Vicaima UK is preparing to launch into the architectural doorset market after making a significant investment in its Swindon premises.
The company will launch a separate division, Vicaima Bespoke, as part of a long-term plan to move away from commodity base price doors, but also because of unfavourable currency rates for its Portuguese-made product and continued price pressure in the volume standard internal door market.
The move comes as Vicaima, like most door manufacturers, has seen its growth pegged back due to the housebuilding slowdown – with its sales decreasing from about £24m last year to about £15 this year.
Peter Johnson, managing director of Vicaima UK, told TTJ that the new divison will launch at the start of 2010. It will advertise widely and target architects and designers, specialist joinery companies and fit-out contractors.
Doors from the division’s first range, the Black & White Collection, will cost £1,500 each and went on display at The Original Door Company in west London this month. A high-end Maybach range is also in the pipeline.
“Over the last few years Vicaima in Portugal has realised that the Portuguese [volume standard door product] market has gone down and they have expanded to the Middle East and all over Europe and gone into architectural projects,” said Mr Johnson.
Additional SCM CNC routers have been purchased at Vicaima’s Swindon site, skilled joiners recruited to take on handcraft skills and a warehouse refitted and dedicated to the division.
“We will be able to offer doors, flooring, wall panelling and furniture to the sort of people who live in upmarket apartments,” said Mr Johnson.
Vicaima Bespoke products will be imported by lorry, rather than container, with additional customised operations completed at Swindon and a separate dispatch system set up for customers.
Vicaima UK will continue to operate its volume business and will expand its offering to the merchant-distributor sector, with a new emphasis on independent merchants, to include FSC-certified door kits, face-grooving in a choice of geometric patterns, veneer colour staining to budget veneer finishes and a wider selection of factory glazing to reduce on-site costs.
