How we’re ready for the challenges of 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, our Managing Director Sam reflects on a year that’s tested the team and strengthened the business. From complex installations to new markets, here’s what defined the past twelve months at DFMK – and what we’re taking into 2026.

2025 has pushed the DFMK team hard. We took on complicated projects that pushed our technical abilities to the limit and we’ve come out the other side with new fabrication methods we didn’t have twelve months ago. The whole team have performed above and beyond, working long hours to meet tight deadlines and delivering when it matters.

All of that has set us up for 2026. Here’s a look back at what defined the year and what we’re taking forward.

The big projects

We completed a fountain manufacture, footprint ceiling panels and a spiral staircase supply and installation.

The spiral staircase was the toughest one, with over 300 sheets of HIMACS thermoformed and installed on a site in London. We had six men on-site for seven months to get it done.

There’s no room for error when you’re dealing with that scale and timeline. Every sheet had to be thermoformed precisely and the installation had to be exact. You solve problems as they come up and keep going. In the end the team delivered an impressive result.

Growing the business

The business has continued to grow this year. We’ve taken on new customers in areas we haven’t worked in before, like supplying wash troughs and Lowerators for cruise liners. It’s completely new territory for us, and that’s how you grow.

We’ve also expanded our contract kitchen business. We’re nearly at the end of a 52-storey high-rise development in Birmingham now, which has been a real lesson in consistency. Fifty-two floors means fifty-two opportunities to get it wrong. You need the same quality, the same finish and the same attention to detail on every single floor, and that’s what we’re delivering.

What customers are asking for

We’ve seen more people asking for recycled materials this year, like Durat, Polygood, Smile Plastics and certain HIMACS colours that have pre-consumer recycled content.

This is coming mainly from architects and designers who need cradle-to-cradle materials. It’s not just something people talk about anymore – they’re actually specifying these materials and following through with orders.

We’ve always worked with materials that perform well and last. It’s good to see that lining up with what sustainability-conscious clients are looking for.

What we learned

Taking on complex projects that pushed our technical abilities to the limit meant we had to learn new fabrication methods. Those will be useful as we take on more challenging work in 2026.

When you’re up against a problem you haven’t solved before, you either find a new way to do it or you don’t deliver, and we found new ways. The balance we always try to strike is taking on projects that push us but making sure we can actually deliver them. This year proved we can do both.

Looking ahead to 2026

Right now, we’re all looking forward to a break. Then it’s back to work fabricating and installing high-quality worksurfaces from our range of solid surface materials. We’ve got plenty planned for 2026 already, including a large external facade project we’ll be installing. It’s the kind of work that needs precision and attention to detail, which is exactly where we’re strongest.

If you need solid surface expertise for a project in 2026, get in touch. Straightforward or complex, we’re always interested in work that tests what we can do.