Spotlight on smart tech

Following the successful launch of SmartSecure at last year’s exhibition, Phil Rice, Carl F Groupco’s business development manager for the brand, explained how the company’s electronic locking and smart access control solutions will be key features of the company’s display.

“With interest in smart access control gathering momentum, we are preparing a larger, dedicated area to cater for interest in SmartSecure demonstrations,” he said. “The solutions have wide-ranging appeal from architects and specifiers through to fabricators and installers. With this in mind, the display will illustrate a range of technology applications. It would, of course, be much simpler to just show PowerPoints and hand out brochures, but we strongly believe that people need to experience the technology.

“This year we are preparing doors to reflect three scenarios that fabricators and installers regularly come across namely, high end residential, communal and commercial applications.

“It is always a challenge to incorporate all our hardware and services without just exhibiting rows of handles and literature, but the marketing team have once again come up with a design that showcases all our most important product lines in a way that is very hands on and far from boring.

“Some might say it is a brave move to invest so heavily in up and coming technology and to devote such a large area of our stand to it. But society is waking up to smart tech and becoming increasingly reliant on it. It’s only a matter of time before people expect more from their front door. Already homeowners and commercial organisations are demonstrating they are prepared to invest more in their entrance doors and systems.  

“Events around the world are dedicated purely to this topic – we can’t be on the fringes, we have to fully commit. Of course, all our mainstay hardware lines are at the heart of our stand – these are essential to the ethos of Carl F Groupco, but Smart Technology needs separate focus and this is reflected in the design.”

The forthcoming FIT Show is also Carl F Groupco’s opportunity to launch the System 700, a new range of fully reversible hardware for windows manufactured by Roto/Peder Nielsen (PN).

As sole distributor of PN hardware by Roto in the UK, the new range will be showcased on the stand. This reaffirms a relationship with the manufacturer that dates back to 2001 – a partnership that has continued to flourish following the acquisition of PN by Roto in 2016.

Julie Warner, Carl F Groupco’s Roto/PN product manager, said: “We have a long legacy with PN and we are building on this relationship. The PN brand is well respected throughout the industry, known for durability and offering impressive functionality for outward opening windows. The main lines are the UNI top swing reversible gearing with two variants, Standard and Hotel, which complement the rest of our hardware range and are believed to be the most popular reversible products in the UK.  

“With enhanced development capability, the acquisition of PN by Roto has paved the way for new innovation. In terms of product development, the System 700 launch at the FIT Show is particularly exciting: the slimmer hinge, which works on a 7mm groove, is ideal for systems companies who are looking to complement their flush casement window range with a fully reversible option. Aesthetics are consistent across all window types, which opens up potential for the range to new build housing markets.”

Carl F Groupco will also feature Cotswold, Fuhr, Greenwood, Hoppe, Ingenious, Kenrick, Maco, Siegenia and Trojan on its 96m2 stand. A hardware selector, which summarises product options, will be displayed for the first time at FIT Show 2017.

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Captions

Phil Rice, Carl F Groupco’s business development manager for SmartSecure.

Product manager Julie Warner with technical manager John Mitchell.

Sales office manager Carlia Corras on the 2016 stand.

Carl F Groupco Limited
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