Doors

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Birmingham-based window and door manufacturer Shelforce, took to the stage at this year’s Glazing Summit 2025 to speak on one of the industry’s most pressing challenges – skills and recruitment.
Held at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the Glazing Summit brought together leaders from across the fenestration sector, with Howard joining the ‘Skills: Apprentices in Action’ panel alongside Ultraframe’s Andrew Thompson and GGF’s John Mannell. The discussion focused on apprenticeships, attracting new talent, and increasing diversity across the industry.

Vicaima, a major European player in the design and manufacture of advanced interior door solutions, has announced the launch of Dekordor® HD Expressions, a new collection of durable and versatile finishes. Engineered to fuse the authentic beauty of woodlook with additional resilience, the range offers a flexible solution that meets the dual demands of the modern construction market: providing architects and designers with sophisticated aesthetics, while assuring developers, contractors, and property owners of the enduring, certified performance required for any high-quality project.

Rapierstar has launched the STARFIX PFT, a new button-head version of its market-leading plug-free masonry screw, offering faster and higher-quality installation of PVCu and timber window and door frames.

Having been involved for many years in fire rated products, gaining invaluable knowledge and insight into the composite fire door industry, Astraseal could see the requirement for a comprehensive fire safety door package. A start to finish solution backed up by extensive testing to the most onerous standards and certified by industry leading experts.

Continuous innovation in fastening technology by Rapierstar is enabling housing specifiers and contractors to achieve ever higher performance standards throughout their window and door programmes.

The fasteners in its STARPVCU range are instantly recognisable through their ‘tri-thread’ logo which appears on the heads, and they are available in three different metals to suit the target level of corrosion-resistance – zinc coated carbon steel as standard or martensitic stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel for increased durability.

Flicking through outdated static printed or digital brochures is for yesterday. In 2025 expectations are higher, the desire to seek out product possibilities in the quickest and most inspiring way, is not just desirable but essential. Now all this is possible in the world of Vicaima interior doors. Experience a journey of discovery, with the new Vicaima Interactive Interior Door Selector (IDS 25). Navigate easily from design, through performance, then pricing to availability and back again. Constantly enhanced, dynamic and relevant. Ever changing for our fast-moving construction market.

As Business Manager of Shelforce, Howard Trotter has extensive experience of manufacturing and supplying windows, doors and fire doors to housing associations. Here, he discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the sector in 2025 and beyond.