60 years of Unifix

Established in 1963, Unifix is celebrating its diamond anniversary as a strong and recognised brand – having been embraced by the market and become trusted by merchants, distributors and tradespeople alike.

With a rich history within the fastener and fixing market, Unifix has been able to stay at the forefront of the industry thanks to its commitment to quality and reliability. “For Unifix to still be leading the industry after sixty years is a testament to the reliability and quality it has delivered to generations of trade customers,” points out Ian Doherty, CEO at Owlett-Jaton. “As soon as customers use Unifix products, they understand the attributes, as well as consistency provided, and they build trust with the brand. This is something you can only build over time and it is what we have been able to do with Unifix, which is why it is still so strongly supported within the market.”

Unifix was acquired by Owlett-Jaton in 2012 – with the company working over the last decade to continue growing and developing the brand, whilst ensuring it remained true to its leading reputation. “We quickly recognised that Unifix was best known as a brand for the value it delivers to customers,” explains Ian. “We have therefore looked to keep this as a consistent message when it comes to the product portfolio. We have done this by ensuring that the Unifix range, as with all Owlett-Jaton products, is sourced exclusively from ISO 9001 factories, that have been physically visited and audited to ensure product quality.”

In addition to ensuring the ongoing quality of the product range, Owlett-Jaton has also looked to continue the brand recognition, which Ian believes is becoming a vital part of the fastener market. “Undoubtedly branding has become very important within the fastener sector and to have such a strong brand in Unifix really does put us at the forefront of the industry. Our customers trust in Unifix and know it can deliver the reliability and quality for every product within the portfolio.”

The Unifix range has continually grown over the last 60 years and now features a bigger portfolio than ever before – with over 6,000 products. “Unifix is a generalist brand and is not focused on a particular product or assortment,” mentions Ian. “This has enabled us to create a comprehensive selection of Unifix branded products – supplied in the packaging required for different needs and supported by the stock and service associated with Owlett-Jaton.”

One area where that has been a big development for Unifix was the launch of the Trade and Retail bag range in 2017, which was introduced to meet the different needs of trade people and how they use fasteners. “The decision to launch the Trade and Retail bag range was based on speaking to customers and understanding their requirements,” points out Ian. “It has been nearly six years since the launch and the Trade and Retail bag range is now a key part of our offer – with a very strong demand.”

Ian adds: “When it comes to packaging, we look to meet the needs of ever customer, which is why, in addition to the Trade and Retail bag range, we have a variety of options available depending on the individual needs. It is about giving the customer the best solution for what suits them and their customer base, which is why we are always looking to develop new packaging solutions to meet the needs of the marketplace.”