A Black Country security door lock manufacturer has defied the downturn in the housing market by increasing sales by 50 per cent in two years.
Fullex Locks Limited has responded to the growth in business by taking on a bigger base at The Pensnett Estate in Kingswinford, which is owned and managed by London and Cambridge Properties Ltd (LCP). Due to the success of new product introductions and the support of two large national distributors, Fullex required more space and has nearly doubled its warehousing and office space to cope with the additional workload.
The company manufactures high security residential door looks and supplies window and door manufacturers, local authorities and housing associations who specify its products for social housing.
Mike Hill of Fullex said: “Our success has come despite the fact that the housing market continues to be depressed. “We needed room to expand and did not want to leave Pensnett. We have been here for many years and have a skilled and loyal workforce which we would not want to disrupt. Our Managing director Ian Southall, who joined the company over 30 years ago, also has very strong local links.
“The estate provided the quality of accommodation and security we required so we did not have to look elsewhere. We employ 19 people at Pensnett and our expansion will hopefully create more jobs and security for our workforce.”
Fullex was originally an aluminium window and patio door manufacturer serving mainly the commercial market. In 1980 it launched its own multipoint patio door lock and diversified fully into locks when that side of the business took off.
The Fullex Crimebeater multipoint door lock, launched in 2002, is one of the most widely specified locks in the local authority and social housing sector. Fullex was also the first company to be licensed by Secured by Design, run by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to ‘design out crime’.
The company has an active product development programme with an in-house UKAS accredited test facility to ensure the quality and longevity of its products. In addition to a manufacturing facility at Pensnett, it also has an ISO9001:2008 accredited overseas factory.
