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The origins of Fenland Fastenings lie back nearly 28 years ago when the company was originally conceived to supply many aspects of trade and Industry with their fixings and fastenings. It soon became clear there was a need for a competitive and well stocked tool and ironmongery source, and Fenland began to develop into the business it is today.
Steered by founder Chairman Sam Bolland, assisted by Bryan Hazelwood, the company soon moved from its 50ft by 16ft reclaimed poultry house accommodation to the premises it still occupies 69, Argyle Street, Situated on the Sleaford side of Boston, Lincolnshire. Nowadays the Argyle street building is greatly expanded but when they first moved in Bolland and Hazelwood wondered how they would ever fill the space, originally it was a 1950’s style supermarket.
From those early days of a company conceived to fill a gap in the local market to supply the fixing and fastenings required by farmers and hauliers, Fenland has grown beyond recognition. In addition to the hand and power tools, it also supplies a varied range of fasteners and fixings, rope, chain, padlocks, Bosch power and garden tools, woodscrews, self tappers and a wide range of Rawlbolts, nails and frame fixings. One venture was the addition of a dedicated area for architectural ironmongery and security products, which has now been running for 15 years and is still a growing and popular line. Fenland also offer a saw and router bit sharpening service, key cutting and a made-to-order band saw blades.
Fenland Fastenings takes great pride in being able to provide whatever the customer requires, the company states this could include; ‘anything from a toilet roll to a tank’.
Over the years since it went into business many top- brands have been approached or have invited Fenland to become distributors of their products. Amongst the many leading brands it stocks and suppliers it uses are companies with such well known reputations as; Fein, Freud Tooling, G&J Hall, Metabo, Rapesco, Brian Hyde Ltd and Tools of the Trade. But the company’s greatest achievement was that of becoming a member of the THS buying group, in March 2000. Fenland had been given the choice of joining then or at a later date. It was an easy choice, Fenland were keen to join immediately-they would be saving money by doing so. This enabled the company to source and supply a wider range of products and to be more competitive and retain a respectable operating margin. The product diversification that THS gave Fenland was in several forms a new uncharted quantity of sales prospects which many integrated with those the company was already familiar with.
Like so many successful companies Fenland Fastenings is a family run business, with the atmosphere that goes with it. The small wooden shed where the company first started was in Sam Bolland’s backyard, now Sam’s son-in-law Bryan Hazelwood, Sam’s daughter Christine and their family now run the company. Sadly Sam died in 2003.
In addition some members of staff have been with the company since they left school and joined a work incentive scheme.
Bryan Hazelwood is now Managing Director; his wife Christine is Financial Director; their daughters Sheli Scott, is general Manager, and Kerry Hazelwood who is a shareholder.
Fenland has a dedicated and highly expert workforce, and though each person has their devoted sections they can and frequently cross over with any other when the situation requires.
All the staff members are local people, strengthening the company’s relaxed, family atmosphere.
However it is also a totally industrious company where everyone knows each other on a one-to-one basis, so the staff are able to find the best and often unique solution to customer requirements accurately on every occasion. Also with the company’s wide practical experience customers will often find having spoken to Fenland staff they are able to achieve their objective in a different and better way than the one they originally considered.
Along with Bryan, his wife and daughter Sheli, the staff are long serving, typically joining as school leavers and remaining for 20 years. Now turning over just short of £1m, Fenland Fastenings still retains its local flavour and continues to provide the architectural ironmongery the company was originally established to supply; knobs, knockers, locks, latches and handles. But this is now supplemented with much more to reflect the requirements of agriculture and other industries.
“We have got to where we are not through setting goals, but rather an ethos which involves common sense, enjoyment and commitment.” Says Bryan. “We are very content company with a very solid business base. We do not seek great volume, low value orders and living off the rebate. We have a broad cross section of customers who provide us with this solid base. We’ve traded through some depressing patches but we remain committed to what we believe and positive thinking; every cloud has a silver lining. A wet day can bring activity, when it’s too wet to work outdoors, a new job gets started indoors which needs some purchasing.”
Service is the best word to sum up what Fenland offers, it is what the company takes pride in giving to all its customers.
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Airstream Communications