For over a decade, Doorcare and Nova Aluminium have built a partnership founded on trust, responsiveness and dependable service. When a busy summer programme required windows and doors to reach schools across Cornwall, that relationship proved its value once again, combining technical expertise, careful planning and reliable logistics to keep projects moving. For around twelve years, Doorcare and Nova Aluminium have built a relationship based on trust, responsiveness and a shared understanding of what it takes to get a project over the line. That relationship came into its own during a busy summer programme for Doorcare, involving glazing installations across several schools throughout Cornwall. With a substantial quantity of windows and doors to manufacture, store and deliver to multiple locations on a single day, the project required careful planning. For both companies however, it was simply another example of what a longstanding working relationship can achieve.
Trust that keeps on delivering
Doorcare first began working with Nova back in May 2014. From an initial visit to their headquarters in Bristol, Nova remains Doorcare’s aluminium supplier of choice. Neil Heather, MD of Doorcare, says “They’re just great to deal with. Paul’s brilliant, and they’re always very helpful. If there was ever an issue, which can happen, they’ve always been very quick to resolve it.” For Doorcare, that responsiveness is particularly important. Quotes and technical queries are turned around quickly, with the team often receiving answers the same day or the following day. If Doorcare needs materials for a particular date, Nova will work to meet it. And the relationship isn’t simply about price. As Neil puts it, “You get what you pay for. It’s the service they provide, the technical help, the quality and the speed they get things done”. That direct relationship also means Doorcare can speak to Paul Harvey, Nova’s owner, when something needs attention. It is a level of accessibility that has developed naturally over a decade of working together.
The right systems, from the start
Doorcare has extensive experience working on school projects and regularly specifies SMART aluminium systems. For this programme, the specification included SMART Systems’ Alitherm 400 windows alongside Smartwall doors and screens, supplied by Nova. Doorcare’s familiarity with both the products and Nova’s team makes the process of moving from tender through design, sign-off and production far more straightforward. The company knows what systems work for its projects, while Nova has the technical knowledge and one of the broadest range of SMART systems to support those requirements. The relationship between Nova and SMART is also a long-standing one, for over 20 years, giving Doorcare the benefit of an established supply chain and a wide choice of proven aluminium systems.
Making a complex delivery simple
The summer programme involved schools spread far and wide across Cornwall, from Falmouth to Bude and locations in between. Some sites were in urban areas, down narrow lanes or off side streets, making access challenging even for large delivery vehicles. The products therefore had to be manufactured with careful scheduling and stored on Nova’s premises until everything was ready to ship out. Then, on the agreed delivery day, Nova organised its own fleet to get the systems to the various schools. For Doorcare, receiving everything on the same day was hugely important. It gave the installation teams the best possible chance of completing the work during the school summer holidays. Some installations were completed in a couple of weeks, while others took longer depending on the individual school and the amount of labour allocated. The logistics may have stretched across the length and breadth of Cornwall, but the principle remained simple: Doorcare knew what it needed from Nova, and Nova knew it had to deliver. For Doorcare, that reliability is ultimately what keeps the relationship going.
What they said...
“They’re quick to get quotes back, they’re always helpful, and the product is great. Most importantly, they do what they say they’re going to do, when they say they’re going to do it. For us, it’s the action rather than just the words.” Neil Heather - Doorcare - Managing Director