British Bi-fold Door Manufacturer Opens In Venice

Kathy Steele | Tuesday, July 15, 2014

An aluminum bi-folding door manufacturer from the United Kingdom is setting up shop for the first time in the United States with a production facility in Venice FL.

In April, Origin USA located its American bi-fold door headquarters and about $500,000 in manufacturing equipment inside a rebuilt 8,000-square-foot building at 771 Commerce Drive. Southern Cross Contracting in Sarasota was the contractor.

Starting out with five employees, company President Ben Halvorsen anticipates hiring 40 to 50 workers in the next three to five years. Positions will be in production, accounting, marketing and sales.

"We took a strong look at demographics of the Gulf Coast and architectural styles as well," says Halvorsen. "The economy, particularly with construction, is doing well again and our market point is very strong."

French doors and sliding doors are standard design options but Halvorsen says the bi-folding doors are growing in popularity. Origin is the leading manufacturer of the product in the United Kingdom. The doors appeal to a customer base that wants to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces with doors that fold and slide out of sight, he says.

"Bi-fold doors are common in Europe," he adds.

Luxury home builders or developers of hotels, retail and restaurants are among the target audience. One recent customer is a Denver restaurant owner who wanted to open up one side of the restaurant to the street.

The doors can be customized to fit any opening and folding configuration, come with more than 150 color selections and quick delivery times. "If that's two weeks or one day -- no problem at all," says Origin USA CEO Neil Ginger.

The doors also meet Florida's building code for withstanding hurricane-force winds, and meet energy efficency standards.

While bi-folding doors generally have had a reputation for being pricey on the retail market, Halvorsen says, "We're here to radically change that preconception with pricing a little over a high-end, in-line slider."

Origin sells nationwide "business to business" and has a showroom open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Writer: Kathy Steele
Source: Neil Ginger, Origin USA

Read more articles by Kathy Steele.

Kathy Steele is a freelance writer who lives in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa. She previously covered Tampa neighborhoods for more than 15 years as a reporter for The Tampa Tribune. She grew up in Georgia but headed north to earn a BA degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. She backpacked through Europe before attending the University of Iowa's Creative Writers' Workshop for two years. She has a journalism degree from Georgia College. She likes writing, history, and movies.