Tamworth-based trade association, the Door & Hardware Federation, (DHF) has kicked off the new year by reflecting on its most recent accomplishments. With a history and heritage dating back to 1897, the federation is largely considered the leading independent voice of authority in the sectors it serves: locks & building hardware, doorsets, industrial doors & shutters, domestic garage doors and automated gates. DHF is respected industry-wide as the ‘go to’ body for technical knowledge, information, advice, and practical help, with a team of the industry’s finest experts choosing to work there.
The past six months, in particular, have seen DHF flourish across all areas with 60 new members joining its ranks, taking the total number to almost 500. In 2012, membership stood at just 220. The federation’s recent collaboration with high-profile organisations, Secured by Design (SBD) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA), on a joint publication on fire safety, has also endorsed its continuing fire safety crusade, which has seen it campaign tirelessly for third-party certification of manufacture, installation, maintenance and inspection of fire, smoke and security doors. The collaboration, described by DHF CEO, Bob Perry, as a ‘natural partnership’ was an unprecedented industry effort on behalf of three not-for-profit organisations, with the publication: A Guide for Selecting Flat Entrance Doorsets; A publication for housing associations, landlords, building owners and local authorities in England, fulfilling a genuine need for clearer information in a complicated market.
Of course, the very backbone to DHF’s operations and one of the areas for which it is most renowned, is training. Over the past 12 months, 787 people were trained by DHF, with 563 delegates attending the two-day safety diploma courses and 224 trainees opting for the one-day safety training certificate. 84 fire door courses were held with BRE Academy. In all, more than 2500 individuals have now completed at least one of DHF’s safety training courses, whether a diploma or certificate course, and in October, it announced the launch of a new one-day automated gate safety certificate course. There is little doubt that the organisation’s move to state-of-the-art training facilities last September, has boosted numbers and demonstrated its continued commitment to training. In fact, in 2018, DHF beat its training target by an incredible 9%. The launch of a new online booking and payment system in October, for would-be delegates of their training courses, has undeniably contributed to this increase; it has provided ‘speed’ and ‘ease’ for both members and non-members and reduced the administrative booking and payment procedure from days to mere minutes.
“It has been another exceptional year for the federation and we are delighted to welcome new members to DHF and new delegates to our training courses,” explains DHF’s Commercial Manager, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “As an undisputed ‘Centre of Excellence’, we continue to work diligently ‘behind the scenes’, for our members, and the industry, and are extremely pleased that this is having a positive impact, and most importantly, affecting change. Our on-going efforts across all areas of the organisation continue to demonstrate our growing profile and increasing standing in the industry as an innovative, pioneering concern, with member needs at the very heart of everything we do.”
For further information about DHF, please visit www.dhfonline.org.uk or call us on 01827 52337.
