Eighteen years ago an Australian fencing contractor watched a science program on nightly television. The program featured the excitement surrounding “revolutionary, rare-earth magnets” – magnets that never lose their magnetic force.

A bell went off for the would-be inventor. David Doyle instantly saw the possibility of a magnetic gate latch to overcome all his company’s gate problems, namely latches that suffered mechanical jamming, sagging, sticking, binding, rust… He envisioned a gate latch that would close first time, every time, without the hindrances of mechanical interference.

It wasn’t so much that he saw a solution to an age-old latching problem as it was an answer to his own business’s shortcomings. Day to day, David Doyle was offering not just any old fences and gates; he was in the business of designing, manufacturing and installing. The existing market options for gate latches, hinges and accessories available simply did not meet the standards and performance of his superior designs. He found that he and his staff were returning to installations worth many thousands of dollars…only to have to fix a $10 latch or pair of hinges. There had to be a better way.

And so Doyle and his D&D Aluminium Fencing company had developed what is today the leading safety gate latch in the world, the revolutionary Magna-Latch®. Today the latch is sold the world over, adorning gates around swimming pools, childcare centres, homes and yards, schools, nurseries, animal compounds and playgrounds. It was a company-maker.

Although David Doyle and his company were the first to use the latches, it wasn’t long before other fencing companies were demanding the product. Fittingly, D&D Aluminium Fencing became D&D Technologies to match its business model – the rest is history.

“David Doyle was a true visionary,” says D&D Technologies’ Sales & Marketing Director Justin Francis. “He recognised a major problem and he found a serious solution. He simply revolutionised the 200-year-old gate latch. It is the perfect necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention story.

“Throughout the ‘90s his success allowed him to fund a host of other innovative gate hardware products, all of which have found healthy markets in various countries. Every product he devised had to be high quality, good value, reliable and superior to any existing gate hardware. He was the first to offer a lifetime warranty on gate latches and hinges.”

Unfortunately David Doyle passed away in 2001, just days short of his 46th birthday. But his comparatively instant financial success had facilitated a host of polymer-based (rust free) latches, locks and hinges that are today exported all over the fencing world, including the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Japan, France, Germany, and now the UK. D&D’s current management carries on Doyle’s legacy with great enthusiasm.

Justin Francis explains the D&D Technologies’ philosophy as one of market-driven motivation. The company has staff, representatives and distributors in all markets listening to customers and pinpointing opportunities and market voids that can be filled with innovative hardware.

He says the company is particularly proud of its design, testing, moulding and manufacturing capabilities. By keeping everything in-house D&D is able to control production output, monitor stringent quality controls  and to ensure its customers are satisfied with products and D&D’s value-added service. According to Francis, the company is particularly strong at supporting its distributors and their customers with many aspects of marketing assistance.D&D also has a keen focus on Research & Development. Acting on industry trends, customer feedback and with a forward-thinking outlook, it constantly refines existing products and introduces new lines to better serve the needs of the fencing industry.

Justin Francis: “D&D operates under the simple premise that gate hardware amounts to less than 1 per cent of the cost of a fencing job, yet 95 per cent of all problems stem from the gate – specifically the latches and hinges."

While D&D Technologies now enjoys a reputation as a gate hardware leader, it’s only the last few years that the company has initiated a push into the UK and European markets, setting up a local office and establishing distribution channels. The company recently appointed Middlesex-based Birkdale Sales as an authorised trade distributor for the UK & Ireland markets.

According to Justin Francis, the partnership with Birkdale will provide customers with an improved level of sales, service and support. “With our gate hardware range now being stocked and warehoused locally, we will fill orders far quicker than we have previously been able to,” he said. “And with Birkdale’s additional resources, customers will now have access to after-sales service and support that are second to none.”