According to a recent study by Interconnection Consulting, the market experienced a decline of 4.5% in 2023, following a previous decrease of 1.9% recorded the year before. This downturn can be attributed to various factors, including market instability and a shift in company investments towards renovations rather than new constructions, resulting in a decrease in the total number of doors sold from 3,697 th. to 3,532 th. in analyzed countries (Germany, France, Italy, UK, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, Poland).

The majority of doors, 88.6%, were sold in the non-residential segment. However, even this segment saw a decrease in quantity of around 2.4% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with an overall market growth of 2.5%. Pessimism continues to linger in 2024, with building forecasts for residential averaging -11.1%, which is more affected than the non-residential segment, averaging -0,96 %, but with significant differences among countries.

Surprisingly, Italy Bucks the Trend With Growth in Door Sales Amidst European Decline

Given Italy’s previous struggles in construction and its lower baseline, due to years before low construction performance, achieving growth was likely easier. Italy stood out as the sole country among the nine analyzed to record growth in 2023. This was attributed to the fact that the non-residential sector in Italy was not as negatively affected by the consequences of the war, and also because Italy was revising its recovery and resilience plan. Door sales in Italy increased by 1.1% in 2023, with the building forecast for the non-residential segment in Italy predicted to grow by 2.9% by 2024. Meanwhile, the largest decline was recorded in Germany, at -7.4% last year.

The Vanguard of Fire Rated Doors: A Wooden Affair

Wood dominates the market as the most popular material in Fire Rated Doors, with a market share of 42.8% in quantity. It is important to note that fire-rated wooden doors not only enhance building safety but also play a vital role in overall aesthetics. Benelux, France, and the UK have particularly high wood shares of over 62% – mostly due to regulations and requirements of their usage in the residential segment. Steel Fire Rated Doors rank second, with a market share of nearly 39%. The Czech Republic stands out with 61.9% of all Fire Rated Doors sold being made of steel. Aluminum leads in third place with a share of 13.4%, especially in Italy and Switzerland. Aluminum doors are popular in certain projects like retail businesses designed with glass storefronts. The fire rating of aluminum is also 90 minutes and is naturally more durable than wood. Composite materials rank last in popularity among Standard Fire Rated Doors, with only 5.3% market share, due to limited fire resistance and maintenance costs compared to wooden doors.

Among the leading fire-rated door manufacturers in the DACH region, notable names include Brunex, Herholz, Hörmann, Jeld Wen, Peneder, Prüm Garant, RWD Schlatter, Schörghuber, Tortec, and Westag, listed alphabetically.

The global market for fire doors will increase by an average of 4.5 percent annually between 2018 and 2022 due to rising labour and material prices. Increased security requirements worldwide, however, are the main cause of the solid revenue growth. 12.03 million units were sold last year, with sales set to increase by 3.2 percent annually until 2022, according to a recent study by Interconnection Consulting.

Asia Drives the Market Up

Asia is the driving force behind the market growth in fire doors, as they recorded a sales rise of 13 percent last year. Although increase rates will be more moderate over the next few years (CAGR: 5.7%), most of the global growth will remain in this region. The USA is  also set to experience industry growth in the coming years (CAGR: 2.9%), leaving behind Europe. The saturated market in Western Europe is reflected in the forecast growth rates (CAGR 2018-2022 0.3%). Despite strong sales growth of 5.5% this year, sales in Eastern Europe are set to decline until 2022 (CAGR -0.4%).

Steel and Wood Stay in the Lead

Steel is the largest product group for fire doors with a share of 59.3%, followed by wood at 26.1% and aluminum at 13.8%. Steel and wood both recorded growth rates of five percent and more and will continue to increase their share in the coming years. Depending on the country-specific regulations, the demand for the resistance of fire doors also varies. According to Chems Joly, the author of the Interconnection study, “It can be seen that the standards in the industry are becoming increasingly international“. At the same time, national associations are pushing worldwide standard higher and higher. Overall, the 30- and 60-minute fire doors dominate the market with a share of over 70 percent.

The trend in recent years to cut corners in fire security in order to make living more affordable by reducing construction costs is now being reconsidered following the fire in Greenfell Tower in London. Many countries have since tightened fire regulations. As a result, the market for fire barriers and fire protection coatings in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland is expected to grow in value by 5.4% annually through 2021. According to a study by Interconnection Consulting, growth last year hit 6.5%.

Poland the Powerhouse

The fastest growing market among the countries analyzed is Poland, with an anticipated average growth rate in value of 6.4% through 2021. New regulations guaranteeing an improvement in fire security in newly constructed buildings, along with a humming construction market, are at the root of the sector’s positive growth curve in Poland. Meanwhile, Germany, expected to grow by 5.3% over the same period, is also investing more in fire protection measures, a development coinciding with a construction boom that led to a growth of 7.1% in 2017. In Austria, the uptick in construction, especially in the non-residential sector, is expected to result in an average growth of 4.0% through 2021. The industrial sector, along with renovation, is actually showing greater potential than new construction. Construction in Switzerland is also on the rise, resulting in a projected average growth of 3.4% through 2021. On account of the 2015 regulations governing fire safety for structures made of wood, this sector is on track to attain the highest growth rates in Switzerland. Overall, new construction, with an average growth rate of 4.0%, will generate the highest growth rates.

New Construction Outdoes Renovations

Fire barriers and fire protection coatings are most often employed in the area of ventilation ducts, beams, and heating, with an average market share of 39.1%, followed by electro with 38.3% and sanitary segment with 22.6%.The sector receives 59.9% of its total sales in the area of new construction.

Fire Protection Boards the #1

Fire protection boards are the largest product group, with a value-based market share of 32.7%, and are dominant in all four countries analyzed (Germany 31.3%, Austria 32,4%, Switzerland 36.2%, and Poland 36.0%). “We expect fire protection boards to have the strongest growth potential, especially due to the new regulations in Poland,” explains Katarina Gajdova, author of the study. The second largest product group is fire protection coatings, with 18.5%, whereby fire protection coatings for steel account for 62.1% of this product group. Firestop collars and bandages are in third place with a share of 16.9%. The fast growing product group is firestop blocks and plugs, with a growth of 8,9% last year (CAGR 17-21 5.8%), followed by firestop foams and sealants (CAGR 17-21 5.5%) and firestop collars and bandages (CAGR 17-21 5.5%).

 Diverse Market Concentration

The market concentration in the four markets analyzed is relatively diverse. In Poland, the top ten companies control just half (49.3%) of the total market. In Germany, the ten biggest players garner roughly two-thirds (64.4%) of the market. Yet the dominance of the big players is even greater in Switzerland (78.8%) and Austria (83.7%). The top companies are Promat, Hilti, Rockwool, Knauf, Zapp Zimmermann, SVT, Würth, Rolf Kuhn, Doyma, and Sika.