It started with a trip to UAP . It wasn ’ t our first and it won ’ t be our last , but it was a significant one . It ’ s always difficult to know where to begin when trying to describe what ’ s happening at UAP and what happens there every day . The Bury HQ really is a hub of industry – in every sense of the word , and a microcosm for fenestration . Whether it ’ s the test lab , training centre , design and development of products or the dedicated floor to the brand ’ s flagship TS008 letterplate .

So maybe it ’ s better to start at the beginning , 1996 to be exact . That ’ s when UAP came knocking on fenestration ’ s door with a door knocker , appropriately . Now , almost 30 years on , there ’ s thousands of products in the UAP portfolio . At the beginning of 2024 , UAP expanded into a new 120,000ft ² site – named Orbital 60 . The £ 750,000 investment saw UAP relocate and consolidate two smaller sites , bringing all its processes under one roof – and a total of 80 employees , and growing .

Ultimately it ’ s the people behind the products that set UAP apart . The people making them , fitting them , and ultimately , using them .

The secret is out

This is why testing is so important at UAP ; they always want to be one step ahead ( minimum ). A quick glance at the trade bodies and organisations that UAP is affiliated with is just one part of the process . When we visited , the already-impressive testing lab was being extended and relocated to a new space outside the main building – to accommodate even more stringent tests . UAP was also sitting on a secret – one

we are now able to share ; Armasmart ®.

This hardware coating is the first on the market to eliminate 99.98 % of viruses , including COV- ID-19 . This is achieved through a patent-pending coating technology that prevents harmful bacteria from accumulating on stainless steel surfaces .

Armasmart ® and its parent brand Armadillo ® Metal Coatings Ltd will work with – and across – various environments , and health and safety in settings ranging from healthcare facilities to private homes . In line with UAP ’ s ‘ Stop the Spread ’ launch campaign , it ’ s a game changer for the industry , the wider market and public health .

By the people , for the people

Yet , while this latest innovation is unparalleled on the market , it ’ s by no means unique in terms of UAP ’ s dedication to public health and safety . Earlier this year , the company unveiled Fire Door Maintenance ; a purpose-built , 3,000ft ² training academy , accredited by GQA Qualifications .

The physicality of the facility itself is no mean feat . The centre

takes up a floor of UAP ’ s site , starting with a classroom area and mock trade counter , trainees are then taken through an area that looks like a corridor in a modern tower block or multi-occupancy building . Behind each door is another area focused on a different part of the learning process . Taking in all aspects of fire door and hardware specification , installation , maintenance and the shocking consequences of what can happen when it all goes wrong – by the time you ’ ve ‘ completed ’ the journey , you ’ ve had hands-on experience , practical guidance ( from third party

trainers ) and the all-important theory work too .

Crucially , UAP and FDM believe it ’ s critical to include products from across the industry – not just their own – to offer the very best bespoke training and trainers ; experts in their field . With this in mind , doors and components have been provided by Harlow Timber Group , West Port , Latham ’ s Steel Doors , Unity Doors , Permadoor , Strongdor , The Sovereign Group , NSG Group , DoorCo , Rutland , Mann McGowan , Lorient , PDS , and Contactless Check Solutions , IG , GGF , Pilkingtons , Nordan , PWIDF and Specialist Door Solutions .

Celebrating through collaborating

Understanding the importance of collaboration is fundamental to UAP as a business and a brand . And this ethos is just as important internally , as it is working with other companies , if not more so . This is evident in this year ’ s National Fenestration Awards shortlist , where UAP is on the shortlist for no less than eight categories .

In the press coverage that followed the announcement , UAP ’ s CEO David Jennings explained “ the categories we have been nominated in shows the width and breadth of everything we stand for at UAP Ltd .” Those categories include : Hardware Company of the Year and Company of the Year for FDM Training , plus individual accolades for Director / Managing Director of the Year – Nicola John ( FDM ), Office Manager of the Year – Tasha Doyle , Social Networker of the Year and Sales Executive Of the Year for Barry Halpin .