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For the Design, Manufacturing and Installation of Tensile Canopies & Shade Sails
SD Sails Ltd is the architectural lead and primary manufacturer for a global network of shade solutions. We operate three specialized divisions to ensure every client, from a major construction firm to a private homeowner, gets the specific engineering they require.
As a leading shade sail company in the UK, we know that getting a complete solution for your project can be a hassle. The combined skill set of SD Sails, Sail Shade World and CSI brings architectural tensile canopy design, manufacture, site survey, structure, ground works and installation all under one roof.
Operating from our 15,000 sq ft facility in West Sussex, with state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, we house the design, CAD engineering, and manufacturing teams for the entire SD Sails and Sail Shade World group under one roof. Our mission is to provide beautifully crafted bespoke tensile canopies designed to fit your precise structure and location.
Our clients range from major companies working in construction, landscaping, architecture, hospitality and education, to canopy specialists, private venues and residential homes.
Our Management Team
Simon Dawkins
Director & Head Designer
Director and Founder of SD Sails, Simon Dawkins has dedicated his entire working career to the art of textile fabrication.
Having competed as a professional windsurfer in the 80’s and 90’s, Simon achieved numerous national and international windsurfing titles using sails he personally designed and manufactured by hand.
Fast-forward 30 years, Simon now not only directs the company, but also plays an active part in the technical CAD design of the products, personally handling many of the more complex projects, as well as bringing his knowledge and experience to the whole design and production team.
Still an avid recreational windsurfer, Simon is also a passionate sailor and skier, and enjoys hiking in the great outdoors.
Keith Usher
Design Engineer
With over 18 years’ experience in the tensile industry, Keith is a consummate professional in the design and engineering phase of all our bespoke projects. Integrating with the whole team from enquiry, through production, to installation, he combines real-world processes with complex industry-specific software to turn initial concepts and drawings into detailed, fully engineered models ready for manufacture and installation. His thorough approach helps ensure projects are completed successfully, first time, every time.
As part of our trade partner support, Keith is a hugely valued member of the SD Sails team, regularly working in conjunction with customers and sub-contractors alike, which is an essential part of achieving a successful outcome when several parties are involved.
With a quiet positivity on life and a dry sense of humour, Keith is a life-long Brighton & Hove Albion supporter, attending matches most weekends, as well as enjoying long walks with his dog in the great British countryside.
Nick Puttick
Sales Manager
New to the SD Sails team in 2022, Nick Puttick joins us with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry from Arc-can Shade Structures. As a long-time client of SD Sails, Nick’s understanding of exactly what is possible, means he can handle bespoke enquiries with speed and efficiency, whilst ensuring the clients get well-considered solution.
Working hand-in-hand with the design team, Nick is also excellent at producing accurate proposal drawings and images to bring our canopy solutions to life, which then transition perfectly into the production design process if they go ahead.
Nick’s experience in structural design also marries perfectly with technical requirements, meaning we can offer a wide range of canopy solutions to meet every budget.
With a young family to keep him busy, Nick is a keen Formula 1 fan, with their winner’s podium canopy structure amongst his portfolio of work.