Fittings specialist closely follows trends

Those who want to grow must innovate. At HDD Design, specializing in the distribution of door, window and furniture hardware, they follow trends closely. The family business from Meise started with 50 products, but today offers an extensive range of more than 5,000 references from stock. Half of these are imported from Italy, while the other half have been produced in their own workshop in China since the beginning of this century. HDD will soon move to larger premises and plans to focus more heavily on hardware for exterior doors, windows and furniture in addition to interior door hardware.

What is today HDD Design was founded in 1960 by Henri De Donder and Paula De Saert as an importer of Italian hardware, known for high quality and refined design. Every week the products were imported from Italy and stored in Meise before being distributed in the Benelux.

"Since the 1980s, more attention has been paid to the finishing touches of a home, with door and furniture hardware often being the finishing touch. For us, it comes down to always following the latest trends. The range has grown from 50 to more than 5,000 products," says Olivier Descurieux, the current manager. 

"At the beginning of this century, in addition to appearance and design, price became increasingly important. Therefore, like many other wholesalers, we wanted to take the step to China, but did not find the desired quality with the existing companies. We finally started our own production in 2002. Today, 50% of our range is "Made in Italy," while the rest is produced in our own workshop in Asia. We distribute those products from stock through hardware stores and professional wood and DIY dealers in the Benelux and more than 30 other countries."

Translating trends into products

HDD is best known today for its high-quality and versatile range of interior door hardware, but also offers hardware for furniture, windows and exterior doors, including door handles, pulls, tops, hinges, locks and security hardware, door stops, cabinet pulls, window handles, .... 

"We moved into a new 2,000 m² building 3 years ago and then I thought we were launched for a long time. But today our warehouse is bursting at the seams again and we will soon be moving to premises with an area of 10,000 m² in the heart of Belgium. After all, in the future we also want to raise our profile in these other segments and further expand the range there," the manager continues. 

"We also want to always be one step ahead of everyone else. That's why we do everything we can to closely follow the trends in the market. Our specialists look at shapes and colors in different sectors, such as clothing, bathrooms, etc. We first produce a few models and if that catches on, we develop further. For example, black, white and stainless steel are all the rage today. At HDD we have been working with these colors for years. When we presented the first black door handles, we were somewhat skeptical, but in the end many architects and building owners now choose black hardware. Another trend is the use of matte copper hardware. This matte finish is already being used in lighting and decoration. Kitchen builders and door manufacturers will follow. In the meantime, we already have such hardware in the range, so we are ready for the future."