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Author: Seth Conway Media Tags: History, Shapland + Petter, Door manufacturing, History

10th Anniversary

Barnstaple based doorset manufacturer, Principal Doorsets, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this August 2024.

Door manufacturing in North Devon dates back to 1854 when Henry Shapland began the tradition of woodworking in Barnstaple. When the firm that still carried Henry’s name, Leaderflush Shapland, shut its doors at the end of 2012, 160 years of door making history was brought to an end. But not for long. Managing Director Rob Llewellyn and fellow Director Stan Bond worked at the factory that was based alongside the River Taw, in Rob’s case since 1985. But they weren’t going to see the craftsmanship skills fall by the wayside as Stan explains:

“When the factory shut it was a devastating day for all involved, so many people had worked for Shapland and Petter and then Leaderflush Shapland for decades. Sons, fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers – all passing down those woodworking skills to the next generation. We knew there was still a demand for high quality performance doorsets and so we set up Principal Doorsets in 2014.”

“We’re proud to continue this legacy in North Devon and keep these high-quality craftsmanship skills alive, alongside the latest CNC machinery of today. For any business to grow, you have to invest where it matters and for Principal Doorsets that’s in our people, our machinery and our building. We started out with a handful of us that were committed to bringing doorset production back to North Devon and now we’ve grown the team to more than 75 people. In that time, we’ve moved premises, achieved some fantastic milestones and take pride in continuing to supply the best possible products for our customers.”

In celebrating a decade of business, Stan and Rob have reflected on the milestones they have achieved including moving production back to Barnstaple and growing their current premises, their A rating for energy efficiency and commitment to net zero, multi-million-pound contracts across the UK and most importantly, enabling the tradition of performance door manufacturing and preserving the skills of local people.

Just like Henry Shapland who, whilst in America in 1851, saw a wood moulding machine that was to change his life and that of thousands of others back home in North Devon.

“We understand that Henry copied down this machine on paper and brought the design back home to Barnstaple,’ Stan explains. “He then started making ornamental mouldings that he and another local man, Henry Petter, began selling and so Shapland and Petter was born. They moved on to producing custom made furniture and in 1888, built a large factory on Anchorwood Bank. They were selling these items around the world before post-World War II turning their attention into making beautiful doors and the rest as they say is history.”

Principal Doorsets is based on Pottington Business Park, less than a mile from where Henry Shapland started the tradition of woodworking in the town 170 years ago.

Earlier this year the business received huge investment when it was bought by world leading tech group, Lagercrantz. Rob and Stan carefully selected the buyer, who mirrors the cultures, approach and agility of the company whilst enabling them to carry on with their business approach.