22 | OCTOBER 2019
Industry Associations
DHF: 122 YEARS OF LEADING
THE INDUSTRY, BEST PRACTICE,
AND PROMOTING EXCELLENCE
Who we are and
what we do:
122 years ago, the now Tam-
worth-based trade association,
the Door and Hardware Fed-
eration (DHF), was launched
in Birmingham; it remains the
oldest trade association in the
industry. This was in 1897, and
the federation was named the
‘Brass Masters Association’ back
then. Its early objectives were to
establish fair wages and condi-
tions. A number of name changes
later, and a century on, DHF
remains a leading independent
voice of authority in the areas it
serves: locks & building hard-
ware, doorsets, industrial doors
& shutters, domestic garage
doors and automated gates. With
such a rich history and heritage,
the organisation’s deep-rooted in-
dustry reputation has taken years
to nurture. Quite simply, it is the
‘go to’ body for technical knowl-
edge, information, advice, and
practical help, with a team of the
industry’s finest experts choosing
to work there and a network of
professional consultants in all
sectors. It has become the ‘pre-
ferred place of employment’ for
those attracted to its pursuit of
excellence and standards, and its
company culture.
“Our position as the UK’s
leading independent authority
in these areas is to support our
members by helping them work
through challenging legisla-
tion, raise industry standards,
and most importantly, put safe
products on the market which
remain legally compliant,”
explains DHF’s CEO, Bob Perry,
who has led the organisation
since 2009. “This has been our
raison d’être for more than 120
years and our members know
they can rely on us to go ‘above
and beyond’ on their behalf.
But most importantly, we have
effected change, be that ham-
mering home the importance
of safe automated gates, our
behind-the-scenes work on
Approved Document Q, (created
to guarantee greater standards
of security for all new dwellings
in England) or campaigning
to highlight the importance of
compartmentation and issues
surrounding poorly or ill-fitted
door closers, or had fallen into
disrepair or had been de-acti-
vated ,following the Grenfell
tragedy in June 2017.”
Growth, success and
collaboration:
The federation has experi-
enced considerable member
growth, particularly over the past
seven years, with more than 500
members in 2019, compared to
just 220 in 2012. 60 new mem-
bers have joined the organisation
this year alone. And as with all
good trade associations, change
equals progress; DHF has contin-
ued to move forward, expanding
its workforce (now 15 employ-
ees and six consultants), and
raising its profile within both the
industry, and with the consumer.
Over the past year, in particular,
DHF has shown its mettle by
lobbying tirelessly for the issues
it is passionate about, increasing
its training offering, and joining
forces with other high-profile
organisations to shape and influ-
ence its crusade for excellence,
and with that, greater standards
of safety.
In March of this year, the fed-
eration partnered with industry
heavyweights, Secured by Design
(SBD) and the Fire Industry
Association (FIA), to publish a
joint document on fire safety.
Since the Grenfell fire tragedy,