HOPPE prides itself on being a brand that communicates quality with just one touch . Using high-quality materials , manufactured at certified facilities , HOPPE products are designed to stand the test of time . HOPPE ( UK ) has been established in the UK for over 30 years but benefits from over 70 years ’ experience in the architectural ironmongery sector gained in many other countries across the world .

The HOPPE Group was founded in Germany by Friedrich Hoppe in 1952 . The company grew rapidly during the post-war building boom , developing and manufacturing door and window hardware .

The family-run company is now being led by the next two generations , Friedrich ’ s sons Wolf and Christoph Hoppe , and Wolf ’ s eldest son , Christian Hoppe , who joined the company in April 2012 .

The business was founded on strong values : trust ; responsibility ; understanding ; credibility ; honesty ; loyalty ; integrity and decency . These values are engrained in all HOPPE subsidiaries across the globe , including its manufacturing and distribution centres in Germany , Italy , North America , Middle East and the UK .

HOPPE ( UK ) was originally set up to distribute HOPPE handles

, but after the acquisition of Charter Hardware in 1997 , the offering was extended to include a much wider range of associated door hardware , such as complementary letter plates , numerals and knockers . That ’ s when the ARRONE brand was born .

HOPPE ( UK ) moved to its current premises , a state-ofthe-art distribution warehouse and sales centre in Gailey Park , Wolverhampton , in March 1999 . The business was reorganised to focus on two areas : architectural sales and meeting the needs of door and window fabricators .

Investment in training

HOPPE Group always pursues long-term , workable relationships with employees , customers and suppliers that are based on mutual trust , and it ’ s no different in the UK .

The company wants all of its employees to be able to help their customers . This includes huge investment in training to make sure staff are multiskilled , including helping staff achieve the widely respected qualifications from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ) and continuously updating their knowledge via CPD .

HOPPE ( UK ) has recently launched bespoke door certification training for staff to ensure they ’ re complying with and giving advice in line with the latest regulations .

Clause 148 of the Building Safety Act outlines the liability relating to construction products and came into force on 28 June 2022 . As part of Condition A of this clause , if a person who markets or supplies a construction product makes a misleading statement in relation to it , alongside the three other conditions , they can be held liable to pay damages .

As part of an ongoing internal initiative to ensure compliance with the Building Safety Act , Karen Nelson , business development manager at HOPPE ( UK ), and Rob Mottram , technical manager for ARRONE , have been delivering door certification training to all customer-facing team members

. They have also held separate sessions on the same topic for some of their customers .

“ In order to understand what customers are looking for , meet legal requirements and then advise the customer accordingly , understanding the terminology associated with testing and certification is crucial ,” explains Karen .

“ We want everyone who interacts with the HOPPE ( UK ) and ARRONE teams to feel confident that they ’ re dealing with competent individuals that have an in-depth understanding of architectural ironmongery .

“ Knowing and understanding the standards and regulations that directly affect products is a crucial piece of this . As construction product manufacturers , we have responsibilities under the Building Safety Act that should not be taken lightly , and certainly aren ’ t by everyone at HOPPE ( UK ) and ARRONE .”

The training includes an indepth look at the full testing process for doors , the associated paperwork , and third-party certification , and is being used as part of the team ’ s ongoing professional development .

HOPPE ( UK ) has eight staff members who are Registered Architectural Ironmongers ( RegAI ), sixteen are GAI diploma holders and a further six are currently studying to become diploma holders .

www . hoppe . co . uk