Francis Kirk’s Business Development Manager Ian Shaw is a mechanical engineer with over 35 years’ commercial experience in the fasteners and C parts sector. So, when it comes to understanding the industry landscape and the opportunities they present for our products and services, he’s got his finger on the pulse. And it’s a pulse that’s beating strongly, as the markets we operate in seek ever more effective methods of managing costs, increasing efficiencies, and optimising productivity. What does that mean for Francis Kirk and its customers in 2025? Here are Ian’s thoughts.

It’s perhaps inevitable: a Manchester-based business that’s been around for over 160 years and has exclusive UK distribution rights to some of the world’s leading fastener brands might well be mistaken for... well, a business that only sells fasteners and only in the North-West of England. But nothing could be further from the truth. Francis Kirk sells to the world, and it’s not just about quality products, but services and solutions that support our customers’ operations and help make them more efficient, too. So, read on to get a better understanding of who we are, what we do, and how we can help you.

At Francis Kirk, we’re proud to be a fifth-generation company manufacturing and supplying high-quality fasteners to industries that accept nothing less than engineering excellence. It’s how we’ve built exclusive relationships with some of the industry’s biggest names and become accredited to work with customers in critical national infrastructure disciplines like rail. But Francis Kirk isn’t ‘just’ about the nuts and bolts, so to speak. We deliver logistics and resupply services that create end-to-end solutions, enabling you to source those all-important products more readily, more economically, and more reliably. We call this the ‘three S’ approach - stock, service, solutions – and it keeps you well supplied, as well as putting us ahead of the competition. Here’s how it works.

Times change, but excellence endures – and at Francis Kirk, we’re better placed to understand this than most, as we’ve been producing and supplying innovative fasteners, fixings, and tools to the rail industry (and others) since 1868.

The most commonly used fasteners on the planet include screws, bolts, nuts, and rivets.

Fasteners play a crucial role in holding various objects and structures together, ensuring their stability, durability, and safety.

Socket head cap screws are a specific type of fastener known for their unique design and versatility. They have a cylindrical head with a recessed hexagonal socket (also known as an Allen socket) at the top, allowing them to be tightened or loosened using an Allen wrench or hex key.

Francis Kirk and Son is an independent family run 4th generation business established in 1868.

Francis Kirk have been shortlisted for Insiders Made in the North West Awards 2019