itself as the Door and Shutter Manufacturers’ Association (DSMA). The secretariat had also ceased to be directly employed, becoming instead an independent partnership. The partnership obtained offices in Tamworth, with the old offices in Birmingham being sub-let to a firm of solicitors. By the early 1990s Eric Skelding had retired, having handing over the secretarial roles to Michael. The main focus of both ABHM and DSMA was by now technical standards, increasingly European rather than British. Eric Skelding. • NBA disbanded • Decision to move premises 1986 • Kay Scattergood joins as PA to Michael Skelding 1988 • ABHM & DSMA forge together to become Door & Hardware Federation 2004 • Name shortened to dhf new branding follows 2017 1987 • Partnership formed with Eric Michael and Alain Skelding – EC Skelding Associates • Purchased premises 42 Heath Street, Tamworth mid 1990’s • Eric Skelding retires and hands over secretariat role to Michael 2008 • dhf forms own secretariat Michael Skelding and Kay Scattergood are employed full time.