The FK group are proud to announce the launch of their brand new website. The company, which has been established over 140 years, has just completed a major revamp of their internet web presence to ensure their quality of service is mirrored online.

Business Development Manager, Thomas Kirk says: “The FK Group has had an internet presence now for a number of years but we felt that it was time, with some exciting developments going on in the company – new products and premises – to give ourselves a fresh, new look that reflected Francis Kirk’s today. We are very pleased with the new site and its design.”

One of the main objectives of the new site was to highlight the core areas of the business and show our customers what other products we have to offer.

A Tameside business established almost 150 years ago has shared some of its secrets for weathering the recession.

Francis Kirk and Son of Denton is a family-run engineering and fastenings business which began in the borough in 1868.

With the fourth and fifth generation of Kirks now at the helm, the business is celebrating almost 150 years of trading on the Denton Hall Farm Road site.

And in-keeping with its family philosopht, recent graduate Thomas Kirk is now on-board, bringing in his own ideas to ensure the business stays top of its game.

Thanks to his drive, the 24,000 sq. ft warehouse has recently undergone a massive overhaul, with a brand new ‘trade counter’ bringing in new business. But the company has not forgotten its humble roots, and a ‘family’ ethos ensures all staff feel highly valued by colleagues.

This is reflected in the lengths of service accumulated at the site, with the small team having racked up hundreds of years between them.

Tom, who started at the company in 2007 as a Business Developer, said:”Staff turnover is very small and staff are clearly valued highly”. Tom, the son of Managing Director, Francis Kirk, continued:”As fifth generation within the company, family is a big thing to myself and something that the company will always be based around.

“There are very few companies around who can boast having had five generations working within it and this is hopefully something that can increase in the future.”

“Fresh ideas and computerisation in the day-to-day business allow the company to carry on being successful in the 21st Century.”

He added:”As an independent distributor, Francis Kirk’s objectives have always been to offer the finest quality engineering products and solutions, giving stability and security to the engineering industry. This is why our ethos is VALUE,QUALITY,INTEGRITY.

Francis Kirk and Son Ltd was founded in 1868 and the company is widely acknowledged as an expert in the engineering and fastenings business. With their extensive stocks of engineering products and a highly experienced and knowledgeable staff, the company serves a broad range of customers both nationally and internationally.

Since 1989 Francis Kirk (Socket Screws) has been incorporated into the FK Group of companies and has been a major supplier of socket screws made by Unbrako and Holokrome. More recently, due to its ISO9001 rating, it has been appointed the sole European supplier of Durlok anti-vibration bolts.

The company aims to stock the highest quality fastener product ranges as well as other engineering requirements from premium brands such as Gedore, Draper, Makita, Dormer, Stanley and Philidas

One of the main reasons why I visited the modern, purpose-built Manchester office and 24000 sq foot warehouse complex on a 1.5 acre site, was to talk to Tom Kirk, the Business Development Manager, about the newly refurbished Trade Counter business. This development is so new that, metaphorically, the paint is barely dry, but it seems that already the signs of a flourishing business are present.

Tom is the main driver behind revitalising the trade counter business. He noticed that the large warehouse had a lot of underused potential and set about designing, developing and building a new mezzanine floor and refurbishing the older counter area. This now has a slick and uncluttered look where there is enough space for customers to select freely from a range of products from the extensive displays. The modern look and feel of the area was a conscious choice to plug into the way in which both passing trade and established customers shop for their needs these days.

As Francis Kirk and Son have been long standing THS members, Tom told me a great deal about how various suppliers were chosen to fit the profile of the new venture.

Tom was keen to promote work and safety-wear, a range of power tools and a good choice of specialist products with an engineering bent. To this end he arranged an intensive two day “interview” process in which various suppliers were invited to come to Manchester and discuss the opportunities available. From the thirty-five companies that were invited, eight or nine were chosen as having suitable product ranges and willingness to work within the constraints of a trade counter business. Quality and business philosophy were important factors too, as Francis Kirk and Son has an enviable reputation to maintain.

