Since its inception almost ten years ago, Birmingham-based Oak Lodge Doors has been a Sternfenster customer, priding itself on being a β€˜door company that does windows and not a window company that does doors.”

Based in the Halesowen area of Birmingham, Oak Lodge Doors was set up by Paul Wilding in 2015 to meet the growing demand for composite doors in the area.

β€œFrom the outset, we wanted to be a specialised door company,” explained Paul. β€œWe didn’t want to be a window company that also fit a couple of doors on the side, and I think that’s what really sets us apart.”

β€œWe’ve gone from strength to strength and Sternfenster have helped us on that journey.”

Oak Lodge Doors purchases aluminium bi-folds, patio and French doors from Sternfenster, taking advantage of an extensive range of interior and exterior doors. The company also purchases a small number of windows, for when projects call for a suited finish.

β€œOur favourite product from Sternfenster is definitely the aluminium bi-folds,” said Paul. β€œThe lead time on them is fantastic, and there’s no compromise on the quality either – they’re very well made and so easy to fit. Our customers love them!”

Manufactured with multi-point lock mechanisms on the main opening sashes, shoot-bolt locking on the floating mullions and advanced hardware, Sternfenster’s aluminium bifold doors are designed to suit residential and commercial projects, offering the highest level of security and performance.

β€œWe’ve always found the quality of Sternfenster’s products to be exceptional,” says Paul. β€œCouple that with the fact that they really do care about customers, and I think that’s the answer as to why we’ve been so loyal for almost a decade.

β€œIt may sound a bit clichΓ©, but from start to finish, everything at Sternfenster has that family feel to it, and they make you feel a part of the family. That’s what I love about working with them.”

Real-time data

Sternfenster’s product offering is supported by the innovative EasyAdmin system, which gives customers the ability to product live quotes and orders, 24 hours a day.

β€œI use EasyAdmin every single day of the week. As a small business, the fact that I can do all of my quotes on the go in my own time, and get an immediate price to give to my customers, really does make the difference between me winning and losing a job,” explained Paul.

β€œWe also use SF+ daily; it’s a great tool for looking at the marketing support and most importantly, the technical information. If we’re struggling to get something right, we can download the spec or the regulations from SF+ and give it to our installers to work from. It’s a no-brainer for us.”

Paul joins around 75% of Sternfenster’s customer base who currently take advantage of the SF+ system, that in addition to its marketing material and technical data, shows the live status of quotes, contracts and deliveries with the touch of a button.

It also houses a live production capacity feed, which provides real time data on the capacity of individual products, across Sternfenster’s aluminium and PVC lines, and gives installers a unique overview of the fabricator’s production schedule from the moment an order is placed.