We are introducing a new kind of partnership. We have resisted the idea of “dealers” and we have a lot of reasons.
We have always known there was more demand for our products, but we never wanted to be about just selling boxes. However, we are pretty sure we have a winning strategy for the right partners.
The idea of selling security or specialty doors is not new. There are a lot of so-called purveyors of these types of products. However, when you look a little deeper, what they are is “the middleman”. They buy a product made outside the US (Typically Europe or China) and mark it up and sell it to a “dealer” who sells a few pieces a year. This is exactly why we have resisted the urge to have “dealers”, as they never become well versed in the capabilities and they are just another layer in the profit chain.
We are different — expertly combining the finest components made in Italy, Germany, Australia and in North America to produce the world’s best specialty doors and windows. We bring the best of 3 continents together to create a product like no other in the world.
Let’s break this down a little further. Our main structures are made in Italy. The Italians make the best structures we can find anywhere. They can cover their structures in just about anything and they can provide hardware and technology. However, their core competency is the structure. Everything else is something they buy, not something they make. This means they can provide their own clients an excellent solution at a reasonable price.
When you take this same finished product and pass it through another middleman the price becomes exponentially higher, the selection is less, and the service is more problematic. We know about this because we did exactly this operation for quite some time.
Now our clients enjoy the same quality structures they always have, but they get much better hardware, technology, and finishes. In most cases for less money and in all cases better service capability.
Let’s explore this further. We are partnered with First Impressions International for Hardware. They make some the most impressive custom hardware in the world. Now we have the best security and specialty structures, paired with some of the best hardware available. We understand Italian Pride and they would likely never import hardware from America. I can tell you from personal experience the products made here are MUCH better.
Finishes are a big part of what we provide. We have been providing interesting finishes like Porcelain since we started. It is an excellent alternative to wood, but it still has many of the same issues of wood. We are at the mercy of the tile manufacturer. They can discontinue a style and we can longer effectively service our client. More importantly tile also has size restrictions. It only comes in certain size sheets. This means the door covers MUST have a seam. We don’t like seams if possible.
We have partnered with Axolotl. They produce custom coverings for our panels. They are made to order, and we can have them made in much larger sizes… with few, if any, seams. They make coverings in applied metal, applied concrete, terracotta, wood and even glass.
So now the question is not “what can you do?” — more so “what can’t you do?” One would not expect Australia to be the home of such an incredible product, but it has been made there for over 27 years — and they’ve won an insane number of awards. We are the exclusive security door partner to Axolotl, which means that if you want a security and/or ballistic door with an Axolotl finish — there are only two companies you can purchase from: FBS and Axolotl.
Lastly there is technology, we have developed our technology in house, with assistance from our partners in Germany and Austin. We have developed all our own interfaces as well as integrated with companies like Black Nova, Basalte, Crestron, Savant, Control 4 and Iptechview
