The Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) has announced it is starting the development of a groundbreaking new apprenticeship program for machine operators that will be recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. This program aims to address the pressing issue of workforce shortage in the fastener manufacturing industry. With an increasing number of skilled machine operators retiring each year, the need to transfer their knowledge and expertise to the next generation has become critical. IFI has partnered on the development of the apprenticeship program with the Marshall University Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC), located in West Virginia. Marshall’s MAMC is well versed in the development of apprenticeship programs, having successfully written and implemented multiple such programs in use across the country today.  

"The shortage of workers in fastener manufacturing will not resolve on its own. With each passing year, our industry continues to lose skilled machine operators to retirement, and that knowledge must be passed on to the next generation," stated Dan Walker, Managing Director of IFI. "IFI and its members have decided to roll up our sleeves and create an apprenticeship program for our industry to help solve this ongoing problem." 

Fastener Training Institute (FTI) is partnering with International Fastener Expo (IFE) and hosting a day-long fastener training class on Monday, October 9. IFE runs October 9-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Fastener Fundamentals - The Nuts and Bolts for Fastener Professionals, will be instructed by Carmen Vertullo, Fastener Consultant and Trainer of Carver Labs. He will teach the basics of fasteners and beyond to industry professionals including the best of Fastener Training Institute’s Fastener Basic Training and Certified Specialist Training programs. 

Fastener Training Institute (FTI) is excited to announce the next Fastener Training Week in Chicago, IL from August 21-25. The event will be held at the Lincolnshire Marriott and is hosted by the Mid-West Fasteners Association (MWFA). 

FTI’s advanced technical training program is for fastener distributors, manufacturers and end-users and is part of FTI’s Certified Fastener Specialist™ (CFS) advanced technical training program. It combines small group classroom education, discussions and hands-on exercises along with plant and testing facility tours and networking opportunities. At weeks-end, students test for CFS designation.

ACME Manufacturing is announcing that John Barrett will lead the company as President and Chief Operating Officer effective on June 1st, 2023. Barrett will succeed Tim Broderick as he retires in June 2023.

Barrett’s most recent post was at Oribi Composites, where he was Chief Operating Officer for three years. John brings 28 years of experience in manufacturing to ACME. He earned a master’s degree in operations and manufacturing management from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. Barrett’s experience extends into the United States military where he served as an Officer in the Army while deployed in Operation Desert Storm.

SPIROL is pleased to announce that Ford Aerospace Ltd based in South Shields, UK will be joining the SPIROL group of companies. 

Ford Aerospace was founded at Tyne Dock in 1910 by Robert Ford, and the family business has most recently been led by the founder’s great-grandson, Chris Ford. The company specializes in manufacturing high precision metal components and sub-assemblies for the aerospace, industrial, and high-technology sectors.  It’s been a leading supplier over its 113 year history dating back almost as far as the first recorded flight in 1903 by the Wright Brothers.

Frontenac-backed EFC International announced March 2 that it has acquired St. Louis-based Inventory Sales Company (ISC), a distributor of fastener products, components, and struts/accessories to diversified industrial and infrastructure markets. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

EFC, based in St. Louis, MO, operates globally and provides solutions such as engineering support, sales and marketing, distribution, and high-touch service to customers in the automotive, industrial, and other technical end markets. The Company has served as a critical link between suppliers and customers for over 35 years. EFC has a history of growth driven by longstanding supplier relationships and a tenured customer base.  

Jo Morris, Managing Partner at Desert Distribution Sales, LLC, and Karen Ardizone, owner of Incentive Sales, are today announcing that they are combining their manufacturer’s representative agencies. Effective March 1, 2023, they will conduct business as Desert Distribution Sales and cover the territories of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah. 

John Wachman, Founder and Partner at Desert Distribution, expressed his appreciation for the work Karen and Jo did to bring this agreement forward. He also noted the long and accomplished careers that both these women have had in the fastener business. 

The Fastener Training Institute (FTI), the leading nonprofit provider of fastener product and technical training, is excited to announce Würth Industry North America (WINA) will continue as sustaining sponsor in 2023. This will mark the fifth year of partnership between the two organizations. 

“Würth’s continued support is instrumental to our ability to offer frequent and robust educational opportunities which enhance knowledge, safety and reliability across the fastener industry,” said John Wachman, Managing Director for FTI. Thanks to Würth’s support, FTI will continue to offer an extensive menu of in-person fastener training classes taught by leading industry expert instructors, as well as live webinars and an on-demand Online Learning Library (OLL).  

