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Holding It All Together
Is the most important component in the frame, the hardware, the hinges or the sealed unit? Ask the question of Rapierstar MD David Furnes and he will tell...
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Malplas Marks Milestone
Malplas UPVC has successfully increased production to its highest ever levels with the support of specialist fastener supplier Rapierstar.
Based near Dungannon, Northern Ireland, the Kömmerling fabricator is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021. Malplas UPVC has seen record demand for products since late Spring 2020 when the severe initial pandemic restrictions were relaxed. It is now typically manufacturing between 300 and 400 units every week, up from its usual output by as much as 60%, a level it is has comfortably stepped up to without compromising lead times thanks to the support of its main supply chain partners including Rapierstar.
Malplas UPVC manufactures windows and doors using the Kömmerling C70 Gold profile system, which are supplied to a diverse client base including trade installers, housebuilders and social housing landlords. It has become renowned in Northern Ireland for its commitment to quality and the reliability of its service, which is one of the reasons all its products are assembled using Rapierstar’s StarPVCU fasteners.
“Despite being closed for two months in 2020, the year actually ended up being a record year in terms of sales and volumes. Our whole team has worked extremely hard to keep customer orders on track in what have been some pretty challenging circumstances.”
– Philip Mallon
MD, Malplas UPVC
Contingency planning
“Like many fabricators, in addition to having to adapt our working environment to ensure our team can continue working safely as the pandemic prevails, we’ve also had to ensure we mitigate the effects of the raw material shortages that we are seeing industry-wide, plus the Northern Irish Brexit arrangements," continues Malplas' Mallon. "Thankfully, fasteners haven’t been an issue due to our long term partnership with Rapierstar, and we are confident that will continue to be the case regardless of whatever happens post-Brexit.
“Fasteners are so important to maintain our productivity and, ultimately, for our long term success, so we cannot afford to cut corners. We can depend on Rapierstar to deliver every time, with their excellent stock reliability meaning we always have the right window screws when we need them, backed by first-rate technical support that helps us maintain quality consistency.”
Challenges
Paul McAuley, Rapierstar’s technical consultant for Northern Ireland and Scotland adds: “Philip and his team have pulled out all the stops during 2020 to keep service levels high despite the unprecedented challenges, and we look forward to continuing to support them in 2021 and beyond.”
As the UK and Ireland’s leading specialist fastener supplier to the door and window industry, Rapierstar provides the widest range of products to distributors and fabricators of all the major profile systems. Operating from its HQ and 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse and distribution centre in Cheshire, where more than one billion items are held in stock at any time, Rapierstar’s team of technical consultants work closely with customers in all corners of the country to help them manufacture the highest quality finished products most efficiently and safely.
Picture: The Malplas UPVC factory near Dungannon.
Article written by John Roper
17th February 2021