A brief history of Demax Designs
Demax Designs has been in a continuous process of improvement and development since it was founded in 1971, when my employment as an injection mould designer came to an abrupt conclusion. As an unemployed architectural metalworker, I started making wrought iron gates for the local trade and wrought iron stands for the flower trade. Both aspects flourished with the stands developing into nationwide distribution, serving both garden centres and florist shops. From this I developed a range of commercial flower and plant displays, garden features and wrought iron garden furniture. The business grew, employing several staff until, unfortunately, the arrival of the three day week took its toll with every out of work welder in the country supplying their local outlets, followed by wrought iron quickly going out of fashion.
The next short chapter in Demax history was contract machining and fabrication. I had purchased a range of machinery, established a good client base and was producing high quality components but I soon discovered that it was not for me.
Fortunately at that time a local building contractor with a large contract in De Vere Gardens, Kensington, enquired if I would be interested in supplying railings and a spiral staircase for the project. From that day on Demax was established in London, never to leave.
Through recommendation we were permanently employed all over the capital: new cast railings and gates at St John's Church, Stratford Broadway; restoration of balconies at Cadbury HQ in Marble Arch; projects at St James' Square, the Bolton's, and many more high profile addresses. During this period every skip in London was full of original castings, railing heads, balusters and panels, which I collected and stored in Norfolk. The demand for castings on projects was so great that our local foundries could not cope, and delivery periods grew excessively. In 1988 I bought a disused foundry complete for £500 and rebuilt it at our works in Narborough.
Duncan, a jewellery shop manager who was shopless at the time, joined Demax and we were in the foundry business. Not knowing how to even switch on a furnace, we engaged the services of Arthur, an excellent foundry man. Without his skill and knowledge we would never have produced a single casting. Demax now had a working foundry.
From 1989, not only were we self-sufficient in castings, with many projects in the UK and also in Jersey, USA, Seychelles and Saudi Arabia, but we were also supplying other metalworkers throughout the UK. By way of illustration of the circuitous means by which contracts can be won, the Seychelles project came about by a Seychelles client talking about his casting project to an English Architect working in South Africa, who got our name from a London Architect who drank in our local pub.
The foundry gained a respected reputation within the metalwork industry, not only for castings but also for our pattern making and design expertise. Our expansion was to include supplying castings in brass and bronze but unfortunately, tragedy struck in March 1992. Our works was razed to the ground by a fire which was started by the carelessness of an adjoining business. We lost our office completely and a high proportion of our machinery and foundry patterns - a total disaster! The following six years were spent rebuilding the business, fighting insurance companies and dealing with dishonourable and greedy people. We emerged from that very unenviable period by relocating to a new 8000sq ft factory complete with a modern foundry facility on an industrial business park in Swaffham, Norfolk.
During the late nineties the fabrication side of Demax continued with the production of railings, balconies and special commissions. In addition we designed and developed a complete range of staircases that included straight, spiral and elliptical. From these, we have expanded into the manufacture of all types of stairs from feature commercial contracts to bespoke domestic commissions.
January 2006 was our second anniversary in the new unit and the business has grown from strength to strength, not only with high profile national and international clients, but also with many private clients nationwide. We consider ourselves as 'The Complete Metalwork Manufacturer' with an unequalled wealth of knowledge in design, casting, manufacturing, installation and - not least - customer care.
There is nothing I would rather have done for a living.
Barry Rowe