Hoppe – the handle of excellence
Hoppe (UK) has been established in the UK for over 30 years but benefits from more than 70 years’ experience in the door and window hardware sector gained in many other countries across the world. Ged Ryan, CEO, Hoppe (UK), explores the history of Hoppe and how the company prides itself on being a brand that manufactures products designed to stand the test of time.
The Hoppe Group was founded in Germany by Friedrich Hoppe in 1952. The company grew rapidly during the post-war building boom, developing and manufacturing door and window hardware.
The family-run company is now led by the third generation, Christian Hoppe, who stepped in as Group CEO at the end of 2024. Friedrich’s sons Wolf and Christoph Hoppe – vice president and president of the board respectively – have now stepped back from day-to-day leadership. Christian is set to succeed his uncle Christophe Hoppe as Chair of the UK Board.
The business was founded on strong values: trust; responsibility; understanding; credibility; honesty; loyalty; integrity and decency. These values are engrained in all Hoppe subsidiaries across the globe, including its manufacturing and distribution centres in Germany, Italy, North America and the UK.
Hoppe (UK) was originally set up to distribute Hoppe handles, but after the acquisition of Charter Hardware in 1997, the offering was extended to include a wider range of associated door hardware, such as complementary letter plates, numerals and knockers. That’s when the Arrone brand was born.
Hoppe (UK) moved to its current 90,000ft2 distribution warehouse and sales centre in Wolverhampton, in 1999, benefitting from large facilities and a central UK location. The business was reorganised to focus on two areas: architectural sales and meeting the needs of door and window fabricators.
Investment in training
Hoppe Group always pursues long-term, workable relationships with employees, customers and suppliers that are based on mutual trust, and it’s no different in the UK.
The company wants all its employees to be able to help their customers. This includes huge investment in training to make sure staff are multiskilled, including helping staff achieve the widely respected qualifications from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) and continuously updating their knowledge via CPD.
Hoppe (UK) has bespoke door certification training for staff to ensure they’re complying with and giving advice in line with the latest regulations.
Clause 148 of the Building Safety Act 2022 outlines the liability relating to construction products and came into force on 28 June 2022. As part of Condition A of this clause, if a person who markets or supplies a construction product makes a misleading statement in relation to it, alongside the three other conditions, they can be held liable to pay damages.
As part of an ongoing internal initiative to ensure compliance with the Building Safety Act, Karen Nelson, business development manager at Hoppe (UK), and Rob Mottram, technical manager for Arrone, deliver door certification training to all customer-facing team members. They also hold separate sessions on the same topic for some customers.
To understand what customers are looking for, meet legal requirements and then advise the customer accordingly, it’s important to know the terminology associated with testing and certification.
As a construction product manufacturer, we have responsibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022 that should not be taken lightly – and certainly isn’t at Hoppe (UK) and Arrone.
The company provides training, including an in-depth look at the full testing process for doors, the associated paperwork, and third-party certification, and is being used as part of the team’s ongoing professional development.
Ensuring a high level of current industry knowledge, Hoppe (UK) has five staff members who are Registered Architectural Ironmongers (RegAI), five who are Registered Door Systems (RegDS), and two Registered Hardware and Access Control (RegAC), with two currently studying diplomas.
Products you can trust
Hoppe (UK) and Arrone have dedicated teams who look at the needs of the market and develop product offerings in line with demand.
The team works closely with door manufacturers to identify and meet their needs, helping to find the right door hardware by offering specifications and technical support.
The aim is to add value to the supply chain by ensuring a comprehensive package of useful products at an appropriate range of price points, complete with the right technical attributes and testing.
