The evolution of DPL in 20 years from ductwork contractor to specialist kitchen ventilation designer could be a model for the whole sector.
DPL, Formerly known as Ductwork Projects Ltd, has now established itself as a highly specialised provider of bespoke kitchen solutions to luxury hotel chains, supermarkets and other high profile end clients.

The shift in business emphasis began 20 years ago when Dorset based DPL acquired the kitchen equipment suppliers Kingfisher Canopies. As that part of the company grew and became more profitable, the conventional ductwork contracting side diminished and, seven years ago, DPL formally closed its contracting arm.

'It was a natural and logical progression,' says DPL managing director Peter Rogers. 'We still had some very good ductwork projects, but things had become very tough contractually and we got caught from time to time by firms going bust on us.'

The change of direction also led to a gradual slimming down of the workforce so that today the firm employs just 16 people - down from a peak of 48 - and, while it remains in its original premises near Wimborne, Dorset, it only uses two thirds of the former space.

New skills have been developed including the ability to provide a comprehensive design service for all aspects of kitchen ventilation as well as manufacturing and installation. This has brought the firm into contact with some of the most advanced technical aspects of the industry including the use of ultra violet hygiene systems and sophisticated control systems. DPL is among a very select group of UK specialists able to design and install UV systems.

Aesthetics are also an important part of the work carried out by DPL for clients such as the Benihana restaurant chain where the cooking canopies are part of the 'dining experience' with customers grouped around hot plates. So they must look the part as well as being functional and extracting smoke, oil and other cooking byproducts. Those particular canopies are made from mirrored stainless steel and incorporate the distinctive Benihana's styling.

'It is a very different world from ductwork contracting,' says Mr Rogers. 'We get involved at all stages of the design and, in most cases, the client or m&e contractor will leave all of the ventilation aspects to us. 'It gives you quite a buzz because we have a major influence on the whole project including how it will look at the end.'

Lighting, filters and fans are also built into many of the extraction units designed by DPL for commercial kitchens. Also, the company provides complete service 'spines' that run up the middle of the kitchen as well as fire suppression systems, which have to be carefully designed and sited in areas of maximum fire risk.


Fire dampers are forbidden in kitchen extract systems because of concerns about keeping air pathways clear as high standards of ductwork cleaning are essential to remove the risk of fires being transmitted via grease and other contaminants.

DPL provided kitchen ventilation solutions for all but one of the old Safeway stores in the UK and also equips Waitrose and Morrison bakeries and cafes. Its designs can also be seen in 170 Marks & Spencer cafes around the UK. And it is working on the refurbishment of the Royal Academy of Art in London.

Overseas business too is picking up with some work secured in the Middle East and a new job secured in Bratislava. The work comes through two distinct routes: directly for clients on the food service industry side and through more traditional specification by m&e contractors.

However, Mr Rogers remains committed to the traditional ductwork industry and is about to become chairman of the HVCA's Ductwork Group (DWG) in succession to Kevin White, managing director of Senior Hargreaves.

'We are still heavily involved in the industry,' he says. 'All of our specifications are built around DW172 [the industry standard for kitchen ventilation systems published by the HVCA]. It is the industry bible and we will never budge from insisting on that as our quality benchmark. Everyone in the food service industry now also recognises it as the correct standard for their specifications.

'It is a pinnacle of my career taking on the chairmanship of the Group. I have got a tremendous amount out of my HVCA work over the years - it is a very close and valuable network.'

Mr Rogers and the rest of the DWG committee also work closely with the association's Ventilation Hygiene group branch to try and tackle issues like the inclusion of proper access to ductwork for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

He believes that ductwork firms are experiencing a period of unprecedented change and that many may look to follow a similar path to DPL. Government spending cuts have had a negative impact on the market - particularly in the education sector - and the private sector is still some way from full recovery.

'Ductwork contractors are getting squeezed more than ever with margins now extremely tight,' he says. 'The growth in demand for sustainability presents an opportunity for the profession to evolve, and more companies will be expected to provide complete design packages as well as their traditional fabrication and installation work. Developing that expertise is not easy and requires considerable investment in people and equipment, but we have to face up to the challenge.'

A former Haden apprentice himself, Mr Rogers recognises the value of multi-skilled engineers.


'We are more like a consulting engineering practice these days and it is harder to find people with the right level of skills and the correct way of thinking to operate in this environment. DPL is fortunate that we have a lot of highly experienced people that have been with us for some time and have developed with the company - but not all firms are so lucky.'

However, he believes one of the knock-on effects of the increase in university tuition fees could be a rise in numbers of young people opting for vocational qualifications to avoid running up huge debts.

'This could be to the long-term benefit of the industry, but young people coming into our sector need to have the right attitude - and this is often more of a problem than getting the right skills. There are some excellent training courses available within the industry that can help them achieve advanced and careerenhancing qualifications.'

The HVCA itself is going through a similar period of change, according to Mr Rogers. It is moving closer to CIBSE, as more members mirror the work of consulting engineers, and it is also taking up the sustainability challenge on behalf of its members. The DWG also sees great value in close links with the Association of Ductwork Contractors and Allied Services (ADCAS) and the US-based Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA). This international body has 1,944 members throughout the US, Canada, Australia and Brazil and many of its guides and standards are adopted worldwide.

The increasing focus on sustainability has prompted UK contractors to consider the thinner gauges of steel specified in SMACNA guides as a way of reducing the amount and cost of materials used in ductwork.

'We are a long way from saying we will reduce our steel thicknesses, but it is something we have to look at,' says Mr Rogers. 'There are a lot of issues around quality, testing and the type of fixings that would be needed, but it could well be possible to use thinner steel on larger sizes of ductwork.

This is one of the changes that is being considered as part of the current review of DW144 [the HVCA ductwork specification].'

Whatever the outcome of these specific debates, the industry could look very different by the time Mr Rogers' time in the DWG chair comes to an end in 2013.

'I think the sector will be smaller and more specialised by then,' he says. 'So much is changing around us and we have to adapt and move with the times.

I am not downhearted, in fact, I am excited by what is happening now and hope more ductwork firms can adjust their approach to take advantage of all these emerging opportunities.'

• Peter Rogers is managing director at DPL