Doors are in our DNA

Glass Times talks to Martin James, managing director of Dutemänn, about pandemic demand, new products and more challenging times ahead.

Glass Times (GT): How strong was demand during the pandemic?

Martin James (MJ): We have been exceptionally busy over the last couple of years. We had challenges, like everyone else, but these were mostly with hardware.

I know that some manufacturers struggled but we were very fortunate in that, aside from a couple of minor issues, Schüco and Cortizo were exceptional with their supply.

Sales last year were unprecedented. There was one week, where we took a month’s worth of orders! That impacted on lead times, but we have a very loyal customer base and they could see that it wasn’t a problem with material supply, it was really just the incredible volume of consumer demand.  We found ways of working around the problem, including how we attract new staff. We now employ more part time staff, which includes more female members of the team. They now have the opportunity to combine work with other commitments and we have managed to bolster our workforce, improving our service levels in the process.

GT: What is your outlook for the short to medium term?

MJ: It would be naïve to say that we are not going to see more challenging market conditions towards the end of the year. It would be natural to see some adjustment after such a prolonged period of high demand, but we should also expect a decline in consumer confidence because of rising interest rates and inflation.

At the very top end of the market, it will – generally speaking – be business as usual. Consumers with the money to spend on ultra premium products, will always have the money to do so, regardless. But we are expecting those more aspirational customers, who are typically younger and have more commitments financially, to be harder hit.

There are still plenty of opportunities, we manufacture high quality solutions for the top end of the market as well as products that deliver premium aesthetics and performance at a more attractive price point.

GT: Can you give us an overview of your product offer?

MJ: We are a specialist manufacturer of high-quality aluminium doors and entrance systems – I like to say that doors are in our DNA! We have offered our Dutemänn Haus entrance doors for 10 years now, it was launched at the first FIT Show, and it’s still going strong. We made sure early on that it had PAS24 2016 and it’s always had a 1.2 U value, so it’s highly secure, and well ahead of the new Part L regulations.

We are also in the process of introducing a new bi-fold and sliding door that will be compliant with the new Part L regs.

We are the UK’s largest fabricator of Schüco’s current bi-folding door and we have worked closely with them to develop the new AS FD 90 system. This offers an ultra slim 90mm mullion, 3m x 1.5m panels and U values that meet the new Part L Building Regulation standards.

It’s also designed to be more watertight and new hardware means that it can be operated more smoothly and quietly than ever. It’s also designed to bring greater efficiencies to manufacturer and it’s easier to install as well, thanks to 8mm +/- adjustment.

We are also in the process of re-launching our Cortizo lift and slide door. That is currently undergoing weather testing, which will be followed by security testing, but once we are ready to bring it to market – which will be towards the end of this year – it will offer outstanding performance, energy efficiency and aesthetics, with the slimmest mullion on the market.

It’s going to be a busy year for us, but with the investment we have made in product and service, we are ready for whatever the future holds!