DISTRIBUTION AND MANUFACTURING: A COMPLETE SUPPLY SOLUTION FROM RAPID INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS

Rapid Industrial Fasteners on how its two sides of the business –distribution and manufacturing – combine to give it a relatively unique advantage in the UK fastener supply market…

Rapid Industrial Fasteners occupies a fairly unique position in the industry, offering a blend of services that few others are capable of in the UK in 2023. A long­established distributor of fasteners, Rapid Industrial Fasteners was founded around 40 years ago, based in the heart of the UK’s fastener heartlands, the West Midlands. It’s decision to open a manufacturing floor and start producing fasteners in­house in 2019 gave it an edge that few can also offer, but more of that later.

As you might expect with a name like Rapid, the business prides itself of speed of response and service to customers. When it comes to getting product fast to customers, stock availability is of course crucial, so Rapid is committed to high volume stocking. MD Richard White tells Torque Direct: “We have regular import cycles of standard items from approved Far East manufacturers, and we have solid relationships with key wholesalers in the UK.”

That continued commitment to high level stocks and service has seen Rapid Industrial Fastener’s stock holding expand over the decades to the point where, last year, it had to relocate its warehouse. Its former facility was struggling to house its expanding stock holding, so the move, conveniently much closer to Rapid’s machine shop, was a sizeable 10,000ft² increase on the old unit, with around 970 pallet locations and approximately 18,000ft² for Rapid’s standard fastener stock lines.

Rapid’s fasteners are supplied into an increasingly broad range of sectors and markets, not least infrastructure, so quality remains integral for the company, which has taken a comprehensive approach, as White explains: “We have tools for Positive Material Inspection (PMI), hardness testing and we routinely issue 3.1 and 3.2 material validation certificates, and our quality system is robust. We have ISO 9001 Quality Manage¬ment System certification, tested by SGS, a higher end reputable testing agency. We offer complete traceability and tighter controls on material handling in accordance with ISO standards.”

A complementary fastener manufacturing business

Rapid Industrial Fastener’s distribution business has grown over the years but by far the biggest milestone along the way was the decision to drastically expand its remit, by adding a machine shop to its business.

By including fastener manufacturing in its service mix, Rapid Industrial Fasteners was effectively becoming a fastener distributor and manufacturer which, as anyone in the industry will tell you, is a relatively unique set up for the UK. There are some typically small­scale fastener manufacturers in the nation and a good number of fastener wholesalers, importers and distributors, but rarely under one roof, so to speak.

2019 was the year that Rapid opened its machine shop.

Starting from scratch, albeit with skilled personnel who boasted extensive fastener manufacturing experience, the manufacturing facility has grown substantially in a short space of time. With its foundation close to the white heat of the Covid lockdown, during which the machine shop picked up a lot of business, it’s been an intense period of hard work that started with a ‘blank slate’ of an empty unit with four walls and a roof, to a fully­fledged manufacturing facility.

The progress of the manufacturing side of the business has allowed Rapid to bring in more lead and key roles to handle the increasing workload. Led by Managing Director Richard White and Operations Director Jason Hayfield, new machines have been acquired, on a relatively regular basis, with further investments scheduled, including even more advanced machines that will boost efficiency by combining multiple processes.

Control over specials manufacturing

To take greater control and improve customer service were among the reasons for Rapid taking the plunge and entering the world of fastener manufacturing: “We used to rely heavily on subcontractors to turn around orders for special parts, but we were frequently let down and timescales drifted. It meant we weren’t always able to get products to customers when we wanted to. It meant we couldn’t be as consistent as we aimed to be. Now we are a UK manufacturer, so we have more control.”

With a name like Rapid, the business has prided itself on its responsiveness and reliability, and in that sense, the machine shop has simply been another element that allows Rapid to serve its customers to a high level.

While manufacturing and distribution are, on the face of vastly different types of businesses (For that reason, Rapid keeps its production and distribution arms in separate units, just a stone’s throw from each other), some principles remain core, including quality. Likewise, both facets of Rapid are committed to quality relationships; with customers, within the business itself, with customers and with suppliers. The firm is fully invested in the notion that “people buy from people”: “Our goal is to have happy customers that will keep coming back. We’re willing to make it happen for them, whatever they want.”

With common guiding principles like that and the advantageous and fairly unique combination of fastener distribution and manufacturing in­house, Rapid Industrial Fasteners believes itself to be uniquely placed to serve end user customers.

“We offer a complete supply solution. We’re passionate about what we do, and we believe we are an asset for any end user business.” www.rapidfast.co.uk