In 1908, a master locksmith named Rudolf Mankel and his brother-in-law, Wilhelm Doerken, set up a company in Germany that produced double-action door hinges.
The brand name Dorma was fashioned after the surnames of the two founders. Since then, the firm has grown to post €56.6 million (Dh257.1m) in earnings before taxes in last year but has remained a family business.
This year, it hopes to post total global revenues of a €1 billion, says George Philip, the marketing director for the Middle East, Africa, south Europe and south Asia at Dorma Gulf.
Here, he talks about the door technologies and opportunities for the company in the region.
What are the new-age door technologies?
We have door technologies that can do face recognition and even mass recognition to identify crowds. It makes traffic easier and identification faster.
Dorma has supplied, as a custom application, a sliding-folding system with glass, which becomes opaque for privacy, to a private investor's office in Dubai. Such technologies exist today but not commercially. Yet, as the supply chain and sourcing gets better, it will become affordable.
Where are these technologies developed and where are your research and development (R&D) centres?
The technologies are developed in Germany and we have R&D centres in Chennai, India, and Singapore. Products are manufactured in Germany, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Brazil. We are looking for places we can get educated people and the right infrastructure.
Dorma's Middle East and Africa market posted the highest growth last year after the Asia Pacific and Australia.What opportunities are there in the Arabian Gulf markets?
Last year, we did really well [in the region compared with this fiscal year]. Nowadays, people travel a lot and see these high-end facilities in developed countries. And they want them back in their home countries. People in the Gulf also have the money to afford these technologies. There was a slowdown in the company due to the economic crisis but the Middle East is one of our fastest-growing markets. We have around 35 per cent of the market share here. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are our fastest-growing markets in Middle East.
What are the challenges?
The challenge most companies, including Dorma, face in the Gulf is getting qualified and experienced people. We have a factory in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai. Right now, we are focusing on developing skills of [our workforce]. We hire mechanical and electrical engineers among others. We have [more than 300 employees] in the Middle East and North Africa, of which 190 are in Dubai.
How will the company's recent acquisitions help Dorma?
We acquired one of our dealers in Kuwait called Door Service Centre earlier this year. They have knowledge of the local market and it will help to consolidate our presence.
* Sananda Sahoo
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