The trade body the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has appointed Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, pictured, as marketing manager.
Her role is to raise the profile of the DHF and its members in the industrial door, building hardware, garage door, powered gate and doorset sectors.
Patricia will also be raising awareness of the DHF’s training offering. To date almost 500 personnel involved in the safety of powered gates have undertaken the federation’s training scheme. This is now being extended to personnel in DHF member companies which manufacture, install and maintain industrial doors and garage doors.
Bob Perry, DHF CEO said: “Patricia’s appointment comes at an important stage in the development of the DHF which now has more than 300 members. ‘Raising standards’ is our mission. We have introduced DHF Quality Assured Standards, Codes of Practice for members and significantly strengthened our technical and safety advisory teams.
“The development of our training programme is the latest stage in our continuing plan to raise the standard of our members’ products and services to new levels. We’re successfully driving up industry standards and It’s now time we make the market more aware of the significant progress we are making. The appointment of Patricia as our full time marketing manager will accelerate this. Patricia brings a wealth of experience with her and she’s already becoming an invaluable member of the DHF team.”
Patricia has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing since 1997, holds a CIM Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing, a BTEC Higher National Diploma in business and finance and qualified at Warwick University as a trainer in the Preparing to Teach Lifelong Learning Skills. With 21 years of marketing experience behind her, Patricia has worked in a number of market sectors including automotive, IT hardware distribution and print management. Most recently she has specialised in providing marketing and training expertise in the third sector (not-for-profit organisations).
She said: “My role is to further strengthen the DHF’s relationship with its members and also its relationship with those market sectors in which its members operate. A number of marketing and communications initiatives are in the advanced planning stage, including a new website. We will be increasingly using digital and online communication methods such as social media to drive traffic to the cumulative amount of invaluable online resources we have available. The DHF has achieved so much in raising industry standards in recent times and it’s now time to promote its success.”
Visit www.dhfonline.org.uk.
