Victory Fasteners has a reputation as a reliable fastener manufacturer and distributor, but the company is now stepping up its commercial ambitions. With exports growing, specials becoming a bigger share of the mix and continuous investment in the sales team, the company is navigating a market where price pressures are intense but relationships still make the difference. Torque Magazine sits down with Lee Howell, Sales Director of Victory Fasteners, to learn more about how the company is sharpening its focus on service and growth.
Victory Fasteners specialises in various types of fastening products, including nuts, washers, hexagon heads, including prototyping, supply chain management and product traceability.
The company's supply strategy also enables it to simplify customers' supply chains by consolidating fastener needs with one trusted partner. This approach reduces administrative overhead, streamlines ordering and ensures consistent quality across all projects, giving customers a hassle-free procurement experience.
Business headwinds
Speaking of the business of Victory Fasteners, Howell says the entire fastener manufacturing industry has been facing a "tough" year.
"Over the past twelve months, as conditions have tightened, we've seen more customers focusing on price rather than service," Howell explains. "We've been to several exhibitions and made plenty of visits, and it feels like everyone in the industry is in a similar situation. For us, the focus has been on what we can control - ensuring every project runs smoothly and that customers get the support they need."
Despite these pressures, Victory has still been on a growth trajectory. "When I joined the company, turnover was just under £2 million, it's been great to be part of an ever-growing team that has helped Victory to grow since then, 2024 saw us surpass the £4.3 million mark," Howell notes.
Export is also a growing area in the company's business. Currently, the segment represents around 20% of turnover, compared with just 5% a few years ago. Europe is the natural focus for Victory Fasteners because of logistics, while growth in Norway, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Ireland are notable.
Investment in the sales team
To sustain growth, Victory Fasteners has invested in its sales team, bringing in people with specialist skill sets and experience. The company will continue to do so by having open positions for Sales Executives and Account Managers. The team now has six members, including Export Sales Manager Janusz Wachowski and Technical Sales Executive Clayton Rogers, who brings extensive expertise in exotic materials. Rogers leads the company's bespoke components and exotic materials business, helping to expand customer offerings.
Howell adds that Rogers' appointment came in response to rising demand for exotic materials. This investment also allows Victory Fasteners to move away from commodity pricing and deliver products that customers cannot easily source elsewhere.
The sales team adheres to the traditional approach of picking up the phone, speaking directly to customers and building relationships. Although emails have their place, Howell never finds them as effective as communicating over the phone.
He also says that when quoting on a job or responding to an enquiry, relying on email follow-ups lacked the impact of a proper conversation, whereas picking up the phone demonstrated commitment and helped build a stronger connection.
Howell joined Victory Fasteners in 2016 and naturally progressed to Sales Director last year, having served as Sales Manager since 2020. With several years of experience at the company, he continues to remain hands-on in daily operations. "I like to stay closely involved, personally overseeing projects where required. If we need to go an extra mile, even hand-delivering products to make sure they reach their destination on time, then that's what we'll do," he says.
Investment in manufacturing
Not only does Victory Fasteners invest in its sales team, but it also invests in its manufacturing capabilities. Historically, Victory Fasteners was a stock distributor with a small offering of simple parting off and threading on semi-finished blanks, but a bigger ambition propelled the company to expand with a much broader in-house manufacturing area.
To complement manufacturing, the business grew physically too. Over the years, it has expanded from one unit to now operating from three, including a machining hub and a dedicated stock facility, plus a new purpose-built sales and purchasing office to bring a central hub for the team. These moves helped keep more processes under one roof, giving it greater control and faster turnaround.
Currently, the company operates three CNC lathes, a Trishul milling machine, over 10 manual lathes along with broaching & traceable etching machines. Over the past 10 years, Victory has acquired businesses to enhance its manufacturing capabilities. The most recent acquisition has enabled Victory to take a leading position in drilling operations which has led to some extensive growth in certain sectors of industry.
Victory Fasteners remains committed to supplying high- quality fasteners with full traceability and rigorous certification processes. Every product is backed by Mill Test Certificates (MTCs), as well as test certificates to 3.1, 2.2, 2.1 and Certificates of Conformance (C of C), ensuring that each component meets the required specifications and industry standards.
Traceability is a cornerstone of the company's approach. Every part supplied can be tracked to its origin, with detailed material records maintained so that each batch can be traced back to its source with complete certainty.
Within the last couple of months, Victory Fasteners has also recruited the new Quality Manager, Daniel Gamble. With 30 years of industry experience, he brings a fresh perspective while also easing the burden on leadership, who previously carried much of the QA responsibility.
In addition to this appointment, Victory Fasteners has invested in Keyence's Image Dimension Measurement System, which rapidly measures dimensions, angles, and tolerances on complex parts, enhancing product quality.
With anti-dumping duties complicating exports of Chinese-origin fasteners, Victory has also taken steps to broaden its supply chain. The firm actively sources alternatives from markets such as Vietnam, Taiwan and throughout Europe, giving customers greater flexibility and options for supply. Victory is also the largest stockholder of European-origin product, finished or pre-finished.
Currently, Victory Fasteners delivers products to over 65 countries worldwide, ensuring compliance with international regulations and seamless distribution.
Pillars of business and growth
Victory Fasteners' strongest business driver remains the rail sector, supported by its long-standing ties with the automotive industry. The company's drilling expertise has proved particularly valuable in rail applications. Beyond this, nuclear continues to perform strongly, while motorsport is beginning to pick up again.
Looking ahead, Victory Fasteners' focus will remain on maintaining and strengthening customer relationships. With market conditions tightening, many customers are seeking cheaper alternatives or cutting back on spending, a trend Victory acknowledges but seeks to counter through service and support.
"Every penny counts for customers right now, and we under- stand the pressures they face," Howell notes. "But for us, it's about being present, visiting clients, ensuring they receive the level of service they have come to expect from us and deserve."
Ongoing investment is also central to the company's strat- egy. Under Managing Director Mike Cooke's leadership, Victory will continue investing in its operations, whether that means the latest CNC machinery, additional personnel or other resources to support growth. This forward-looking approach ensures the company is not only meeting current demand but also preparing for future opportunities.
