Setting the Standard for Architectural Door Hardware

Standard Metal Hardware
Written by Robert Hoshowsky

Standard Metal Hardware Manufacturing Ltd. is a leading commercial and custom architectural door hardware manufacturer founded over 30 years ago. They have built a reputation on supplying quality North American-made architectural door hardware products available in a variety of styles, sizes, materials, and finishes.

Founded in 1989, Standard Metal is a Canadian-based manufacturing company with locations in Toronto, Canada and Chicago, Illinois. The company is led by an experienced and passionate team who have been setting the standard in door hardware for decades, working closely with architects, designers and hardware distributors from around the world to create high-design custom architectural door hardware.

At Standard Metal, the company takes its brand promise seriously. From custom design to quality materials, expert knowledge to service delivery, their products are built to last, delivered in a timely and professional fashion.

Contemporary, classic and custom capabilities
Flipping through the company’s new 260-page 2020 Product Catalogue, it is easy to see Standard Metal has a keen eye for high design and quality craftsmanship. Their product catalogue is digital, easy to navigate and features an advanced e-reader capability that allows users to seamlessly explore their wide assortment of product offerings. The catalogue information is filled with rich product renders, downloadable specification sheets, ordering instructions, and a detailed table of available custom finishes.

The company’s product line is immense. With over 8,000 products spanning 14 categories, they manufacture and stock architectural door pulls, push bars, flush pulls, door plates, locking ladder pulls, patch lock sets, custom grab bars, door stops and a line of hands-free door hardware. Whatever architectural flatware is needed for a commercial build or renovation, Standard Metal has it.

“We carry complete lines of traditional and modern stock products that are readily available in the marketplace, along with what we are most known for, which is our in-house custom manufacturing capability to suit any building project,” says President, Adam Bortolussi. “Companies can come to us as a one-stop shop to satisfy both of those needs.”

The team at Standard Metal has a tried and true customization process. Customers can go to Standard Metal and create a unique door pull, handrail, door plate, grab bar and more.

Customers can choose traditional or modern styles using a wide range of materials such as stainless steel, brass, copper, wood and aluminum with a variety of shapes such as round, hex, flat, square bar or reeded tube. Also available is an assortment of finishes from mirror polish to roman bronze to an array of architectural powder coat colors that enhance the look and feel of any product. Custom bends and cut-outs can be incorporated into any door plate, frame wrap, corner guard or astragal. Specialty services such as engraving and laser etching are also available.

“As part of our marketing, we want to make it known how simple the design to build process is so it never feels intimidating or complicated for the customer. Industry-leading turnaround on technical drawings allows our customers time to review and approve designs and proceed to production of their custom product with confidence,” says Sam Masri, Vice President, Sales and Operations.

Going antimicrobial
In response to the global outbreak of COVID-19, Standard Metal has expanded its antimicrobial finish offering to nearly all door hardware products. The antimicrobial finish is a clear coating that is safe and long-lasting to protect against microorganisms.

Created with silver-ion technology – long known for its effectiveness in eliminating germs – “Standard Metal’s antimicrobial clear coating prevents the spread of dangerous microorganisms and suppresses the growth of mould and bacteria with [greater than] 99.5 percent effectiveness,” according to the company.

Applied to high-touch products like door pulls, grab bars, handrails and push plates, these coatings are durable and scratch-resistant. Antimicrobial coatings can help protect against the spread of infectious diseases, especially during the current pandemic. It is in demand for healthcare facilities, restaurants and food services, washrooms, offices, retail outlets and more.

“Research has shown that microorganisms, bacteria, and mould can live on surfaces, such as door handles, for over 72 hours,” said Bortolussi earlier this year in a media release. “While constant sanitation of these surfaces is unrealistic, our team has worked with our suppliers to proudly offer a clear and durable antimicrobial coating that will not alter the quality or architectural appearance of our products. This coating acts as an additional layer of defense to protect against the spread of infectious diseases.”

