Titus Tekform markets innovative precision component solutions for the kitchen, bathroom, shopfitting and cabinet making industries. Providing their customers with functional, decorative hardware, technical knowledge, flexible service and efficient delivery at a competitive price. Supplier Magazine recently sat down with Rebecca Hedley, Marketing Manager for Titus Australasia, to discuss all things business.
- What is the Titus Tekform story?
Titus Group develops, manufactures and markets innovative precision component solutions that improve the competitiveness of our customers. Comprising 23 companies globally, Titus Group is headquartered in London in the United Kingdom, where it was founded in 1973 by chairman Robert Appleby as a distributor of screws to the UK market. In 1980, Titus expanded to the US as a supplier of volume cabinet connectors, which would remain the focus of the business for the next two decades. This period included developments such as the CAF principle of Consumer Assembly Friendliness, a calculation applied to RTA furniture based on number of parts and ease of assembly, and the 1994 launch of the Quickfit Dowel.
The early 2000’s was a time of expansion for Titus Group, including the acquisition of manufacturing facilities in Europe and the US, and in 2005 Titus began manufacturing concealed hinges and combi dowels on Titus-built machinery. This investment in precision component solutions led to the conception of the Titus proprietary damping technology in 2009, an innovative multi-purpose hydraulic damping technology used in a wide range of applications across the furniture, consumer appliance, whitegoods and automotive industries. One of the main characteristics of hydraulic damping technology is a fully programmable and controllable damping curve that enables fine-tuned performance for specific applications and an extended temperature spectrum to provide operational efficiency even in extreme temperatures.
The acquisition of Australian distributor Tekform in 2014 and New Zealand distributor Stefano Orlati in 2015, helped Titus establish a more direct relationship with kitchen manufacturers. This association directly influenced the launch of the Tekform Drawer in 2015, a drawer platform tailored to suit the needs of the kitchen market. It was also with them in mind that in 2017 Titus launched the new generation of one of its flagship products, the soft-closing T-type hinge.
Today, Titus Group continues to prioritise innovation, with a fit-for-purpose design philosophy evident in all three key company divisions of Cabinet Hardware, Damping and Titus Technologies – a department dedicated to advancing automated assembly systems, custom tooling and die-casting technologies, and the Titusonic ultrasonic cabinet bonding technology. Titus Group enjoys a market presence in 70 countries worldwide and employs over 800 staff in its mission to identify customer needs and become the world’s best in engineering for precision components.
- Titus Tekform is a proud member of the Titus Group of companies that sources, manufactures and markets innovative small component solutions in Australia and New Zealand. Explain the importance of the alliance with the Titus group of companies.
Through our innovative product design, engineering expertise and effective service, we enable our business partners to improve their productivity and quality, as well as reduce costs of assembly, manufacturing and other processes. Our three key divisions – high volume cabinet hardware, innovative solutions for motion control and high volume precision parts manufacture – perfectly complement each other, allowing each division to provide a full service.
We pride ourselves on our totally integrated engineering program, and our expert engineering teams produce consistent and repeatable quality with unique product advantages. Titus is a trusted global precision component manufacturer, with Titus products used in whitegoods, furniture, automotives, and medical devices distributed be some of the world’s biggest brands.
The Titus Fit-for-Purpose philosophy is the backbone of our product design and as a manufacturer-distributor, our product engineering benefits from our direct market integration and decades of experience in cabinet hardware solutions.
Our global supply chain, along with the acquisition of the Stefano Orlati brand of decorative products in 2015, has allowed us to curate product ranges designed to maximise choice and flexibility without compromising on quality, with tailored product features and specification to maximise competitiveness in local markets.
- Your online shop has an extensive product offering including everything from hinges, edgeband, lighting and door panels. Can you take us through your product offering with a look at some of the innovative new releases.
Titus are committed to providing exceptional service and high quality products at a competitive price. Some of our most exciting product launches are now available, including upgrades to our two most popular products – the T-type hinge and the Slimline drawer.
The newest addition to the T-type family is the T-type PressTo, featuring a tool-less hinge cup fixing system and the renowned T-type 3-way snap-on hinge-to-plate mounting, for our quickest and easiest installation yet. An audible click when pressed to lock ensures confident and reliable hinge cup attachment to the door, and the highly tolerant T-type design enables consistent door closing and reliable performance throughout the lifetime of the cabinet.