From The Center for Financial, Legal, & Tax Planning, Inc:

It isn’t exactly a secret that taxpayers and business owners consistently look to pay as little money as possible to the federal government. Whether they use tax deductions, tax credits, or any other means of reducing their tax burden. When it comes to business owners, one way to do this is to evaluate the taxation structure of your corporate entity. There are several different options to choose from, such as sole proprietors (where income is reported on an individual’s Schedule C) or partnerships (where income is reported on a business’ Form 1065. Other individuals, however, may find it to be more beneficial to elect as either an S corporation or a C corporation status with the Internal Revenue Service to effectively minimize tax burdens.

Fastener distributor The Olander Company, Inc. has confirmed last month that they are now certified by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, as meeting the high standards for quality outlined in their ISO 9001:2015 edition.

When serving industries like medical technology, semiconductor manufacturing, and automotive and aerospace engineering, a meticulous quality management system is key. Olander’s internal processes focus on continuous improvement and thorough documentation. “Our policy is that Olander meets or exceeds our customer’s requirements with quality products at competitive prices, through our Quality Management System (QMS) and continuous improvement process,” says Richard Thiedt, Operations and Quality Manager at Olander, who oversaw the auditing and certification process. “We’re glad to finally be certified,” he continued. “It has always been a priority for us at Olander to be excellent corporate partner to our customers, and they’ll now have the additional assurance of our ISO certification. We stand by our products and services, and constantly work to improve.” 

Please enjoy the November 2022 Tax Article from The Center For Financial, Legal & Tax Planning:

Big Bolt expands its presence in the strategic secondary services growth category.

Big Bolt, LLC (“Big Bolt”), one of the largest specialty fastener manufacturers in the US, announced it has acquired Delta Secondary, LLC (“Delta”), an Illinois-based manufacturer of fasteners and provider of secondary services.

LindFast Solutions Group (LSG), a leading master distributor of specialty fasteners in North America, today announced the completion of its purchase of Star Stainless Screw Company (Star). Together LSG and Star will be even more effective at meeting the needs of their diverse customer base, ranging from stainless to inch, to metric, to value-added services, and more.

"We believe the combination of LSG and Star will give our collective customers unparalleled ability to meet all of their fastener needs with one company," said LindFast CEO Bill Niketas. "With Star's 14 branches and distribution centers across North America and the 16 locations we have, this collective footprint will allow our customers to access product even more efficiently than in the past."

From the NAW Blog:

There is a silent but growing profit drain leaking away at wholesale distributors this year, and according to experts, it’s likely to double next year and beyond. For the average distributor with an EBIT of four percent, it could potentially reduce their profitability by 60 to 150 basis points, or 15 to 25 percent. However, for a select group of companies, it will increase profitability by the same percentages. What’s going on here?

From the NAW Blog:

AI is an incredibly beneficial tool for distributors who want to transform their offerings and get ahead of the competition. Artificial intelligence can analyze complex data and provide unique insights into customer patterns, product demand and future sales. With it, you can support various sales channels and enhance how your team interacts with customers.

The Fastener Training Institute (FTI) is proud to announce Marketing Director Jo Morris has been named the “2021 Woman in Business” by Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI). WIFI defines a Woman in Business as a champion and community advocate who works to unite, educate, mentor and encourage other women to reach their full potential.

“I am immensely grateful to belong to such an outstanding association and honored to receive this special award,” said Morris. “There are many women in the fastener industry I look up to and respect, especially my fellow WIFI members, who have worked hard over the years to advance women in the fastener industry.”

S.W. Anderson Company, a specialty and class C component distributor, has made two acquisitions: Jet Fitting & Supply Corp, a specialty and standard fastener distributor in Santa Ana, California, since 1946; and The M.E. Martin Company, a standard fastener distributor in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1977.

"We're thrilled to add both the Jet Fitting and M.E. Martin employees to S.W. Anderson," stated Jim Degnan, President of S.W. Anderson Company. "Their ability to work on applications with customers will pair well with S.W. Anderson's technical sales model and access to engineered products. We look forward to supporting our newly acquired customers with more products, services, and technical resources to help grow their businesses.

As one of the world-class industrial fasteners trading platforms, the sixth edition of "The Taiwan International Fastener Show (Fastener Taiwan)" will be launched from April 19-21, 2022 in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. This long-awaited gathering of the world-leading B2B fastener industry leaders is a one stop shop to conduct business with stakeholders across the global supply chain.

In 2022, the exhibition provides exhibitors and buyers with a complete virtual and real integrated digital marketing platform. Hybrid online & offline events such as online exhibition, online product seminar, live tours, global fastener forum, online procurement meeting and on-site guide for online visitors.