A new investment in doors
Phoenix Doors is gearing up for a busy 2017 with new products being launched throughout the year. Sales director Haydon Statham reports on the latest developments.
Nearly six months on from our move into new 75,000ft2 premises in Huntingdon, having all our production operations under one roof is making a difference to how efficiently we can make our composite doors and PVCU panel doors. It’s also having a positive impact on how we serve our customers.
Investment in more space, personnel, plant and machinery has been matched with a renewed focus on improving customer service. As the complete door solution company for the retail replacement market, we understand our customers’ needs and are responding with many new initiatives offering greater product choice, confidence in delivery and convenience in ordering online.
Expanding our composite door ranges is offering greater customer choice than ever before. Our County Collection composite door and Meridian 70mm double-rebated composite door ranges now feature new door styles and contemporary glazing designs. A new GU Autolock multi-point entry lock is available across both these ranges and will be displayed at the FIT Show.
This new ‘slam-shut’ lock is offered alongside our conventional lever handle multi-point locking system, providing a neater appearance and particularly suiting the contemporary door designs. With just an escutcheon and finger pull to close the door and the key to open it, it’s a cleaner-looking and easier way to access any property. We feel that is what’s needed and that’s what people want in line with current trends.
Coloured doors continue to be in great demand – three out of 10 doors we manufacture are painted. The significant uplift in colour is keeping us busy. It’s amazing how many people request bespoke colours, which we can do for a small extra charge. Additional space has enabled us to install two dedicated spraying facilities and a paint line capable of turning out up to 50 coloured composite doors a day.
Our top-end Meridian 70mm thick double-rebated composite door is really taking off and providing installers with fresh selling opportunities. With an A++ energy rating, U-value between 0.9W/m2K and 1.1W/m2K, and 50mm triple-glazing, it’s proving popular, especially with installers who have showrooms to display this product to best effect. We are very generous in supplying Meridian for showrooms because when you see the door, it sells itself. A new brochure to accompany the Meridian range featuring all the latest styles, new glass designs and the GU lock is being published and available at the FIT Show or on request.
Given our speed of production now, with all the associated efficiencies from investment in new machinery, we’ve cleared the backlog and doors are moving through. We can give the service that our customers require so they can order with confidence and be assured that their composite doors will be delivered on time. Indeed, we are gearing up to produce 200 doors a day for the autumn as this is where we think the market is heading.
Our recently-introduced online ordering system is proving a hit with more of our customers using it every week. While it is not mandatory (we still accept orders on paper), the online system offers a quick and convenient method that also eliminates errors. It won’t allow you to input the wrong size or the wrong backing glass, for example. It also speeds up the order processing system to get your door onto the factory floor faster. So, the sooner we can get the ‘heads-up’ to production – ‘this is what you’ve got to make’ – the sooner we confirm a delivery date with the customer.
Phoenix Doors C58