The Art of Riveting Knowledge
22 May 2017
It’s seven years since Steve Auld exchanged corporate life for ownership of a SME specialist fastener distributor. They’ve been eventful, successful and quick to pass years, which included a key acquisition and the establishment of a new business. Now it’s time for another step change, with an exciting brand launch.
Steve Auld acquired Rivco Limited, an independent UK distributor of blind fastener solutions based in Kidderminster in 2010. Rivco was already an authorised distributor for Huck® products – a relationship that has really grown and prospered for both partners over the last seven years. During
the same period, Rivco cemented and built on relationships with key European blind fastener and tool brands, notably Rivit Srl and FAR Srl. It also substantially widened its ex-stock availability of rivets and rivet nuts, extending type, dimensional and material ranges. Rivco’s core position in the market is to support UK and increasingly also European fastener distributors, with its depth of both inventory and riveting knowledge.
In August 2012, following an amicable acquisition to release its previous owner to retire, Arpel Ltd was integrated to the business and relocated to the Kidderminster offices and warehouse. The acquisition was highly complementary. “Arpel’s core strength is unquestionably in installation tools,” explains Steve. “It is the UK’s leading distributor and service provider of FAR tools and spares, as well as a main distributor for Lobster Tools. Arpel is also an authorised tool service centre for Huck, Gesipa®, Avdel® and Emhart air tools and had a successful tool hire business on which we have continued to build.”
In 2015 Kamtech Fasteners Ltd was established at Oldbury, again specialising in the distribution of rivets, rivet nuts, structural rivets and associated tooling. “Kamtech’s location is very significant,” says Steve. “Located in the heart of the UK’s industrial West Midlands, it provides a highly responsive service to customers including, importantly, the facility for them to collect requirements on a daily basis.”
“It’s been hard work but enjoyable and richly rewarding to develop three strong, independent businesses with a dedicated and knowledgeable team and a really potent product offer. We’ve really grown the businesses with our key brand principals and had a record overall year in 2016. Seven years on, the number of employees has more than doubled and the combined revenue more than tripled.”
“We support the distributor trade, predominantly in UK and Ireland but we have actually exported far more than I ever expected. Again 2016 was a record year on that front, with our biggest export market, believe or not, China. That growth has come from our commitment to inventory, from the expertise of our team, and from the flexibility of smaller, agile businesses to meet customer requirements and deliver more than we promise.”
May 2017 marks a new milestone – with the launch of the ARK brand of products. ARK could very well stand for the Art of Riveting Knowledge but its provenance is quite simple. “We spent a lot of time debating the name under which we would present a complete suite of integrated and coordinated blind fastening products. All along it was staring us in the face: Arpel – Rivco – Kamtech.” A restructuring of the businesses and their systems, supported by DK Software, means ARK inventory will be controlled centrally and supplied through Arpel, Rivco and Kamtech – alongside the established and still strengthening business with proprietary brand partners. A new barcoded and tablet controlled stock control system will increase productivity, as well as providing quality assurance and traceability.
“We have selected the manufacturers to produce ARK under our licence with a great deal of care,” explains Steve.
“We have developed close, mutually respectful relationships ARK inventory will be controlled centrally and supplied through Arpel,Rivco and Kamtech We have selected the manufacturers to produce ARK under our licence with a great deal of care and structured robust business agreements, which ensure consistency of quality and supply to ARK specifications.”
“ARK is an alternative, systemised brand programme, which will provide support for distributors to penetrate industrial market sectors, from which many global manufacturers are drifting away in favour of the attractions of high volume, direct to OEM relationships.”
“We don’t profess to have the same technical expertise and service capabilities for automotive and high volume OEMs. What we absolutely do possess is the competence, inventory and responsiveness, above all the personal commitment, to support distributors in further developing the service intensive but often less predictable requirements of a whole raft of industrial sectors.”
“It is not our intention to be the cheapest in the market, although when there is a need we can certainly be responsive. ARK represents assured quality and performance and exceptional value for money.” From day one the ARK programme will cover the full range of rivet nuts – in steel, aluminium and stainless steel. A comprehensive range of rivets will be available, from stock, in steel, aluminium, stainless steel and Monel, as well as a structural rivet range. The ARK brand packaging, which is colour coded by range, will allow distributors to deliver straight onto their industrial customers without having to be concerned about repackaging.
“The exciting thing for us,” says Steve, “is that we are sticking with niche products and building on established strengths. It’s for good reason our office now says Rivet House over the door. We are not a generalist, and have no intention of becoming one. We are most definitely a specialist with the passion as well as competence that comes with that. Now we have a potent mix of leading proprietary brands complemented by the ARK programme to support customers in the UK and Ireland, and also mainland Europe.”
“We have tapped into manufacturing excellence, across the globe, which allows ARK to respond effectively to specialised customer requirements. We have invested strongly in inventory of standard products, but we have the added advantage that we can respond to requirements for special blind fasteners to meet the most specific user applications.”
The thinking behind ARK is literally end-to-end. Customers will continue to order ARK via current relationships with Rivco, Arpel and Kamtech. The programme is supported by lucid, easy-to-use ARK catalogues, with the option for primary distributors in particular geographic areas to have their own customised versions.
Delivery, whether to UK destinations or across Europe, will be via a Royal Mail and Parcel Force relationship, which has been thoroughly tested and is now fully adopted. “The service has proven fantastic,” says Steve. “It’s proven particularly responsive for small packages, like tool spares and samples, where responsiveness and accuracy is critical. The customer is automatically provided with access to the track and trace system. Larger consignments are despatched to UK destinations via Parcel Force and to European destinations via the Royal Mail owned GLS logistics service. Our customers have also benefited through lower delivery charges and carriage paid levels.”
There is unquestionable an Art in Riveting Knowledge but there is nothing arcane about ARK’s attractions:
- Consistency of supply.
- Assured quality and traceability.
- Commitment to stock.
- Commitment to reliable logistics.
- Catalogue and engineering support.
- Expertise to recommend best solution and correct tooling.
- Service and support for those tools.
- Hire of plug and work tools – set up for installation.
“We’re sharing our confidence in ARK with key distributors now, says Steve. “The response, particularly to the potential of actively marketing ARK in a specific geographic area, has been very positive indeed.”
