Insight

In September Assistant Editor Becca England attended Rapierstar’s Trade Press Information Day, which underlined the journey the UK company has taken to become one of the largest suppliers, and a leading player, within the UK and Irish fenestration market. 

Known for its ability to design, develop and supply technically advanced fasteners and fixings, Rapierstar Ltd started as a business thirty-one years ago, when founder and MD David Furness spotted an opportunity to challenge the market’s established players. Today, the company operates from a 100,000 square foot (approximately 9,300m²) headquarters, which includes a bonded distribution and technical centre, near Macclesfield in Cheshire – where a stock of more than one billion individual items is held at any time. By holding many months of stock, Rapierstar is able to absorb the impacts of disrupted global supply chains and offer stability to customers across the UK and Ireland. 

“Our skilled and knowledgeable team supports fabricators, installers, systems companies and hardware manufacturers. By working right across the industry, they are in an excellent position to help customers achieve more, whether that’s improving the quality of their products, getting new products through tough testing regimes, overcoming technical issues or boosting productivity efficiency and health and safety in their factories,” stated David Furness. 

An informative event

Attendees of the Trade Press Information Day were greeted warmly before they were given an introduction to the industry and Rapierstar’s capabilities by Andy Holland, group technical & marketing manager at Rapierstar. Andy outlined how the company was able to establish long-term partnerships with manufacturers across the globe, ensuring full control of product design, manufacture, and supply, enabling Rapierstar to deliver consistently high-quality fasteners to customers. 

He went onto explain how this quality is maintained and checked by various rigorous tests – including salt spray testing, depth of plating, dimensional, ductility, speed of insertion and torque testing – with every batch of fasteners arriving at its technical centre tested. “This is one of the reasons why many players in the UK’s fenestration industry rely on Rapierstar for the correct advice in selecting the best screw for each application and consistent reliable delivery,” explained Andy.

Communication is key

Rapierstar works constantly to highlight the crucial role that fasteners play in the assembly and construction of every building element, including doors and windows, especially as they are often taken for granted – as per unit they are the lowest cost component in the finished product. 

“As the team has seen on numerous occasions, one failure such as a friction stay screw breaking and causing the casement to fall loose, can have costly consequences in terms of call-backs and reputation,” highlighted Andy. 

Additionally, recent industry trends have led to the introduction of highly engineered PVC-U window systems, where the reinforcements are manufactured from recycled plastic. This, alongside government schemes to make UK homes more temperature and energy-efficient, means triple-glazed windows are becoming an ever-more popular option for today’s window suppliers – both of which are fundamental changes to window design and require adjustments to the fastening components. These adjustments are not a simple ‘quick fix’ and, as Andy stressed in his presentation, “can generate lead times of up to six months”. Therefore, the message to both window manufacturers and distributors alike is that communication is key when changes occur. 

Rapierstar’s next era

In the last two years, Rapierstar has implemented many major upgrades behind the scenes, including Cloud-based solutions, a world-class ERP system, and fully integrated business management systems on a par with many multinational businesses – ensuring that the latest digital technology is at the core of everything the company does. “Using the latest version of Microsoft Business Central as our business management platform; increasing the use of Solidworks computer aided design to develop new products; and enhanced cybersecurity protection; all provide a solid platform for the business to thrive in the digital age,” underlined Andy.

Running parallel to this is Rapierstar’s on-going investment in its R&D programme, with a number of patented new product developments in the pipeline for different applications across the construction industry. These advancements reflect Rapierstar’s design capabilities and offer new potential for the business in its next era – as it looks to branch out while maintaining its position as a leader in the fenestration market.