Apr 12 2004
Two trade associations which joined forces in December last year have now formed a federation that will considerably strengthen their influence in the industrial and commercial door and hardware sectors.
The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) is now officially in being. It follows the amalgamation of the Door and Shutter Manufacturers’ Association (DSMA) and the Association of Building Hardware Manufacturers (ABHM).
The new federation has been formed to reinforce the two associations’ authority both within the industry and at government level, as well as providing added benefits to members.
But the names of the two long-established trade associations will not disappear with the formation of the DHF. For the foreseeable future, both the DSMA and the ABHM will retain their existing identities, in particular for the work they carry out in their specific sectors within the door and hardware industry.
The DSMA represents virtually all of the key players in industrial and commercial doors and shutters and garage doors and the ABHM represents the leading manufacturers of building hardware and architectural ironmongery.
The federation will represent more than 135 member companies which sell products into all the sectors of the building industry and the consumer market which require doors and the hardware fittings to go with them.
The association’s chief executive Derek Smith said: “When the merger was first discussed last year we took the view that as doors can’t exist without hardware and vice versa, there would be an obvious and beneficial synergy between the two organisations.
“Now we have taken that to its logical conclusion by forming the DHF which will present a combined, cohesive and much stronger voice in our dealings with the Government and Europe over Standards and legislation and all the other issues which affect our industry.”
Source: DSMA