BURY (September 2026) – Barry Halpin, Commercial Director – OEM Solutions at Allegion UK, a leading name in specialist door hardware, explores how the door industry is now entering an exciting era of opportunity and expansion. With over 26 years of commercial experience, including more than 13 years dedicated to the hardware and security sector, Barry works closely with OEMs across the industry, helping them create real business opportunities. Barry discusses how leading OEMs are turning compliance into commercial strength with hardware component providers who deliver outstanding service and trusted technical insight.
With advances in high-performance design hardware, smart security, and a recent industry focus on safety, manufacturers have an opportunity to elevate their offerings and set industry benchmarks for quality and expectations.
Thanks to key industry voices and the Building Safety Act with its resulting standards and frameworks, the built environment is beginning to evolve. Because of this gradual change and shifting expectations, OEM partnerships are becoming more important than ever. The sharing of expertise, technical collaboration and the supply of solutions that deliver genuine, long-term commercial value are needed more than ever to unlock future success.
Barry commented:
‘OEM partnerships are becoming much more about technical collaboration and shared knowledge. Today’s OEM customers want strategic partners who supply more than just hardware. They want partners who support their success through trusted technical insight, flexible collaboration, and uncompromised quality’.
From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
The UK’s evolving regulatory landscape offers door manufacturers an ideal opportunity and the perfect platform to become market leaders, and progressive OEMs are turning compliance into a signature commercial strength. By using only high-specification, fully certified hardware, manufacturers can differentiate their product lines, inspire complete specifier confidence, and support the future of modern building safety.
As the industry rightly continues to shift toward complete traceability and accountability with the ‘Golden Thread’ of information, OEMs should partner with trusted hardware specialists who provide integrated, third-party test evidence and support. Removing ambiguity brings clarity and confidence for all, and clear, verifiable product information simplifies and supports the entire specification and sign-off process. Reduced friction and greater product certainty make life easier for architects, engineers and contractors, positioning the OEM’s solution as the obvious, reliable choice for major developments and providing a clear path to adding value.
Barry continues:
‘As industry standards are raised, this offers huge opportunities for our partners, because when an OEM can show clear product integrity, backed by full testing and transparent traceability, it raises their profile and the value of their offering from the perspective of specifiers and contractors. That’s why, at Allegion UK, we empower our partners with the technical expertise and certified solutions they need to lead the market, secure contracts, and build lasting customer trust.’
OEMs can also unlock increased-productivity opportunities during their own certification audits by incorporating tested hardware from the initial design phase. With a synchronised system, where louvres, closers, hinges, and panic exit hardware are pre-verified to work together within the door profile, the cost and complexity of bringing new products to market can be significantly reduced.
Championing Competence & Product Stewardship
The industry-wide commitment to safety is rightly expanding beyond physical product testing to include professional competency and data stewardship. With the development of BS 8670-2, resulting from Dame Judith Hackitt’s Building a Safer Future recommendations, the industry is ready to recognise and reward true technical expertise across the entire supply chain.
BS 8670-2 details five progressive levels of specialised competence, from E to A. These levels set clear expectations for those working with specialist hardware products, including understanding legal obligations, product-system interactions, application limitations, and record-keeping. For the OEM sector, the emerging Code of Practice should bring several key benefits, including reduced risk and uncertainty, protecting product integrity, and recognition of real expertise.
As Barry explains, BS 8670-2 represents a positive step forward for door hardware suppliers and the OEMs they support:
‘BS 8670-2 is designed to strengthen the industry by making demonstrable product knowledge, clear traceability, and proven performance claims the standard. For OEMs, this shift establishes an environment of complete clarity by ensuring technical advice, hardware suitability, and safety data are unambiguous and provided by knowledgeable specialists.’
Barry continues: ‘BS 8670-2 provides the framework to acknowledge the hardware suppliers already investing in technical expertise. With greater data transparency and competence, we’re not only strengthening OEMs' purchasing confidence, but also collectively helping create safer buildings. By establishing clear competence frameworks, BS 8670-2 aims to reduce the risk of unsafe product substitutions and dangerous assumptions about a product's capability. This further transparency should make it easier to keep uncertified components out of the market and ensure that specialist door assemblies perform as intended. This emerging Code of Practice will also recognise those suppliers who invest in technical knowledge, providing OEMs with reliable, expert-backed partners they can depend on.’
Building the Future Together
As the door industry evolves, OEMs have the opportunity to strengthen customer relationships, enhance brand reputation, and drive long-term profitability. And through its extensive portfolio of high-specification safety and security door hardware, Allegion UK remains committed to delivering the certified products, technical expertise, and steadfast support OEMs need to stay ahead and lead the market with confidence.
