How It All Began
Back in 1990, two brothers, Roy and Rob Edwards - spotted a gap in the market. Roy was an Aircraft Approved Welder, Rob a Senior Design Engineer, and together they decided to bring something fresh to the welding industry: quality products at fair prices, backed up by great service and know-how.
On 1 April 1990, Rapid Welding opened its doors in Portchester, Portsmouth. From those early days, word spread quickly. Manufacturers noticed our commitment, and before long we were appointed agents for some of the biggest suppliers in welding.
Growing Rapid
Fast-forward to today and things look a little different. Our award-winning website lists over 50,000 products, and we’ve shipped over 400,000 orders to 136 countries worldwide (an amazing 70% of the countries on Earth).
But if you ask Roy and Rob what’s kept Rapid going strong, they’ll tell you it’s not just the products, it’s the people. Our team has grown to more than 30 dedicated specialists, including technical reps covering Hampshire, West Sussex, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Supporting them, we have skilled staff based in our Portsmouth and Hedge End offices, ensuring customers and the field team have all the advice, guidance and backup they need. Meanwhile, our busy Service Department keeps machines running smoothly with maintenance, repairs, validation and gas testing.
Expanding with RentArc: The Rapid Group
In 2014 we introduced RentArc, our sister company specialising in welding equipment hire. Whether it’s a short-term job or a long-term project, RentArc works alongside Rapid to make sure customers always have the right kit, right when they need it.
In 2017, RentArc and our Service Department moved to brand-new premises in Hedge End. The extra space meant we could expand our services and increase working capacity, while freeing up our Portchester site to hold more stock and get supplies out the door even faster.
A Growing Leadership Team
As Rapid has grown, so has our leadership. In 2018, Stuart Rogers joined us as Operations Director and Andy Doe became Sales Director. Then in 2022, James Edwards stepped in as Service Director, alongside Dave Austin as IT Director. Together with the rest of the team, they’re helping shape the future of Rapid, keeping us moving forward while staying true to the values we started with.
What We Stand For
Of course, we’re not just about business. We care about how we work, too. That means recycling packaging where we can, reducing waste and doing our bit to protect the environment for future generations.
For us, it all comes down to what we call The Rapid Experience:
- Quality Products
- Quality Advice
- Quality Service