4 minute read
OWLETT-JATON AT 75
Not only has product handling changed, but the products themselves are, in many cases, more sophisticated and specialised. The humble woodscrew is humble no longer, in 1947 a No.8 by 1½ slotted woodscrew from Guest, Keen & Nettlefold (GKN), was probably the height of sophistication. Today, you can still buy the same product, albeit as a 4 x 40mm packed in boxes of 200 rather than by the gross. We have seen huge evolution in almost every aspect of these products, our Vortex screw is a great example with Pozi and Torx drives, yellow passivated or exterior finishes and a range of features including a double countersunk head, milling ribs, gash point and Sawfix technology to allow easy insertion.
Almost every type of fastener and fixing has seen innovation and development, our introduction of the Thunderbolt concrete screw revolutionised anchoring. We have built on that with our JCP range of fixings which now has over 2,000 products supported by our Anchor Calculation Program. Coupled with the innovative Blindbolt range of blind fixings, our brands can meet almost every conceivable requirement.
Well known and trusted brands were not much of a feature in 1947, today they are an integral part of the market place. With Unifix, JCP, Vortex, Thunderbolt and most recently JRP –Jaton Riveting Products – Owlett-Jaton provides quality products and merchandising solutions to meet customer needs, truly the complete wholesale solution!
In 1947, environmental concerns were more localised and concerned with pollution rather than climate change. Smog caused by coal fires was a major problem and drove the introduction of legislation to improve air quality. Today climate change is front of mind and we at Owlett-Jaton recognise our responsibility to minimise our impact on the global environment. In 2019 we became the first UK fastener and fixings wholesaler to achieve ISO 14001:2015 environmental accreditation and have continued working to improve our performance. Through investment and changes in behaviour and process, we have reduced energy consumption by over a third in three years and we source all of our electricity from renewable sources. We maximise the recyclable content of our packaging and our move to paper based gummed tape has eliminated the use of over 600,000m of polypropylene tape. Our waste is all segregated with over 99% being recycled or reused.
Over the years many have predicted the end of the traditional face-to-face sales calls. The pandemic certainly accelerated the use of video tools such as Zoom and MS teams, but at Owlett-Jaton we still believe in personal contact and service. In spite of the growth of sales through our OJ Trade website, we have over 70 people directly talking to customers on the phone or out on the road visiting. We have just grown our field sales team with the appointment of 4 new Area Sales Managers. By maintaining our local sales offices and investing in our field sales and merchandising teams we aim to keep that great personal service alive.
75 years of change, and so much has changed and I am sure will keep changing. Recent events have shown the fragility of some of our supply chains, war in Ukraine has highlighted the risks in globalisation and energy security. EU Anti-Dumping duties move us back towards protectionism and environmental concerns force us to look at our supply chains. We don’t know what the next 75 years hold for us, but providing great customer service will always remain at the core of Owlett-Jaton.