Trying to second guess purchasing decisions is very difficult as most traders know, but Tom decided that initially he would opt for a “Top 50 Products” strategy and his keen and cooperative suppliers adopted a “tell us what you want” attitude that was very helpful in bringing in initial stocks. Since the opening of the new Trade Counter in the last week of January this year, there has been a significantly greater understanding of stocking levels required and what sorts of products sell best.

For example, Tom found that there has been a massive interest in clothing, shoes and gloves, to the point where two ranges of clothing are now stocked. The two ranges find favour with high-end and medium-end users for a variety of reasons, but as Tom says, “If it sells, I will stock it”.

He has also found that some customers return again and again for relatively small numbers of specialist fixings. He continues to stock these, despite having to order in bulk, because he knows that regular customers will purchase from the counter since they know that Kirks will not run out of the supplies they need.

Choosing a power tool range could have been a potentially tricky issue because there are so many good brands to choose from. But, having made the choice of stocking Makita tools, Tom is satisfied that next day guaranteed delivery, flexibility and reasonable margins from Makita has made sound business sense.

Some local advertising on the theme of “Try Kirks first for all your engineering supplies” coupled with a new website design has meant that, five months on, the trade counter is proving a worthwhile investment for Francis Kirk and a handy place for local trades to purchase supplies.

In a more general way, Francis Kirk and Son has to deal with many of the same issues that other retailers face. For example, the use of integrated computer systems that track stocks, sales, orders and prices. The company has been computerized for at least twenty years using a well-established computer company. However, recent developments in the stocking decisions and also the availability of new software, meant that Francis Kirk decided to upgrade their system. Starting on 1st January this year, the new system was started and in Tom’s words, “the first two months were hell” as the 17 staff got used to it. Six months on, the system is well embedded and is proving to be easier, quicker and hugely more efficient than the old one. It also provides an opportunity for the company to develop and optimize its website and release some of the sales and marketing potential that the website offers.

The vast majority of Francis Kirk and Son’s turnover is in the famous ranges of fastenings it stocks. Forty percent of this turnover is to export markets. Kirk’s has several high profile key accounts in Europe that are regular customers. In order to maintain these accounts Kirk’s has had to maintain a firm grip on the quality of the fastenings it sells, and in fact it aims to improve the quality threshold wherever possible by using reliable sources and world-wide purchasing power. I was quite surprised to find that reliable sourcing of high quality fastenings can be quite problematic – even in times of economic downturn. However, with all of its combined experience and expertise, Francis Kirk and Son manages to keep its customers satisfied.

This expertise is reflected in the staffing. Francis Kirk and Son is a family orientated company where individuals are approachable and the personal touch is valued. The combined years of experience in the small staff team runs into hundreds of years. Staff turnover is very small and staff are clearly valued highly – the website has a photo of each staff member and their role within the company. Staff members are able to have formal and informal input into stocking decisions and have regular product training, where necessary, from company reps. Technical knowledge and experience is very good and this has played a role in the growth of the business due to customers liking expertise and efficiency.

This expertise also leads to good communication with customers and their needs and this has led to the company being able to gain many profitable contracts. As an independent distributor Francis Kirk’s objectives has always been to offer the finest quality engineering products and solutions, giving stability and security to the engineering industry. This allowing the ethos to be Value, Quality & Integrity.

Francis Kirk and Son has been a THS member almost from “the off” and thus has a unique perspective on the past, present and future of THS. New initiatives from Nick Swash get a thumbs-up, especially the new opportunities provided by the idea of a contracting group. Other improvements have also found favour. These include the promotions website on which members can put together their own offers and run them without incurring the carriage charges that sometimes happened under the old Toolstop arrangement.

THS also opens doors onto products in which smaller retailers might not able to compete. For Tom Kirk, this gives scope to stock the Trade Counter with goods at a reasonable margin and still remain competitive with much larger retailers.

Specialist shows in Stuttgart and other places around the world are where Francis Kirk and Son not only exhibit, but also visit in order to keep up-to-date with the fastenings business.

