Rapierstar distributor celebrates 30 years
The Republic of Ireland’s largest distributor of Rapierstar fasteners to the window and door industry is marking its 30th anniversary this year.
Dublin based Universal Products supplied more than 8 million Rapierstar fasteners to the Irish market last year, making a big contribution to it being the most widely used brand of window and door screws in the country.
The 100% Irish owned and managed company employs a team of 17 people at its 15,000ft2 HQ and distribution centre located on Dublin’s western edge. From this base it supplies Rapierstar fasteners to customers throughout the country, along with other major brands in the window hardware market such as Yale, Fullex and Avocet.
Managing director, Ted O’Sullivan, said: “We’re a people-focused business and that has been key to our longevity in the market.
“Having experienced hardware professionals on the road ensures we can collaborate closely with customers and provide them with the right solutions for their needs, as well as helping them overcome any challenges. That would be much harder to do if we didn’t have the capacity to visit our customers on a regular basis or be able to respond quickly so we can be with them on-site when they need us most.”
Technical expertise is said to be a strong dimension to Universal’s customer service.
Ted continued: “Ireland’s building regulations mirror those of the UK fairly closely. Having the right level of knowledge and support from supply partners like Rapierstar means we are really well-placed to advise our customers of how they need to change when any new legislation does come into force, and I think that is something they really value.”
Paul McAuley, Rapierstar’s technical consultant in Ireland, commented: “It is tremendous to see Universal Products reach its 30-year milestone. This kind of longevity for a distributor in the fenestration sector can only be achieved through a dedication to service and focusing on assembling a product portfolio that customers can depend on.
