Peter Scharf	Helmuth Scharf

THE TDM STORY

It's an accepted axiom that often, when one door closes, another opens.

This could not be more true than for the founders of TDM, brothers Peter and Helmuth Schärf, who fled East Germany with their mother and two sisters at the end of the Second World War. As the Iron Curtain came down behind them, South Africa opened its doors to them and gave them the opportunity for a new life. But they couldn't know that 50 years later, the small joinery workshop they started in a 45-square-metre room hired from a building contractor would become South Africa’s foremost quality and only SABS approved door manufacturer, known amongst homeowners, architects, specifiers, developers and shopfitters for its comprehensive range of doors.

TDM began in 1961, with startup capital of just R200, under the name of Pinewood Industries. The company originally consisted of Peter Schärf and two employees manufacturing a range of wooden items, with Helmuth helping with the company's accounting. The business grew fast and by 1963 a full order book meant an expansion was necessary. Industrial property was acquired in New Germany and a small factory of 250 square metres was built on half the plot. The workforce now numbered 12. 

It was at around this time that Peter’s degenerating eyesight became apparent, a condition that would eventually render him almost completely blind. As Peter was the creative force behind the business, this was a potentially fatal blow to the young enterprise.

Helmuth gave up his position as chief buyer at OTH Beier and joined Peter full time in the business. Craftsmen were trained to take over many of Peter's duties and in May 1964, Pinewood Industries was incorporated as a Proprietary Limited Company.

Recognizing a need in the market, Pinewood Industries began specializing in the manufacture of doors in 1970. The original factory had by now doubled in size and additional offices were built onto a second floor. As production grew, the company's built-in cupboard range was dropped, then also the manufacture of windows, and the strategic emphasis became solely doors. It was this commitment to a specialisation in the manufacture of quality doors that prompted a name change in 1971, and TDM (Timber Door Manufacturers) was born.

Growth continued and over the period 1970 to 1978, adjoining properties in New Germany were purchased and developed. Factory space was increased to approximately 5500 square metres and the staff compliment of TDM grew to 260.

Quality manufacturing was TDM's priority, and this saw the company providing doors for prestigious projects like John Ross House, 320 West Street, Medical Centre Durban and the Paradise Valley residential complex.

In 1978, TDM entered the export market, supplying doors to Germany, England, France and Belgium. On the back of an export market boom, TDM required additional space and premises, and in 1981, a record year for the company, the decision was made to relocate the whole factory to Pietermaritzburg, to a 10.5 hectare site with state-of-the-art buildings and machinery.

TDM has always been uncompromising about quality, and it was soon recognised that it is important to have quality independently certified. To this end, in 1991 TDM implemented the ISO 9002 quality management system throughout the factory and achieved SANS 545 and SANS 1460 certification, becoming the only door manufacturer in the country, to this day, to carry the SABS mark of approval on their doors. These certifications impose a stringent set of performance criteria on the company's doors, for aspects like slamming, torsion, puncturing, hard impact, soft impact, gluing and weathering.

In 1995, TDM made a major engineering advancement when the company developed engineered stiles and engineered panels that look and feel like solid timber, but which have added strength that guarantees that weather and moisture will not warp or crack TDM's doors.

In the same year, TDM's export base expanded into the United States and Australia.

TDM's door manufacturing business continued to prosper and in 2002 the factory and buildings expanded to cover 44 000 square metres, when the company's production reached record levels.

To gain further control over manufacturing quality, in 2004 saw the construction of a state-of-the-art computerised sawmill, kilns and a boiler at their Pietermaritzburg premises.

This development means that TDM now controls the entire process for manufacturing a door - from log to finished product. The sawmill extracts optimum timber lengths, dimensions and quality for door and shelving manufacture. This timber is dried in kiln chambers with steam generated by TDM’s wood waste, before being sent into the factory for processing.

Today, the new generation is taking TDM forward as South Africa’s foremost quality door manufacturer, with strong, registered door brands like “First Impressions” entrance doors, “BB” doors, “Catafoil” doors, “Techform” and “Techline” doors.

In the past year, TDM has grown its presence throughout South Africa and has expanded its presence in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, East London, and within many African countries.

"TDM will continue driving positive growth in the future by strengthening partnerships forged over the years at source and in the market place, while being propelled forward by the commitment and dedication of its workforce and business network," said Lorraine Hebblethwaite Schärf, managing director of TDM.

Article courtesy of the Natal Witness, October 2011