8 • INDUSTRYNEWS
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Make it UNION
“ Three solid reasons to choose UNION … quality , reliability and expertise ”, says Eryl Jones , Managing Director of ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions , a UK division of ASSA ABLOY . The company is currently rebranding and here , Eryl Jones explores what this means for locksmiths .
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OVER THE LAST YEAR , UNION HAS sought and listened to feedback from Locksmiths on how it can continue to provide the quality and value they expect from UNION and how they can deliver even better products and service in the future .
We have spent considerable time visiting our Locksmith customers and have listened to their feedback . Most importantly , we ’ ve learnt from what they had to say and this feedback has formed the basis of our rebrand and will continue to inform the future of UNION .
The most easily identifiable part of the UNION rebrand is the look and feel . We have simplified the look and feel of our branding to make it more impactful and easily recognisable . This will give the UNION brand an increased visual presence with our distribution channels , as well as Locksmiths and end users .
Although , the rebrand is predominantly about the look and feel of UNION , considerable investment in research and development is also being made , culminating in new product offers .
As part of ASSA ABLOY group we are heavily supported with research and development investment to ensure UNION can offer a complete door solution to Locksmiths . We are reviewing our product portfolio to ensure it meets the specific needs of Locksmiths and identifying where there are new product opportunities in our range . This includes updates to keyULTRA™ and a complete refresh of our door closer offer .
As with the rebrand , Locksmith feedback is an important part of the process for product development and as they are specialists we listen to their feedback . The StrongBOLT ® range is a prime example of how UNION is using customer feedback to inform its product development .
The original British Standard StrongBOLT ® mortice lock is known in the market for its quality , durability and value for money . A number of installers fed back to UNION that they would benefit from having these features across a wider range of products . So , UNION extended the range , and further developed StrongBOLT ® to save installers time when fitting locks to all projects , from bathrooms , to front doors .
Product development and innovation will be supported by an increased focus on marketing . This will include improved and more user friendly catalogues and tools to help Locksmiths ’ sell products to their customers .
The rebrand campaign focusses on the three solid reasons why Locksmiths should choose UNION . First and foremost UNION stands for expertise . We have a rich heritage dating back to 1840 . Our master keying department has a combined experience of over 217 years and we have Masterkey schedules in our archives dating back to the 1920s .
Our expertise allows us to continue to innovate to offer an enhanced service and provides us with the flexibility to reduce the lead-time on Masterkey high security cylinders from a week to 48 hours . We understand the pressures that our customers are under to deliver in a 24-7 market , so have worked extensively to reduce the lead time of our cylinders .
‘ Quality , durability and value for money ’
Expertise around UK design and product development is retained in house ; so that locksmiths can be sure they are fitting a product they can trust . British design and product development helps us to guarantee that our products have excellent quality and reliability . This has been fundamental in providing the product assurance and value that is essential in building and maintaining Locksmiths ’ trust in the UNION brand .
For further information please visit www . uniononline . co . uk
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL . CO . UK | JUL / AUG 2016 Sponsored by ASSA ABLOY