Windows and doors

After 13 years, Howard Trotter is stepping down as Business Manager at Shelforce, leaving behind a thriving business, an award-winning culture and a legacy built on inclusion, opportunity and teamwork.
Howard has played a central role in transforming Shelforce, the Birmingham City Council-owned manufacturer and supplier of windows, doors and fire doors for local authority building projects and social housing, into an £8m-plus turnover business, with turnover expected to exceed £10m this year. Today, the company’s order book is full for the next two years.

In the evolving landscape of UK housing, certainty about the origin and quality of construction materials has become paramount. This renewed focus is primarily driven by stricter safety regimes, including the Building Safety Act, which places greater scrutiny on product performance, particularly for buildings with higher risk. However, the principles extend to all projects, ensuring long-term durability and simplifying future maintenance.

As building safety regulations become increasingly stringent, Shelforce combines unparalleled fire door manufacturing expertise with deep local authority insight to deliver compliant, high-performance solutions for social housing projects.

Fire doors are meticulously engineered safety devices that play a crucial role in the fire safety of a building. For local authorities, compromising on building safety is never an option; as government-funded organisations setting standards for the wider housing sector, selecting the right fire door solution for replacement projects demands unwavering commitment to safety compliance to make sure tenants are properly protected. 

The Glazing Summit returns for 2024, in its usual location at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, on the 17 October.

Now into its sixth year, the event has cemented itself a must-attend for senior leaders within the UK fenestration industry, featuring a day of high-level industry debate and providing unrivalled networking opportunities for over 400 delegates.

Howard Trotter, business manager of window and fire door manufacturer Shelforce, discusses whether housing associations are getting value for money for crucial products – and how they can successfully balance both cost and quality.

The social housing landscape is constantly evolving; but what is not, is a commitment to the safety and quality of life for residents.

As housing associations strive to provide comfortable and secure homes for their residents, a critical aspect involves the maintenance and enhancement of properties, with replacement windows and doors, including fire doors, essential components for both safety and energy efficiency.

With legislation changing all the time, specifying the right products is essential to meet the correct standards. We spoke with Howard Trotter, business manager of window and fire door manufacturer Shelforce, to find out what housing associations must look out for when specifying windows and doors and how Shelforce can help provide the right products for the right value.

Functional yet stylish, our range of energy efficient windows and doors are the perfect choice for regeneration, refurbishment and new build projects in the social housing arena. Enhanced security features and performance makes our windows and doors stand out from the rest.
With PAS 24 and Secured by Design accreditations, along with A-ratings and low U-values, our window & door range ensures full compliance with building regulations and meets environmental guidelines, including the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH).