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April 29, 2024
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Meet Michael Porter, new Group Managing Director at Style

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https://style-group.co.uk

Michael Porter has replaced co-founder and previous group managing director, Julian Sargent, as part of a succession plan that began 5 years ago, with Julian remaining with the business in the role of Chairman.

Michael joined Style South in 2018, bringing extensive knowledge of the moveable walls sector, working with architects, specifiers, interior designers, contractors and end-user clients in the provision of flexible space.

From studying the built environment, Michael began in the commercial Fit-Out sector aged 18. He worked in project management on commercial fit-outs, as well as carrying out interiors consultancy on high-end residential projects, before entering the moveable wall sector.

A keen golfer, family man and avid West Ham fan, he initially joined Style as sales manager in 2018, quickly being appointed to sales director for the south, before becoming the company’s group sales director.

The appointment to group managing director was planned for many years to coincide with Style celebrating 25 years in business.

To mark the event, Julian handed over a baton to Michael during speeches at Style’s 25th anniversary party, to signify the importance of this appointment to the business.

“Michael has unbelievable experience of the moveable walls sector, and since joining Style in 2018 he has been a natural choice to lead the business in the years to come,” said Julian. “We wish him all the very best and I will look forward to my new role as chairman and will remain very much involved in the exciting times ahead.”

“I feel very privileged,” said Michael, ”to have been entrusted by Julian. He has led the business from when it first opened its doors in April 1999, turning it into the clear market leader it is now.

“However, everything we do is down to the team of exceptionally talented individuals who work for Style right across the country, and we will continue to invest in our people, products and processes to offer exceptional moveable, folding and sliding wall solutions for the future.”

For more information, please contact your nearest regional Style office

2026 © Style Group

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Zero-Joint Technology in the Healthcare Sector

NHS England’s Health Building Note 00-09 states clinical surfaces should be “impervious, designed for easy cleaning and free of fissures and unsealed joints.”
  • Laser-bonded, adhesive-free edge, with no seam or adhesive strip
  • Designed in line with the surface characteristics HBN 00-09 describes for clinical areas
  • Formaldehyde emissions tested significantly below the EU's REACH formaldehyde limit, in effect from 6 August 2026

Why it matters

HBN 00-09 sets out these surface characteristics because unsealed joints are a recognised place for moisture and micro-organisms to collect. A genuinely joint-free edge is designed to address that specific detail.

This is a surface and edge specification, not a clinical claim. Zero-joint technology has not been evaluated or certified by NHS England, and does not claim to reduce infection rates.

Zero-Joint Technology in the Hospitality Sector

Guest-facing spaces and food-service areas face frequent hygiene inspections and heavy daily use — seamless panels help simplify housekeeping and keep finishes looking newer for longer.
  • Seamless edge finish, with no visible transition between edge and panel surface
  • 100% adhesive-free construction — no hot-melt adhesive layer to fail
  • Edge processing on all four sides, built for daily commercial use
  • Low-maintenance and easy to clean

Why it matters

Food-service and guest-facing areas are typically inspected under hygiene and housekeeping standards that look closely at surfaces and joints. A seamless, moisture-resistant edge is designed with exactly that kind of scrutiny in mind.

Every one of these sectors shares the same underlying surface problem: a bonded-strip edge is a seam, and a seam is a place where dirt, moisture or wear can concentrate in a way a continuous surface can't. Zero-joint technology addresses that one structural detail across offices, schools, healthcare and hospitality settings alike — one construction detail, one shared weak point removed, four sectors that each care about it for their own reasons.

Zero-Joint Technology in the Education Sector

Classrooms and shared facilities see high daily footfall from children and staff, so partitioning needs to withstand daily wear and support fast, thorough cleaning.
  • Seamless, adhesive-free edge with no strip to lift or wear loose over time
  • Moisture-resistant, low-maintenance surface
  • Independently tested for VOC emissions to AgBB and EN 16516

Why it matters

Schools see some of the highest footfall of any building type relative to their size, and surface durability directly affects how long fittings stay presentable between refurbishment cycles. A seam-free edge that can't lift or peel with repeated impact and cleaning is a genuinely lower-maintenance fixture over the life of the building.

Zero-Joint Technology in the Corporate Sector

Open-plan offices and meeting suites see constant daily use — surfaces need to look sharp for years without high maintenance.
  • Seamless edge finish, with no visible transition between edge and panel surface
  • 100% adhesive-free construction — no hot-melt adhesive layer to fail
  • Edge processing on all four sides, built for daily commercial use
  • Low-maintenance and easy to clean

Why it matters

An adhesive seam is one of the few places on a standard partition edge where dust, spillage residue or cleaning-product build-up can collect, simply because it isn't a flat, continuous surface. Removing that seam removes that particular weak point — a lower-maintenance fixture designed to stay looking sharp for longer.

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