Dear Editor
21st February 2012

As the recent demise of several well-known businesses in our industry underlines, consolidation in our sector continues apace, taking no prisoners in the process. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise though, as despite a halving in door and window volumes over the last decade, the number of hardware suppliers during that time has remained the same – a supply and demand situation that’s just not sustainable. 

But with suppliers at the top of the food chain cutting back on resources or closing doors altogether, the pain is getting pushed downstream to fabricators and installers who are left wondering if they can actually deliver on the jobs they’ve just sold. And cutting resources when times are tough is not something that can easily be reversed when the market recovers – as it will. Can suppliers simply turn the tap back on to reinstate volume and acceptable service levels? The general answer is no. 

Paying due diligence to the stability and security of your supply chain is sound business practice whatever the environment, but even more so when times are so volatile. I would urge fabricators and installers to ensure their businesses are safeguarded so they can continue to deliver on their customer commitments. For the last 60 years in Europe, and 24 in the UK, HOPPE has invested in quality, performance, innovation and a strong supply chain, a legacy which has left us well placed to continue to deliver to our customers regardless of whether times are good or bad.

Yours sincerely

Stewart Lamb, National Sales Manager
Door and Window Division, HOPPE (UK)