Along with state-of-the-art coatings, Standard Metal is proud to offer customers hands-free hardware, particularly useful in this COVID-19 environment. Highly functional foot pulls and arm pulls are mounted at the bottom of the door that allow the door to be opened with your foot, and ones higher up the door you can open with your forearm so you are not touching the door handle directly with your hands. These products reduce the chance of getting sick, a vital concern for many.

New investments and new energy
President Adam Bortolussi is a veteran Operations Executive and has held key positions with leading multi-national companies such as FirstService, Deloitte, and Cintas over his career. Taking his experience to the mid-market, Bortolussi now leads a team of about 30 dedicated employees, which includes both office staff and a general labour force that has strong expertise in welding, metal polishing and fabrication. Bortolussi has been involved with the Standard Metal team since 2019, when it was acquired by Massey Capital, a family-owned investment company with a strong history of acquiring companies for the long term and taking them to the next level. Since then, the team has focused extensively on rebranding the company with an emphasis on improving the customer experience in a more traditional industry.

“We put a significant focus on the customer, first and foremost. Building a culture around service becomes a key element in how we market, manufacture and deliver our products to customers, a real differentiator compared to the larger multi-national companies that we compete against,” says Bortolussi.

With new talent comes a renewed energy. The Standard Metal leadership team has been making bold investments in the people working within their team, bringing on skilled employees in key areas of operations, product design and customer service as well as adding talent in sales and digital marketing.

In 2020 alone, the team released a new Product Catalogue with state-of-the-art product renderings and specifications, as well as a sleek and modern website which features a highly interactive and information-rich product section. The company also recently implemented a best-in-class enterprise resource planning (ERP) system across the entire organization with a platform focus on manufacturing workflow, robust inventory management and customer relationship management, enabling them to scale the business, operate more efficiently and provide a higher level of service to customers.

Fulfilling a need for custom, continent-wide
With an already established presence across Canada, Standard Metal has a growing number of distributors in the United States, as it focuses on increasing its reach across North America and the recent global shift toward purchasing more onshore.

Those involved in design and construction are constantly looking for a new and innovative option that they can showcase to customers in order to differentiate themselves and their building project. Standard Metal offers people the opportunity to be creative in their field and bring their vision to reality. Customers can custom configure products from an extensive product line or design a completely custom product that has never been made before. Standard Metal allows designers, architects and distributors the ability to have some fun in the process by choosing from a selection of styles, sizes, materials and finishes.

“The recent overhaul of Standard Metal was to improve on our brand so that it better resonates with the design world – and lets people know we’re very strong in custom design. I think that is strongly reflected in our new branding,” says Masri.

From new building construction to full renovation, Standard Metal products have been used on thousands of recognized commercial building projects across North America including hotels, airports, schools, hospitals, multi-family, retail, office and institutional buildings.

“The team at Standard Metal is proud of some of the projects our products have been used on,” says Masri, and indeed, Standard Metal has been involved in many high-profile construction projects. These range from construction of the new CHUM Hospital in Montreal to the renovation of the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington; from the overhaul of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel to the building of the Agha Khan Museum in Toronto; from the Edmonton International Airport to the world’s largest YMCA Recreational Facility in Calgary. The list goes on.

A strong set of core values
Standard Metal has upheld a set of core values that influence their people and their daily actions, which include: ‘being genuinely helpful’ by handling every customer interaction with great care and a positive attitude; ‘being creative’ and continuously finding ways to better their service operations and innovate new products; ‘being ambitious’ by setting the standard for quality, service and innovation in the industry; and ‘being transparent’ by operating with high ethical and moral standards.

“Every person in our organization is dedicated to delivering on our mission of supplying exceptional customer service and quality door hardware products that enhance the appearance, security and value of every building project,” says Bortolussi. “We understand the importance of operating at a high level to keep our customers’ businesses moving and their projects completed on time and on budget.”

Standard Metal is becoming the go-to company for architects, designers, hardware distributors, door manufacturers and other trades wanting something special in architectural door hardware for their next commercial project. The team is constantly improving upon themselves and is not afraid to bring change to an industry that is rapidly evolving.

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