“ DHF is very much regarded as the ‘ centre of excellence ’, with a network of professional consultants in all sectors ,” explains CEO , Bob Perry , who has led the organisation since 2009 . “ This makes us a single source for technical expertise , information , knowledge , advice , and practical help .”

How it all began …

In 1897 , an employers ’ association called the Brass Masters ’ Association , was formed in Birmingham to negotiate pay and conditions with the industry trade union , the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers ( later to become the National Society of Metal Mechanics ). By 1943 , the association had come to be known as the National Brassfoundry Association having gone through various name changes . By the early 1970s , the association , still based in Birmingham , had established two sections , one dealing with plumbers ’ brassfoundry ( which kept the NBA name ) and a second , dealing with building hardware which was known as the Association of Building Hardware Manufacturers ( ABHM ).

Industrial relations still featured heavily in the work of NBA and ABHM , but technical standards were also becoming important . The retirement of the long-serving secretary , Edgar Hiley , resulted in the appointment of Eric Skelding as secretary and director .

Bernard Henderson , of P . C . Henderson Ltd , was a member of the ABHM Management Committee and suggested that NBA / ABHM

could provide a secretarial service to the Door and Shutter Association ( DSA ), which was looking for a new secretary . With the agreement of ABHM and NBA , Eric added the secretariat of DSA to his existing roles . The Door and Shutter Association had been founded in 1940 as the Steel Rolling Shutter Association , mainly in order to lobby government for steel supplies during the war .

Michael Skelding joined the joint secretariat in 1987 , by which time , the NBA had disbanded , leaving the ABHM to continue alone . DSA had renamed itself the Door and Shutter Manufacturers ’ Association ( DSMA ). The secretariat had also ceased to be directly employed ,

becoming instead , an independent partnership . The partnership obtained offices in Tamworth , with the old offices in Birmingham being sub-let to a firm of solicitors . By the early 1990s , Eric Skelding had retired having handed over the secretarial roles to Michael . The main focus of both ABHM and DSMA was by now technical standards , increasingly European rather than British .

By 2004 , ABHM was considering the possibility of a merger with another federation . Michael Skelding suggested that a link with DSMA could be fruitful and it was agreed that ABHM and DSMA would amalgamate to form Door & Hardware Federation – now known as DHF .

Door & Hardware Federation inherited the CEO of DSMA , Derek Smith , formerly of Bolton Gate . From that time on Door & Hardware Federation grew , absorbing

the Association of Garage Door Specialists ; DSMA already included many of the leading garage door manufacturers and this introduced the installers into the mix . By now , the federation was looking after four industry sectors : Locks & Building Hardware , Industrial Doors & Shutters , Domestic Garage Doors and Steel Doorsets .

In 2008 , the decision was taken to have a directly employed secretariat . From 1st November , Michael Skelding and Kay Scattergood became employees of DHF . A year later , in 2009 , Timber Doorsets came into the ‘ frame ’ and Bob Perry was installed as Executive Chairman . Following a suggestion by the Health & Safety Executive , in 2011 , Door & Hardware Federation created the Automated Gate Group and in 2013 , a whole new training programme was born . Bob eventually took over the role of CEO officially in 2015 .

One hundred and twenty years later , DHF is going from strength to strength . In this poignant year , there have been significant changes that have seen membership increase to more than 400 , a training programme with more than 1700 candidates trained in automated gates , industrial doors , or garage doors , 10 members of employed staff , 6 consultants , 6 groups , a fresh , new image and Eric Skelding celebrating his 100th birthday .

As with all good trade associations , things must keep moving forward . DHF find themselves with the need to move premises again . Bob Perry clarifies , “ we are now in a position where we have clearly run out of space in the current offices and are seeking new offices that will see DHF grow internally as well as provide a professional environment for all staff and visitors .” He continues , “ the plan ahead for DHF is exciting and we ’ re already planning to kick start 2018 with the introduction of a new one-day training course for industrial door installers , adding to our already comprehensive training programme .”

For further information about DHF visit the website www . dhfonline . org . uk