Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, shares how efficiency, value, and social purpose combine in Shelforce’s fire door manufacturing journey, delivering fully compliant fire doors that won’t break budgets.
Whenever we’re behind the wheel of our car ready for a long journey, the first thing we do is put the sat nav on. Not necessarily because we don’t know the way, but because we want the best way. I want the quickest, most efficient, most cost-effective route from A to B. That’s exactly how we approach fire door manufacturing at Shelforce.
Every product that leaves our Birmingham-based factory is the result of a journey, and just like a well-planned road trip, we use every tool at our disposal to make sure we reach the destination, delivering fully compliant, high-quality fire doors quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
For local authorities working within tight budgets and timelines, that’s more important than ever. And efficiency is the backbone of how we deliver value to local authorities and housing associations.
Why value for money matters now more than ever
For local authorities, value for money is non-negotiable. Budgets are under immense pressure, yet the expectations around compliance, safety, and tenant wellbeing are higher than ever. There’s no room for compromise when it comes to fire safety, and rightly so.
Fully compliant fire doors are a legal and moral requirement, central to protecting residents and meeting the stringent demands of the Building Safety Act. But meeting those standards doesn’t have to mean inflated costs or delayed schedules.
And that’s where Shelforce stands apart.
We understand local authority budgets, because we are one
As a service within Birmingham City Council, we have a unique perspective. We don’t just work with local authorities – we are one. That understanding runs deep.
For decades, we’ve partnered with councils and housing associations across the UK, supporting both refurbishment and new build projects. We understand the internal budget pressures, the procurement protocols, and the absolute necessity to deliver projects on time and within budget, all without ever compromising on compliance.
We also know the power of saving £100 here or £1,000 there. For a housing provider managing hundreds or thousands of properties, those savings can be reallocated to improve insulation, upgrade security, or fund critical maintenance elsewhere.
We also understand firsthand the challenges local authorities face when specifying fire doors and our position gives us invaluable perspective on ensuring regulatory compliance for peace of mind.
Efficiency: The engine behind cost-effective fire door delivery
So, how do we deliver value without cutting corners? It all comes down to efficiency, and that sat nav mindset.
We map out the most effective production route for every door we make. From procurement of materials through to final inspection and dispatch, our factory process has been fine-tuned for maximum output and minimal waste.
We’ve invested over £500,000 in state-of-the-art CNC machinery that’s helped us boost our production capacity to around 400 fire doors per week, allowing us to meet the growing demands of the social housing sector.
That level of throughput gives us two major advantages: we can keep lead times short for urgent projects, and we can keep prices competitive, even as material and labour costs rise elsewhere in the industry.
Our people: The heart of our efficiency and purpose
But technology alone doesn’t deliver excellence. Our greatest asset, by far, is our team.
More than 75% of our workforce have a mental or physical disability. Many came to us from backgrounds where opportunities were scarce or non-existent. What we’ve seen time and again is that when you create the right environment, with the right support, the right training, and the right culture, you unlock incredible potential.
Our team has a winning mentality. They want to work, they want to succeed, and they understand the impact of the work they do. Some of our operatives live in the very homes that we manufacture fire doors for. They could be building a fire door for their next-door neighbour, their auntie, or their friend down the street. That personal connection builds a deep sense of responsibility and drives our commitment to quality.
We’re not just a manufacturer; we’re a social enterprise delivering tangible value to the community and the housing sector. And that’s something we know resonates with local authorities.
Trusted, tested, and fully compliant
When it comes to compliance, our Fireshel fire door is the gold standard. Built around the FireFrame® system developed by Winkhaus, and incorporating DoorCo’s rigorously tested composite door blanks, the Fireshel offers 46 minutes fire resistance, tested to EN 1634-1 from both sides, PAS 024 security compliance, Q Mark 170 Scheme 3rd Party Accreditation and full compliance with MHCLG Annex A and TS008 hardware standards.
The Fireshel is more than a door, it’s a fire safety system. Every component, from the auto-locking multi-point locking system to the security chains and eye viewers, has been engineered and tested to resist fire, smoke, and intrusion. And our Field of Application documentation ensures that every installation is fully covered, so there’s no grey areas and no guesswork.
We also provide local authorities with all the data and documentation they need to meet Gateway 2 requirements, maintain the golden thread of building information, and satisfy regulators.
Built for local authorities, delivered on time
In the world of social housing, time is rarely on your side. Whether it's urgent refurbishment work or new developments under strict timelines, delivery delays are not an option.
We pride ourselves on being able to deliver when others can’t. Our capacity, efficiency, and deep understanding of local authority procurement means we can slot into your project schedules and deliver the compliant products you need, when you need them.
At Shelforce, we don’t believe local authorities and housing associations should have to choose between cost and compliance. With us, you get both.
You get a fully tested, fully certified, legally compliant fire door in the Fireshel, manufactured by a highly efficient, socially responsible team, delivered on time, and at a cost that allows you to allocate budget where it’s needed most.
That’s the route we take, every single time. We’ve put the sat nav on, and we’ve found the best way to get there. Let us help you do the same.
Shelforce provides invaluable partnerships with local authorities, including Birmingham City Council, and housing associations and manufactures and supplies windows, doors and fire doors for social housing and new build projects. For further information call 0121 603 5262 or visit www.shelforce.com.
Images © Shelforce
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