98 Industry News Also online at www.dijonline.co.uk Door Industry Journal Summer 2026 Locks & Building Hardware GOOD PARTNERSHIPS in the door industry aren’t built on price lists and purchase orders alone. For HOPPE (UK) and Pendle Doors, it’s about picking up the phone, solving problems together and having the confidence to be honest about what works and what does not. Here, Andy Syms, National Sales Manager at HOPPE (UK), and Darran Mowe, Supply Chain & Technical Operations Director at Pendle Doors, talk about collaboration, technical support and why strong supplier relationships matter more than ever in today’s market. And how their own connection has developed into part technical collaboration, part day to day problem solving, and part long term planning… A partnership built on trust and alignment Andy Syms has been working with Pendle Doors for around four years, and for him the relationship has been built as much on people as it has on product. “Pendle Doors is a highly efficient operation,” he says. “Everything is manufactured in house and they have a large scale setup across production and storage. But what really stands out is the relationship. We get on well and that comes from trust and everyone pulling in the same direction.” For Andy, that sense of alignment is what separates a transactional supplier relationship from something more meaningful. It is not just about supplying hardware, but about being embedded in the way customers operate and plan. And, at Pendle Doors, the feeling is mutual. While HOPPE is a key hardware supplier, the relationship is described less in terms of procurement and more in terms of collaboration that develops over time. “Day to day, it is not always about constant interaction,” Darran explains. “As products become established within our processes, the partnership really comes into its own in product development and innovation. That is where it feels most active and most valuable.” When new projects come into play, both sides describe a two way flow of ideas rather than a one directional supply chain. Suggestions are shared early, reviewed “STRONG PARTNERSHIPS ARE NOT DEFINED BY SYSTEMS OR PROCESSES”
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