profile
Ian Doherty is the Chief Executive of Owlett-Jaton, the UK and Ireland’s largest wholesaler of fasteners and fixings.
Following an extensive career in distributive businesses, Ian joined Owlett-Jaton in 2016. Ian brings a passion for customer service along with extensive hands-on experience in sales, marketing and supply chain operations.
In addition to his role at Owlett-Jaton, Ian is also currently Chairman of the British and Irish Association of Fastener Distributors (BIAFD) and their representative to the European Federation of Distributor Associations (EFDA).
Owlett-Jaton
With a 30,000 SKU product range, Owlett-Jaton, the UK’s largest wholesaler of fasteners and fixings, supplies a comprehensive range of products to UK customers with next-day delivery. Established in 1947, Owlett-Jaton offers a complete wholesale solution to the builders’ merchant and distributor trade.
Among Owlett-Jaton’s well-known and trusted market-leading brands are the Unifix range of products, Vortex high-performance woodscrews, Thunderbolts and the extensive JCP range of specialist fixings. All products are backed up by technical support and endorsed by the company’s ISO 9001:2015 quality accreditation.
Owlett-Jaton is the only fastener and fixings wholesaler to have achieved the ISO 14001:2015 environmental accreditation and is continually striving to improve the sustainability of its operations and products.
Visit: www.owlett-jaton.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/owlett-jaton
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jcp-construction-products
Launched in 2015, the award winning monthly Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report is the only reliable measure of repair, maintenance & improvement (RMI) activity in the UK. Filling an important gap, it can be widely used in construction, and by economists, Government, national media, commentators and influencers outside the industry.
Owlett-Jaton Comment: Q1 2024
The trends of late 2023 have continued into 2024, with subdued demand in both construction and the repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) sectors leading to lower volumes in the fastener and fixings sector. With the vast majority of fixings and fasteners being imported from the Far East, the effective closure of the Suez Canal has increased shipping costs. In spite of this, pricing has remained stable, with increased costs being absorbed by importers and distributors.
The need for shipping to use the longer Cape of Good Hope route has had some impact on product availability. Initial supply chain disruption was largely absorbed by the stocks held in the UK, but while shipping schedules have stabilised, there have been delays which have led to a degree of stock depletion, which is starting to have some impact on product availability. It is expected that availability will improve as we move through quarter two and normal stock levels in the supply chain are rebuilt.
The full implementation of UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed, the successor to the CE mark) for construction products will be with us in July 2025. Although this may seem some way off and not a current issue, it very much is. With the long lead times for products sourced from the Far East and the stocks held in the UK supply chain, from supplier to shelf, the need for the product on the shelf to be UKCA compliant on 1st July 2025 means that there is a need for UKCA compliant product to be entering the supply chain in the not too distant future. The requirement from the government for construction products to be re-tested has been onerous with limited test facilities available and, although testing has been underway for some time, in many cases, it may be some months before UKCA tested product starts making its way onto shelves.