Fit It and Forget It: Why Birmingham City Council and Shelforce Chose the Winkhaus autoLock AV4

When Birmingham City Council, Europe’s largest landlord, and its manufacturing partner Shelforce began reviewing their door specifications, the focus was not just on performance or compliance, but on people.

As Business Manager of Shelforce, Howard Trotter oversees the manufacture of all doors and windows for the Council’s 58,000 properties. His ethos is grounded in ethics, inclusivity, and value over time. “Our customers are ultimately the tenants,” he explains. “Their safety, comfort, and ability to use the product easily are at the heart of every decision we make.”

An Ethical Approach to Specification

Part of Birmingham City Council since the 1950s, Shelforce is more than a manufacturing unit, social value has been the heartbeat of their 186-year history.

Many of its team members are themselves tenants of social housing, giving the organisation a unique empathy for the end user.

“We put ourselves in the tenant’s position,” says Howard. “If you make a fire door, you know people must be safe behind it. If you make a front door, it should be easy to operate for everyone, regardless of age or ability.”

That philosophy underpins Shelforce’s decision to make the Winkhaus autoLock AV4 its standard specification for composite doors. “For us, it is about integrity and doing the right thing,” Howard continues. “If there is a product that performs better, lasts longer, and makes life easier for our tenants, why wouldn’t we use it?”

Low Force, High Impact

The AV4’s defining advantage is its exceptionally low operating force. Unlike many multipoint locking systems that can require considerable effort to engage or release, the AV4’s design allows users to open doors smoothly and easily. This seemingly small feature has a big impact across Birmingham’s diverse housing stock.

“Many of our tenants are older people or have disabilities,” Howard explains. “If you have arthritis or limited strength, turning a key or even pushing down a stiff handle can be difficult. The AV4 lets you open the door with just a finger, and that makes an enormous difference to daily life.”

This user-friendly performance reflects Shelforce’s broader mission of innovation through diversity, not just among people but in the products they choose. Every element of a door is assessed for how it performs across the full demographic, ensuring accessibility and independence for all residents.

Built to Last, Designed to Reduce Callbacks

Ease of operation is only one part of the equation. The AV4’s robust engineering also delivers significant lifecycle advantages for housing providers. With doors facing heavy daily use from mobility scooters, prams, and environmental exposure, reliability is crucial.

“Doors take a lot of abuse,” says Howard. “You have got warm, humid interiors, cold exteriors, and constant changes in temperature. The AV4 is more forgiving, it tolerates movement, knocks, and installation variances much better than most. That means fewer problems down the line.”

Every maintenance call-out represents a cost, both in money and tenant satisfaction. By choosing hardware that resists jamming, sticking, or misalignment, Shelforce and Birmingham City Council are reducing not only short-term repair costs, but also the long-term total cost of ownership.

“It is about lifecycle value,” Howard explains. “You might pay a little more upfront, but if you do not have to go back to fix or adjust, that is a saving straight away. The cheapest product is not the cheapest if you have to keep maintaining it.”

Supporting a £10 Billion Housing Investment

Over the next decade, Birmingham City Council will invest around £3 billion improving its housing stock. The aim is to ensure that every decision, from windows to locks, represents a wise investment in quality, safety, and longevity.

For Howard, that starts with specifying the best available products, not simply the lowest-cost options. “We are not in a race to the bottom,” he says. “Our goal is to fit it and forget it. A door that works first time and keeps working for years builds trust, and that is vital in social housing today.”

A Door That Reflects Shelforce’s Values

From its roots supporting visually impaired workers in the 19th century to its recent King’s Award for Enterprise, Shelforce has always balanced social purpose with commercial excellence.

Its adoption of the autoLock AV4 is another step in that tradition, choosing innovation that improves lives, cuts costs, and upholds the ethical standards that define the organisation.

“It is simple,” concludes Howard. “If you do the right thing, for the tenant, for the installer, for the council, the results speak for themselves.”

About Winkhaus

Winkhaus is a leading manufacturer of high-performance hardware systems, providing door locking solutions, window fitting systems, and certified fire door systems.

The company also has built one of the largest banks of 3rd party certified test evidence for composite and timber fire doorsets in the UK, underpinning the integrity and reliability of its products across the housing sector.

The autoLock AV4 is the latest in Winkhaus’ renowned range of automatic multi-point locking systems, designed for durability, ease of use, and long-term performance.

The system has been recognised by the industry, winning Door Component of the Year at the National Fenestration Awards for two consecutive years, confirming its position as one of the most advanced and dependable locking solutions available today.