Industry News
THE HANDLE OF EXCELLENCE A HISTORY OF HOPPE
» 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 . But how did it all begin ? Ged Ryan , CEO of HOPPE ( UK ), looks back at how the company ’ s journey has helped to shape the well-respected brand the UK door and window industry knows today .
HOPPE ( UK ) has been established in the UK for over 30 years but benefits from almost 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 .
Established in 1988 , HOPPE ( UK ) was primarily set up to distribute HOPPE handles but when Charter Hardware was acquired in 1997 , the HOPPE ( UK ) offering was extended to include a much wider range of associated door hardware . That ’ s when the ARRONE brand was born .
HOPPE ( UK ) moved to its current premises , a state-of-the-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 .
eHandle HandsFree
HOPPE ( UK ) today
By creating a supportive working environment where employees feel valued , we are building a team that wants to succeed and genuinely wants to do well for the company and its customers .
We want all our people to be able to help all our customers . We make a huge investment in training to make sure staff are multiskilled , including helping staff achieve the widely respected qualifications from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers and continuously updating their knowledge via CPD .
Nearly a third of the UK team has been with the business for over 10 years , with two staff achieving their 25 years ’ service award this year . The loyalty of the HOPPE ( UK ) team is at the heart of our success .
Regularly throughout the year , we sit down with our customers to understand and review how our partnership is working . We discuss everything from delivery and logistics right through to feedback from their customers . We want to make sure that every order is receiving the highest level of care and attention . It ’ s important that everything arrives as expected , on time and ready to go , and based on the feedback we get , we are achieving that .
SecuSignal
Products and innovation
HOPPE ( UK ) and ARRONE have dedicated teams who look at the needs of the market and develop our product offering in line with demand .
Our aim is to add value to the supply chain by ensuring we are providing a comprehensive package of useful products at an appropriate range of price points , complete with the right technical attributes and testing . We want customers to know that when they fit HOPPE and ARRONE hardware , that the product will deliver as promised . Ultimately , we want them to be confident they can trust our brands .
This year , HOPPE has launched the eHandle HandsFree , eHandle AutoLock for windows , and eHandle ConnectHome to offer homeowners a more secure , practical solution for external doors and windows . It builds on HOPPE ’ s existing range of mechatronic hardware for smart homes and smart buildings , including the tried and tested FingerScan , HandsFree and SecuSignal eHandles .
All HOPPE and ARRONE products are fully tested to legal requirements , as would be expected , but are also checked by third party certification bodies such as Certifire and Certisecure . We also test relevant security products to standards recommended by Secured by Design : Annex A of PAS24:2016 and TS007 . This is part of HOPPE ’ s commitment to creating high quality products that deliver customers the best value long term .
www . hoppe . co . uk
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SEP / OCT 2020
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