Doors & Windows
Composite : the universal truth
The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘ universal ’ as ‘ existing everywhere or involving everyone ’; just five words but they encompass everything , literally . So , when a Cambridgeshire door company chose that very word for its name , it ’ s universally accepted there ’ ll be quite a lot to talk about …
Haydon Statham joined Universal Composite Doors just over a year and a half ago as Sales Director , but he is by no means ‘ new ’; as many will see him as a familiar face in fenestration , alongside Universal ’ s MD Neil Peck . When Clearview caught up with Haydon however , the focus was on exciting times ahead for the Fen Drayton company . Clearview has teamed-up with Universal for a series of articles to do just that , and in the first – during a conversation just before Christmas 2022 – I asked Haydon how he would describe the company to someone from the other side of the universe !?
“ An owner-run business with a passion ,” he begins . “ Since Universal Composite Doors opened its doors for business , excuse the pun , that was nearly four years ago , the company has had phenomenal growth . This has only been achieved by the considerable investment in plant and equipment and a new 30,000 ft factory .
“ Alongside this we had to handle the challenge of material cost increases , just like everyone else . Following the investments and supply chain issues , we looked to recruit two key positions in the company to support the growth following the investments . We needed to produce the doors within the ( pre- Covid ) lead times expected by the composite door market ; to get a door in 10 working days .
“ By appointing a new head of production , Andy Turner , and Denise Garwood to head all the administration of the busy sales office , our customer service has not only grown in line with the business but has improved as the company grew , which is no mean feat . Those two positions are intrinsically linked when you think about it , as an efficient production department really gives confidence to the sales team that their customers ’ orders will be fulfilled effectively . Meanwhile the production team can thrive on the sales team ’ s progress . One drives the other , and both must be the top of their game for the other to be reaching their full potential too .
“ That ’ s the holistic approach we take to business here ; we always bolster the growth in demand with solid processes , we always meet our customers ’ changing needs with a strong team in place . That ’ s the all-encompassing ethos of Universal ; that ’ s the USP of UCD !
“ In between January and November of 2022 , we ’ ve taken on more than 90 new customers , and we have a ‘ right first time ’ rate of 97 per cent . I ’ ve been in the industry long enough to know that those figures are phenomenal . We feel that now is the right time to start sharing this success and making people aware of us , because some still believe that growth of a company and consistent quality of product and service can ’ t sit alongside each other , or be sustained , but it ’ s simply not true .
“ We ’ ll talk more about the doors in subsequent articles , but the composite door itself is a universal product . By definition , composite is the amalgamation of several different elements to produce something more suitable , better , stronger . When it comes to composite doors , they have that universal appeal that can span from heritage to ultra-modern .
“ Their own structure has evolved over time for better thermal efficiency , higher security , more core options ( solid core or foam-filled , for example with GRP skin ), and from an aesthetic point of view , the colour and glazing options of composite doors continue to go further and farther for a truly individual look for the end user .
“ The combination of all those elements , the fact that composite is the ‘ sum of its parts ’ could not sum up our mission and our attitude at Universal any better really . It ’ s true that Universal can be ‘ everything and everyone ’, but for us , it really means letting nothing slip or concentrating on one thing and losing sight of another . It ’ s being aware of the industry around us but never losing focus of our own identity . It ’ s using our experience but exploring the future . Most importantly it ’ s that powerful hybrid of people and product that fenestration thrives on .”
www . universalcompositedoors . co . uk
52 JANUARY 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM