Innovative glazing supplier and manufacturer IDSystems is celebrating its 25th year in business this year. The company was started in 2000 when founder Richard Hunter secured the exclusive UK rights to supply and install SUNFLEX door systems from Germany.
At the time, the term ‘bifold door’ was virtually unheard of in the UK, but had been used in Europe for a decade. Richard saw an opportunity to introduce the technology to the British market by founding a company that specialised in these innovative systems.
One of the earliest employees, Carl Farrow, was originally employed as an administrator to answer the phones, send out brochures and make the tea. Today, he is CEO. He remembers the early days well: “If you told someone you worked for a bifold door company, they’d give you a puzzled look. We spent as much time explaining how the doors worked as we did anything else because nobody had seen anything like them before.”
“We’ve always said that we didn’t just build a company; we built an industry,” Carl adds. “Being so far ahead of what everyone else was doing back then undoubtedly played a huge part in creating the demand that exists to this day.”
By 2004, IDSystems began manufacturing its own products in the UK. Today, the company’s manufacturing facility in Rackheath, Norfolk, extends to almost 56,000 square feet, with nearly 70 staff based there.
CEO Carl Farrow highlights that their commitment to British manufacturing has been a cornerstone of the company’s success: “The skills and experience of the staff that have worked for the company over the years have been crucial in not only the finished projects, but also the design and development of cutting-edge doors and windows.”
”More than half of the current staff have been here for more than 10 years, which is incredibly rare for the type of business that we are, but that shows real dedication and commitment to the business, to our customers, and to each other.”
Since its inception, IDSystems has continued to innovate, creating UK firsts for modern glazing: first in the slim frames of theEDGE and then the UK’s first high-performance slide & turn door system with Vistaline.
This influence on British home design has been recognised, with IDSystems being named a Grand Designs Premier Partner, in recognition of product quality, outstanding service, and product innovation.
Never a company to stand still, IDSystems is looking ahead to the next 25 years. “What we’ve always been really good at is being ahead of the industry,” Founder and Managing Director Richard explains, “The “ID” in IDSystems stands for Innovative Design, and we’ve never stopped trying to improve the products that we install so that we know our customers have the best possible doors and windows for their homes.”
To mark the anniversary, the Norfolk showroom is undergoing its biggest-ever transformation. The space is being completely reimagined to showcase the latest aluminium glazing systems and products to set home improvement trends for the next 25 years.
Further expansion is also on the horizon, with plans for a third showroom in Essex to better serve the thousands of customers in and around London.
From a small team to an industry leader, IDSystems’ journey is a testament to the vision, high-quality work and dedication of the people at its core. See the full blog post on the IDSystems site for more insight from Richard and Carl about the company’s journey so far.
