Insight

Positioning itself as both a distributor and manufacturer for a wide range of fastener and fixing components, Rapid Industrial Fasteners Ltd understands both the needs of suppliers and end users thanks to its unique perspective at both ends of the supply chain. Assistant Editor Becca England sat down with Managing Director Richard White, and Director Jason Hayfield, to discuss Rapid’s special offering and what it means for its customers. 

Starting out as a small scale distributor, the family-owned company based in Stourbridge, UK, has grown to serve an international customer base spanning from Europe to America. To further this growth, and to continue to serve its customers with quality assured products that can be delivered quickly, Rapid decided to invest in its own manufacturing capabilities – a separate facility less than a ¼ mile away from its distribution centre – in 2018. “Gradually, we have acquired machinery to supply a wide range of high-quality products quickly and efficiently,” explains Richard. This product offering includes standard threaded fasteners in a range of materials – from steel and stainless steel, brass, as well as exotic alloys. 

The latest addition to the company’s 48 machine portfolio is a brand new Citizen L32 sliding head CNC, which was introduced in November 2024. Rapid now has a wide scope of manufacturing capabilities, enabling all bar turning and thread rolling from M2.5 to M100 diameters, as well as the capability to produce complex bespoke parts tailored to customer drawings and specifications.

However, in addition to its growing arm of manufacturing capabilities, the company still continues to invest in its distribution services. This includes its Vendor Managed Inventory service to control the cost and replenishment of fasteners in stock, therefore mitigating potential risks in its customers’ supply chains. Rapid also regularly conducts site visits to assess all requirements for an individual project. Such visits can be performed as a single introduction or as part of an ongoing schedule. With more than 40 years’ experience as a distributor, Rapid understands the fast pace of the market and the quick turn arounds, which are often driven by the end user. 

Working closely with these end users, and its distributor customers, Rapid is able to stay ‘one step ahead’ and gain industry knowledge of key market trends impacting the fastener industry. One example of this is the ever growing quality requirements from customers. “Upholding quality is another aspect within Rapid Industrial Fasteners,” underlines Jason. “For our standard range of stocked fasteners, we operate full traceability through our internal batch number system and maintain an approved supplier database – offering peace of mind to our customers. For our manufactured items, the system is enhanced and all raw material is batch identified, colour-coded and PMI tested on arrival and before loading onto machines. We are committed to continuously  improve how we operate and the fluidity of our systems and processes.”

Furthermore, Rapid is able to provide customised packaging solutions for its customers, with options open for a variety of batch sizes, as well as the option to brand products with individual company branding. “Our entire service offering has been tailored to our customers, in order to provide a full service to our international suppliers, as well as our end users,” comments Richard. “We can also take on scheduled orders, which is where our distributor mentality helps. We have a warehouse filled with contract orders and we will hold stock for our customers, making Rapid a versatile option. From small prototype batches of 10 to 2,000 piece orders – we are flexible enough to adapt to our customers’ needs – and this is where we see growth in the future.”  

Through its development as both a distributor and manufacturer, Rapid has placed itself in a strong position to service international distributors spanning across key industries. “Rapid is unique – with both its manufacturing arm and distributor side – we stand out. This dual aspect is our strength, enabling us to understand both our end user customer demands, as well as what distributors need from us as a manufacturer.”