Rack Armour Ltd is a UK based company which created the globally popular Rack Armour pallet racking protector product. Currently selling in over 80 countries and manufacturing on 3 continents, Rack Armour has long been the trusted protection of choice by the world’s biggest companies. It’s also distributed through a diverse dealer network of over 200 globally.
Jenny Charlton, Director of Rack Armour spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
WLN – As the Barriers & Protection category experts, how has the category been performing in the last 12 months? What are the major trends and developments?
We have seen improved sales year on year since the products inception in 2004, and 2014 has been no exception! We put this down to people getting to know how effective the product is along with word of mouth, our product is trusted by hundreds of the world biggest companies, what greater reference do we need than that?
WLN – What are your core products and services: what are you best known for providing?
As a company we are best known as the designers and creators of the bestselling next generation pallet racking protector in the world! We have a global presence which includes dealers in over 80 countries and manufacturing on 3 continents!
WLN – What developments or upgrades have you made to your core products and services in the last 12 months?
This year we have concentrated on developing new and exciting products to add to our already successful range, I don’t want to give away too much but in the New Year we will be launching this range in a big way! As with all our new products this new range has been tested to the highest standard to make sure it lives up to the Rack Armour name, enhancing warehouse safety.
Our in house testing team ensure any new products not only conform to industry standards, but exceed it to ensure we have the most effective products on the market.
WLN – What makes you the ‘go to’ supplier in your area of expertise?
We are proud to be the only company that has created a next generation racking protection product that actually has a racking heritage! The Rack Group Ltd (Rack Armour Ltd’s parent company) has been repairing and maintaining pallet racking for the past 40 years giving us an unrivalled knowledge of pallet racking and the way it works. Some racking protection and barrier companies on the market today have little or no knowledge on the subject of pallet racking, something I find hard to believe when their core range is made specifically for it…
This being said our product has been designed, developed and tested in accordance with all stringent industry guidelines of which it exceeds significantly. Rack Armour has had numerous competitors attempt to imitate the design and performance with no avail, this speaks volumes that our product is the best on the market.
WLN – Have you launched any new products and services in the past year? How are they performing?
We have a host of new products being launched in 2015, I don’t want to give too much away… buts let’s just say it’s set to make a big impact on the market in 2015…
WLN – Which industry sectors are your customers in?
Rack Armour is sold in every sector imaginable, and each sector purchases the guard not only for its protection capabilities, but for a whole host of further benefits.
Pharmaceutical companies for instance love that Rack Armour is made from a wipe clean hygienic plastic which doesn’t rust or corrode.
The Automotive industry love the fact that Rack Armour doesn’t have to be anchored to the floor which in turn eliminates concrete damage when the guard is struck.
The cold storage industry love that Rack Armour operates in temperatures as low as -40 degrees and that the guard simply clips onto the racking in seconds, saving hundreds of hours of installation costs in freezer conditions.
I could go on and on about the varying benefits our product brings to businesses around the world, but the most important one is that Rack Armour increases warehouse safety and reduces racking repair costs as much as 80%! Saving businesses thousands and most importantly saving lives.
WLN – Can you name some of your major customers and tell us about the work you do for them?
An interesting part of my job is working with the biggest brand names in the world, we protect the racking of hundreds of the largest blue chip companies including Coca Cola, DHL, Mercedes Benz, BMW, McDonalds, IKEA, Pepsico, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Wal-Mart, Disney, Toyota, TK MAXX, B&Q, Nestle… the list is endless!
WLN – Have you made any big moves recently in terms of investment in the business, recruitment and so on?
We have recently purchased a large building close to our HQ which is primarily used for our second hand racking side of the business, but also as a testing centre for new and existing products, this has enabled us to carry out detailed tests on products old and new to develop and improve our existing portfolio.
WLN – What was your company’s single biggest achievement in the last year?
We’ve had such a successful 2014 that it’s hard to single out one individual achievement, every single sale we make for me is an achievement. I’ve seen this product develop from a simple idea to the bestselling product in its category in just over 10 years, I’m proud to have been a part of this products rise to success and I’m proud of my team that have helped it achieve so much in such a short period of time.
WLN – What are your plans for 2015? Are you planning to bring out any more products or services, move into new markets or enter new countries?
2015 will be a big year for us in the America’s, we have focused our marketing strategy and spend for this continent and will see an influx of dealers and end users throughout 2015 come from this huge market.
WLN – Are you exhibiting at any major trade shows this year?
We love exhibiting at trade shows, it’s the best way to get across our message and show business leaders exactly how Rack Armour works. It also gives us a great opportunity to meet with our distributor family and discuss how business is developing in their area and to pass on new product innovations and messages. We are exhibiting at a number of shows in the USA, Canada and throughout Europe this year, we are anticipating a huge year in terms of sales in the USA, we have developed a fantastic distributor network along with a marketing strategy for 2015 which will certainly get our name out there like never before.
WLN – What are your predictions for the industry in 2015?
I think the industry has been going from strength to strength over the past 3 years, obviously the recession hit everyone hard, but we’ve seen an unprecedented growth in sales over the past few years and I genuinely believe the budgets are now there to spend, and what better product to spend it on than one which will reduce your repair bills and potentially pay for itself within one year!
WLN – What other headline news from your company can our readers look forward to reading about in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2015?
Our parent company “The Rack Group Ltd” will be promoting their hugely successful “Rack Aid Management System” throughout 2015. It includes everything you need to reduce damage to your pallet racking and manage the whole pallet racking side of the business. Keep your eyes peeled, this system can benefit anybody looking to reduce racking repair costs and improve health and safety!
Phone: 01226 784 488
Email: info@rackarmour.com
Web: www.rackarmour.com
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