Rapierstar’s supply chain reliability and excellent stock availability is helping Universal Products, one of Ireland’s largest window and door hardware distributors, to grow its online service and cement its position as the country’s go-to supplier for the highest quality hardware brands.
Universal Products, serving customers since 1993, operates from a 15,000 square feet headquarters and distribution centre in Dublin and supplies window and door fabricators across the whole of Ireland. It has partnered with Rapierstar as its primary window fastener supplier for more than 18 years, offering the complete range of StarPVCU fasteners, which are available to customers with next day delivery.
Rapierstar has supported Universal Products with its state-of-the-art online ordering platform, by supplying detailed technical information on each of the window and door screws available. Universal Products’ growing customer care team works in tandem with the new platform, enabling customers to make full use of the user friendly, dedicated portal to order and manage transactions online.
Ted O'Sullivan, managing director of Universal Products, commented: “These are exciting times for our business with the evolution of our online service, which we developed to meet the needs of our customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many customers, however, have decided that being able to source their window and door hardware products through our online portal is something they actually prefer compared with more traditional ways of doing business with us – and so it has become an integral part of our business.”
He continues: “The key to the success of our online platform is excellent product availability, which is why we only work with supply chain partners that we can depend on. Rapierstar is one of those suppliers. Our customers have access to superior quality window screws in the shortest lead times and specialist technical support when needed.”
Paul McAuley, Rapierstar’s technical consultant for Ireland and Scotland, added: “Universal Products has responded quickly to a changing market and created an online service that works extremely well for many fabricators. We look forward to working with them as they develop further and grow and continue to support a diverse range of window and door manufacturers across Ireland to maximise their productivity and the end-user customer satisfaction.”
Rapierstar’s StarPVCU range of window screws available from Universal Products is used by fabricators of all the major PVCu profile systems including Eurocell, Profile 22, Veka, Kömmerling and Liniar. The range includes both standard coated carbon steel and enhanced performance stainless steel screws, with detailed guidance on using the right type of fasteners for the different window styles available in its Recommended Fixings Manuals (RFMs), which are free to download on the Rapierstar website.
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 12 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector – interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe. Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the brand is renowned.
