Door Industry Journal - Winter 2021

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Domestic Garage Doors 58 THE door industry journal winter 2021 Day in the Life of Hörmann UK Product & Technical Support Manager – Alex Mackay In this article, we meet well-known industry figure Alex Mackay, Product & Technical Support Manager at Hörmann UK and obtain a brief insight into his role. How long have you worked with Hörmann? I joined Hörmann almost 18 years ago way back in January 2004. However, I had been in the Garage Door industry since 1989 working initially for a Leicester based door installer who covered a large part of the UK. After that, I spent some time working on a self-employed basis supplying and fitting predominantly Hörmann products before being offered a role actually within the company. My first job with Hörmann was mainly office-based, providing domestic technical support to installers. What is your job at Hörmann? As Product & Technical Support Manager I, along with other members of the team, provide technical support directly to Hörmann domestic installers and also provide answers to a raft of issues and questions that arrive daily via our website. A significant part of my working week is taken up with training, both onsite with installers and also in-house, covering all aspects of our extensive domestic product range. I also get involved with any on-site product issues that might arise and I’m always on hand to provide our installers with assistance and advice when needed. What training was required? Hörmann provides really comprehensive training on all of their systems and products and several trips to Germany over the years around specific products have all been beneficial. Added to that, my knowledge and experience from my previous jobs in the industry have also helped. What does a normal day look like? Our Aftersales Department manages my diary and books all my appointments for me, so the majority of my time is spent mobile providing on-site support. I also try to be in the office a couple of times a week to pick up on any issues and complete the reports required from my on-site visits. What is the best part of your job? The best part has to be solving problems and producing solutions. If there’s a problem with a product not working the way it should I enjoy getting it sorted, particularly when working in partnership with one of our installers – it’s immensely satisfying. Have you worked on any interesting projects? Over the years I have been involved in some really interesting projects. One that springs to mind immediately was an HST sliding door fitted to what appeared to be a fairly non-descript single garage. However, it hid a bit of a secret. Once parked in the garage, the whole floor then lowered into a huge basement that had room for twenty-five cars and several motorbikes! Recently, I have been persuaded to step in front of the camera and have been involved in the filming for several online training videos for the Hörmann Academy and a couple of fun promotional films – what can I say, Hollywood doesn’t beckon! What have been your proudest moments at Hörmann? I think that would be the initial launch of the RollMatic roller door back in 2009 and being involved in the product evolving over the years, including the recent launch of the RollMatic T and OD. All three products now have a very firm footing in the market and continue to grow from strength to strength. How do you unwind when not at work? Well, I am really lucky as I get to spend most of my evenings and weekends on my boat which is moored fairly near to the Coalville factory. I’m also known to enjoy a nice glass of red and I have a couple of classic cars which come out in the summer months. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all garage doors. For further information on Hörmann UK’s, call 01530 516868 or visit www.hormann.co.uk