Door Industry Journal - Winter 2021

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 38 THE door industry journal winter 2021 Industry News Three Years on and Still Going Strong Having joined Hörmann three years ago, Managing Director Wolfgang Gorner talks about the last three years and his vision for the company moving forward. When I was initially approached about the role of Managing Director at Hörmann UK it was a fairly easy decision for me. I knew of them from my previous roles within the construction industry as an incredibly strong brand, renowned for quality and innovation, and having worked for a couple of privately owned German companies before, for me it was an obvious fit. Even though Hörmann is a large, multi- national organisation it is a family business in the truest sense, now being run by the third and fourth generations. One of the most important things for me was how seriously they take their responsibility towards their workforce and their customers, so the development of my team has been a priority since I joined. I was lucky to inherit a fantastic team of people and one of the key aspects of my role over the past three years has been all about helping them realise how good they are and strategically strengthening the team where needed. The addition of a strong and loyal customer base completes my focus on the people who make Hörmann stand out from the crowd – they are true ambassadors for the brand. From a product point of view, Hörmann has always been able to offer the market the most comprehensive range, whether it be for the end consumer or the industrial sector. However, that doesn’t mean that we will ever sit back and take things easy! Since I joined and despite the interruption of the COVID pandemic, we have been focused on improving our existing product range and bringing new products to the market. Of particular note has been the introduction of our new RollMatic T, which was launched in October of last year in spite of all of the COVID chaos – with sales volumes quickly exceeding our expectations. Despite the fact that the international BAU exhibition was cancelled at the beginning of the year, we still managed to launch a whole raft of product enhancements over the first 6 months of 2021. Ranging from new colours and finishes for our garage doors, the launch of internal steel loft doors to a high-speed industrial sectional door, Hörmann has the ability to keep up and respond to changing market trends and demands no matter what is happening in the world! A move into Perimeter Security products has also opened up new opportunities and a real feather in the cap for the team was the award of the Security Innovation Award for our OktaBlock mobile vehicle blocker. Alongside our product offering, our support and service have always been strong and since joining I have also been collaborating with the team to introduce new ideas to keep us at the forefront. The launch of our Training Academy in 2019 got off to the flying start with all of our training courses being fully booked and attended in our first year. However, the arrival of COVID obviously put a stop to in-person training but the team have adapted, providing support and advice by phone, and when critical in person. The creation and launch of a whole series of online training videos got members of our service team in front of the camera, resulting in an Online Academy instantly available via our YouTube channel. The introduction of our Hörmann Partner Standard programme was driven by the desire to support our domestic customers by generating more and better sales leads through the creation of a market-leading Dealer Finder on the Hörmann website. An industry first, the Partner Standard is an ongoing, long-term commitment to supporting and rewarding loyal, professional Hörmann dealers. HHJH On reflection, I am incredibly happy how things have gone over the past three years, but I guess I do have to make mention of the Pandemic. It is during times of trouble that you really appreciate being part of the large, family business. Firstly, the safety and health of every member of the Hörmann workforce have been a priority, with no question of providing all the necessary resources and advice to make this happen. From the provision of temperature checking stations at all entrances of our Coalville site to wellbeing and mental health advice, every step has been made to ensure people feel comfortable and safe in their working environment. Support to our customers during this time has also been