Dutemänn delivers even more innovation
A new factory and a host of product enhancements ensures specialist aluminium door manufacturer stays on top of its game
When it comes to aluminium doors there is little that Dutemänn can’t offer the trade. The specialist Dartford-based manufacturer has carved out a successful niche supplying fabricators, retailers and installers with high quality and innovative bi-fold, sliding and entrance aluminium doors. There is no better way to demonstrate the success of Dutemänn’s product offering than news of the company’s recent relocation to new and improved premises. The new 18,000ft2 factory is now fully operational and consequently the company is able to accelerate its growth strategy. Visionary Managing Director, Martin James has in place a detailed strategy for growth which has centred on the expansion of Dutemänn’s product offering. He told Windows Active: “In many ways, our previous factory was hampering our potential for growth. Now the reins are off and it’s full steam ahead!”
The Dutemänn name is attracting a great deal of interest in the market. Customers are now demanding Dutemänn products by name and this is even working its way down to consumers. Martin points out: “Our name is now becoming synonymous with innovation and quality, so much so, that our customers are now referring to us by name when telling householders about their range of bi-folds, sliding doors and entrance doors.” Being a specialist aluminium door manufacturer is key to Dutemänn’s success and one that Martin is keen to reinforce: “When we set up Dutemänn it was all done with the trade in mind, as we believe this is our area of expertise, supplying superior doors to fabricators, installers and retailers. We can then support them by producing brochures and marketing support items that help them sell our products. It is important that we present our products in a way that they will stand out, especially when retailers and installers are presenting them to homeowners.”
The desire to continually innovate naturally puts added pressure on to all aspects of the business. The move to a new factory has gone some way to alleviate this, but it has also driven the need to innovate even further. The Glide S sliding door was introduced in January of this year and has been an instant hit with customers. Its wide-span nature allows it to be used in openings of up to 6.7 metres with just two panels and with an incredibly slim mullion width of just 47mm. But the innovation impetus didn’t stop there. Martin and his team have been busily developing their Haus entrance door. Already extremely successful, the door has been taken to the next stage in its evolution – something that Martin had always been keen to do. He says: “We have just launched the new and improved version of the Haus, called the Haus Tür which takes the door to the next level and we are eagerly anticipating its official launch in October. Haus Tür is a 80mm fully bonded aluminium door which sits within a 90mm outer frame. We have always had this on the radar, and we are now ready to bring it to market. You get exceptional u-values of 0.8w/m2k and you don’t get panel lines that you currently get with the existing Haus. The new version also features automatic locking as standard. It is very much directed at the residential market and will also form the basis of the up and coming fire door.”
The new Haus Tür will further cement Dutemänn’s position as a premium aluminium door specialist. Martin believes the company’s strengths are born out of an insistence on identifying a niche and sticking to what Dutemänn know best – making aluminium doors: “Having a bespoke door manufacturer has tremendous benefits for installers and retailers. PVC-U retailers have especially woken up to the fact that aluminium products are easy to fit and you can buy them at a reasonable rate. PVC-U fabricators have also started turning to us as well. They have discovered manufacturing aluminium isn’t that straightforward and have decided it is easier to buy-in finished product,” concludes Martin. For more details on the wide range of aluminium doors available from Dutemänn, please call 01322 771213 or email: sales@dutemann.co.uk