Overall, THS is seen as a “good thing” because whether you are a large, medium or small company, you can take what you want out of it and it will help your business. Francis Kirk’s do believe that the independents, however big, will only survive long term when they are actively involved in a group purchasing system, such as THS, whose reputation and professionalism is second to none. It opens so many doors to a wide diversified supply chain without a huge capital commitment and allows them to compete for the multinational accounts.

From what I observed, Francis Kirk and Son is a very focused company. The wide expertise available is used shrewdly, not only on the established business, but also with an eye on the future. The business premises are extremely well presented, both “front of house” and “back office” and will provide opportunities for expansion or change if necessary. Situated in an easily accessible part of the Greater Manchester area it can communicate easily with its customers by rail, air or road.

So For any of your Engineering needs, no matter how big or small, TRY KIRKS FIRST…

Taken from the Tool Business Hire Magazine – Link here:

April 13th 2010 marked a further step in the history of Francis Kirk (Socket Screws) Ltd as they teamed up with Philidas Ltd to host a stand at the Infrarail show at the NEC in Birmingham. Tom Kirk talks to Railway Strategies about this association

Company Pedigree

The Philidas brand has been around for many years; in fact it was founded in 1942 and predominantly involved in the aerospace industry. It was 1960 when the manufacturing was moved to its current site in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, where it still stands today and employs 48 people from the local area.Various ownerships and re-directions have led us to the modern-day Philidas, solely owned by Messrs Steve McHugh and Eric Sinclair. Since the acquisition of Philidas Ltd in August 2008, managing director Steve McHugh has announced details of continued investment in the company.

Introduction of apprentices to develop the talent within the company and new crack-test machinery (with a value in excess of £100,000) demonstrates that, despite the difficult times in British manufacturing, Philidas will invest and improve on its high and exacting standards.Philidas can boast 100 per cent in-house manufacture and is at the start of an ambitious yet achievable growth plan under the guidance of the new owners. Philidas aims to regain its reputation for being the number one manufacturer of female threaded fasteners and other special related products.

The appointment of a sales director is further evidence of Philidas’ commitment to invest in people and equipment to achieve success in the rail and other industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction and general engineering. “It is the objective of Philidas to supply its customers with products having the highest quality possible. This is being achieved by a programme of continuous improvement and total conformance to specification,” says Clark Hodges who was appointed as sales director in Jan 2009.

Product features

The reasons for using self-locking nuts are clear. When an ordinary nut and bolt is used to secure an assembly, the action of tightening the nut creates pressure on the bolt thread and between the abutment face of the member being secured and the nut. These pressures induce a state of tension in the bolt, which holds the nut in position and ensures full contact of the assembly mating faces.In many applications bolts are required to be stretched by a predetermined factor sufficient to hold the mating members of the assembly firmly in contact under all working conditions. To achieve this, a force commonly known as ‘tightening torque’ is applied, which will initially extend the bolt by the amount necessary to maintain this condition. Research has shown that this initial tension should be at least equal to the maximum operating load. Failure to ensure and maintain this tension initially and in service is a major cause of fatigue failure in screw fastenings.Many methods are used to secure nuts, such as split pins, jam pins and sprung washers. Many such devices are prone to failure or damage in service. Other disadvantages include the costs of these additional items, storage space, design, assembly and maintenance. Philidas all-metal self-locking nuts have definite advantages and economies factoryare effected with obvious improvement in efficiency and quality of the product.The product range includes:

30th September saw the retirement of Geoffrey Lunn who after 43 years hung up his coat behind the trade counter for the final time. He will be missed both by employees and customers. Francis Kirk’s appreciate everything Geoff has done for the company over the years and realise he will be hard to replace.

The new shop holds large stocks of all tools, fasteners, power tools, cutting tools, Personal Protective equipment, clothing and Abrasives. This new venture provides all businesses and engineers stores a chance to come to a one stop shop for all of their engineering needs.

Any enquiries can be sent to sales@franciskirk.com or 0161 336 2631