The perfect pairing to the T-type PressTo is our newest generation of Slimline drawer, the Slimline+ double wall drawer system. Slimline+ showcases the best in engineering expertise, with the new Titus Adaptive Response Technology damper, which adapts the damping force to any closing speed and ensure optimal closing performance. The ART damper promises lifelong consistent damping, with always effortless pull-out opening force and smooth, efficient closing. Slimline+ is also our quickest assembly drawer. The colour-coded 3D adjustment grouping, controlling height, side and tilt adjustment, is located at the front of the drawer for easy access to create precise and uniform gap layouts of cabinets. The enhanced drawer front connection mechanism also creates a reliable and consistent engagement. The result is a streamlined installation process designed to save you time and money, even with large and heavy drawer fronts.
While we have devoted significant time to the design of our products, we have also launched our innovative new website and online shop, to make it easier than even to access our full range of products at any time of day or night. Our new online store works across all devices, so you can place your order from the comfort of your office desktop, or on-site from your mobile or tablet. With a Titus Tekform online account, you can access your custom trade pricing, save products to customised lists of favourites for easy re-ordering, and view or download product resources like installation manuals, technical specifications and CAD files.
With our new online store, one of our favourite product ranges is now more accessible than ever before. Our redesigned Made to Measure door ordering app allows customers to order cut-to-size doors and panels in slab, sharknose or shaker profiles for fabrication in our Sydney factory. The MTM offering includes our full range of double-sided PET Matt, Gloss and Woodgrain OptiBoard finishes, including the newly launched Australiana décor colours. This cost-effective service can be custom specified with edging and hinge drilling to suit your requirements and is dispatched in just 5 business days. The online MTM ordering app is a quick and easy way to view live pricing adapted to your selections, and you can also save quotes to your Favourites list to finish later.
- Discuss some of Titus Tekform’s milestone moments.
Tekform began in Australia in the 1970s under the leadership of John Tiddy, and quickly developed a name for itself as an innovative hardware distributor in New South Wales, often introducing new products to the Australian market. Over the ensuing decades, Tekform expanded to open branches in Melbourne, Wodonga, Hobart, Newcastle and Brisbane, before being acquired by Titus Group, at the time a current supplier, in 2014. The acquisition married the knowledge and local expertise of the Tekform team with the global supply chain and engineering resources of Titus.
Together, Titus and Tekform transformed the Titus Tekform product range to incorporate a complete offering of high quality cabinet hardware and decorative products tailored towards the needs of the Australian market. Our customer promise is innovation, technical expertise and reliability as we endeavour to exceed our customer expectations by providing quality products at a competitive price.
The onboarding of the Stefano Orlati brand in 2015 introduced a level of decorative expertise which has led to the creation of the Aura brand of European-inspired designer cabinet handles, and a market-leading Made to Measure LED Lighting program, as well as the 2017 launch of the OptiBoard PET decorative board range.
Our cabinet hardware portfolio has benefited from the Titus research and development team, with first the launch of the 2015 Tekform Drawer, the 2017 T-type Hinge, the second generation Tekform Slimline drawer in 2018, the Set 200 Sliding Door System in 2019, the Titus Push Latch S2 in 2022, and the more recent T-type PressTo hinge and Slimline+ drawer systems, as well as a complete range of industry-preferred cabinet connectors. Other milestone products include the hugely popular Kosara undermount bin system in 2020 and the 2024 launch of the Vitek thin wall drawer.
Titus Tekform has a presence throughout Australia, servicing both metro and regional areas. In 2016 we expanded into Western Australia and the ACT, and we continue to focus on how best to service our customers, with our newest branch opening in Adelaide in 2023.
- Looking ahead, what plans have you got for the future of Titus Tekform?
We’re very excited for the years ahead. Titus Group is focusing on strategic investments, innovation and sustainability to enhance our competitive edge and deliver value to our partners. Our enhanced sustainability efforts underscore our commitment to environmental responsibility, and this will continue to be an area of importance to us going forward.
We have also increased our production capacity, which will allow us to continue to meet customer needs into the future.
As a company, we are continually expanding our product range to meet the needs of the Kitchen, Bathroom, Wardrobe and Bedroom industries, as well as the imminent launch of our new RV range of products tailored to the Leisure Vehicle market. Some of our most anticipated product launches this year include our vanity units, wardrobe storage, and updates to our range of handles and lighting.
