When it comes to garage doors, clients are on the look-out for a solution that once installed, provides the necessary assurances without any issues. Having a reputable, long-standing name behind a purchased item provides that kind of assurance. FGP is one such company in this area, manufacturing and installing various solutions for local clients.

Janine Houghton, Director at FGP, spearheads the enterprise as its headship is now moving into the second generation, having originally been established in 1962. Ms Houghton has been directly involved in the company for around twenty years, holds an MBA from Henley and a first degree in Commerce, and is responsible for FGP’s daily operations.

With a 30-strong team, FGP’s main focus is on custom-made garage doors. The company manufactures and installs the solutions on offer, allowing it to have a better oversight and more quality control on its products. Beyond the quality, which is without doubt, what really makes a difference is the company’s great emphasis on the customer experience, that has then been translated into generation upon generation of customers and positive recommendations.

Ms Houghton acknowledges that the strongest advert for FGP’s products has essentially been by word-of-mouth. And with a heritage spanning multiple decades in an ever-developing business environment, it evidently indicates that the company’s custom is highly and widely sought.

With their products and services, FGP aims “to get it right the first time”, reflecting what the client is very much after – a no nonsense approach and a solution that works. The tailor-made garage doors, manufactured and installed by the FGP team fit the bill. Complementing the in-house manufacturing conducted by the company, Ms Houghton highlights that FGP also has a range of foreign brands and suppliers that it directly represents as a sole agent on the local market, having established these commercial relationships over many years and further adding to the capabilities and reliability that the company exudes.

FGP’s origins were as manufacturers of fibreglass products such as boats and water tanks, hence the name, Ms Houghton shares. The company also had a very small section of light metal works and garage doors, however the latter kept growing over the years, and, eventually, the fibreglass line was wound down completely.

Besides the wide range of garage door types it is renowned for, FGP boasts of other related products including fire-rated doors that are imported and installed by the company. Ms Houghton confirms that a variety of clients request such solutions, including commercial entities, educational institutions and many others. Common areas within buildings also often require similar installations. With heightened awareness of the dangers posed, such doors are designed to limit damage, stop the spread of fires and in turn protect lives and properties, in case the unthinkable happens.

Another interesting range is that consisting of high-speed doors. Ms Houghton explains that these solutions are often requested by the pharmaceutical and food production industries, and other similar industrial environments that require to seal and secure areas, including for hygiene purposes and to maintain high-levels of cleanliness. This specialised equipment operates at fast speeds to open and shut very quickly.

Other solutions presented by FGP include different types of manual and automated gates, roller shutters, automated doors, barriers and bollards as well as the possibility to automate existing doors with motors provided by the company. The latter service can be quite useful as an upgrade. Indeed, the company prides itself in providing quality after-sales support.

The company’s range of client profiles is quite diverse – from a customer with a single, residential garage door to retail establishments and large, industrial set-ups. With all those offerings, Ms Houghton underlines that residential clients remain FGP’s mainstay. In the case of individual clientele there is also an element of trust involved, not only in terms of the actual product but also in adhering to committed delivery time-frames. The company considers this to be just as important, continues the company’s Director, ensuring that clients know what they are getting and by when, once they select FGP as the supplier for their needs. And being reliable is a value that is underscored across all FGP operations, as Ms Houghton observes, with the company having accumulated a lot of experience and in-house knowledge.

Ms Houghton remarks that “there is still room for growth for the company, with a focus on what FGP excels at.” And the focus is mainly garage doors, be they for residential, commercial or industrial purposes. “The client’s interests are at the company’s core,” continues Ms Houghton, noting FGP’s commitment to continue upholding standards and to deliver.

The staff members on which all of the work rests are “a good team and very experienced”, notes Ms Houghton, with this level of professionalism seeping through the company’s various initiatives. Ms Houghton is full of praise for the company’s personnel who know “how to achieve the best,” as she remarks that retention of staff at the company is highly prioritised by the management. One can feel that this is a tight-knit, well-experienced group that knows its leading position in a competitive market and stands ready to continue delivering results.

Looking ahead, having recently surpassed the 60th anniversary, FGP’s ambitions are steadfast in the commitment to provide high-quality solutions and products, backed by top notch customer services and aftersales support. And as the company continues with its transition to another generation, it is good to know that the values that have cemented its reputation for reliability continue to be passed on and stay upheld. Present and newer generations of customers for garage doors and other solutions abound, and as Janine Houghton remarks, FGP is always ready “to get it done right.”