HARDWARE & SECURITY
Centred on Excellence
The Midlands is synonymous with manufacturing excellence; widely regarded as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. Both the geographical location and the region’ s rich heritage of mills and factories have made it the historical heart of British industry but also a contemporary cornerstone for innovation and invention.
» IT THEREFORE SEEMS NO coincidence that the Midlands is also home to HOPPE( UK). Here, Ged Ryan, CEO discusses how HOPPE( UK) has taken its German roots and planted them in the middle of the UK, always putting quality at front and centre of everything it does( in more ways than one)…
The history of HOPPE HOPPE( UK) has been established for more than 30 years but the full story spans seven decades of experience and expertise, when you count its international history. And it’ s a heritage centred around one core value: quality. Crucially however, this is quality that’ s accessible across commercial and residential sectors.
Having high standards, maintaining them and nurturing them over the years and across product ranges is the linchpin for everything HOPPE does and makes. These high standards that are built into the products themselves – from design through development, specification to application, appearance and performance – may be uncompromising, yet they come with added values as well as allowing the customer to achieve value for money.
To truly understand HOPPE( UK), we need to go right back to the beginning. Born in Germany in 1952, the HOPPE Group was started by Friedrich Hoppe, as a door and window hardware manufacturer. HOPPE grew quickly; just as many post-war businesses enjoyed a‘ Golden Age’ of success throughout the 1950s and 60s, and continued to endure past the recession of the early 70s too. The company remains in Hoppe family to this day, and leadership has
been passed down to the next two generations: Wolf and Christoph Hoppe, Friedrich’ s two sons and, Christian Hoppe, Wolf’ s son and Friedrich’ s grandson.
HOPPE now has a global presence, with manufacturing and distribution centres in Germany, Italy, North America, China and, of course, the UK.
HOPPE( UK) first opened its doors in 1988. The site was initially set up as a handle distribution centre but later began to supply hardware and door furniture such as letterplates, numbers and knockers.
In 1999, HOPPE( UK) found a new home at Gailey Park, Wolverhampton. This address – approximately 20 miles from Birmingham and a stone’ s throw from both Willenhall and Walsall – means that its UK HQ is not only right in the middle of the country’ s original manufacturing‘ belt’ but it is also nestled neatly in what has become a haven for
18
MARCH 2025
locksmithjournal. co. uk