Martin Supply is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve McClanahan as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Steve brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent the past 25 years at ANConnect, formerly Anderson Merchandisers, an $800 million wholesale distribution company. While at ANConnect, Steve held several executive management positions, including CFO and COO. Notably, he played a pivotal role in overseeing 13 merger and acquisition projects, with a combined estimated value of $350 million, contributing significantly to the company's growth and success.

The Fastener Training Institute (FTI) announces it will offer Fastener Training Week in Southern California, December 4-8. It comes on the heels of a sold-out session, so advance registration is encouraged.

“We had an incredible full class in Chicago last month and are eager to be on the west coast for an equally successful training week,” shared Jo Morris, FTI marketing director. “It’s wonderful to support students on the path to acquiring advanced knowledge, skills and confidence,” she added.

Fastener Training Institute (FTI) announces upcoming Fastener Basics classes in three separate locations in Colorado and California.

September 22: Denver, CO
September 27: Los Angeles, CA
November 16: Union City, CA

 Marc O. Strandquist, 61, of Jackson, TN, passed away on Thursday, August 31, 2023. Born June 5, 1962, in Wurzburg, Germany, the son of Jack D. Strandquist and Johana Rhineline.

Marc is survived by his wife, Vonda; three wonderful children, Erica Strandquist, A.J. Strandquist, and Thomas (Alyssa) Strandquist; grandchildren, Walter and Oliver; mother, Johana; siblings, Kyle (Kris Curtiss) Strandquist and Mike (Mary Ellen) Strandquist; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his father, Jack. 

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company has shared the sad news of the passing of Marc Somers.

"Our company has suffered a monumental loss, a devastating blow to the very heart of our Mid-States family and to the fastener community. On Tuesday 5/23/23, Marc Somers passed from this life to the next after a long, arduous and valiant fight.

The 9th Fastener Fair Global, international exhibition for the fastener and fixing Industry, ended last week after three successful show days at the Messe Stuttgart exhibition center in Germany. Almost 11,000 trade visitors from 83 countries attended the event to discover the latest innovations, products, and services from all areas of fastener and fixing technology and to connect with other industry professionals from various manufacturing and industrial sectors.

Fastener Fair Global 2023 welcomed around 1,000 exhibitors from 46 countries, filling up halls 1, 3, 5 and 7 of the exhibition venue. Covering a net exhibition space of over 23,230 sqm, a 1,000 sqm increase compared to the previous show in 2019, exhibitors presented the complete spectrum of fastener and fixing technologies: industrial fasteners and fixings, construction fixings, assembly and installation systems and fastener manufacturing technology. As a result, the 2023 edition represents the biggest Fastener Fair Global to date.

After 51 years of success operating as a single location in Spokane, Washington, Empire Bolt & Screw announces the opening of a second warehouse distribution facility in Summerville, SC.

President and CEO Ron Stanley stated, "After receiving requests from various customers needing more localized inventory, we listened and started the process of setting up a distribution warehouse in South Carolina. We are already seeing the advantages of having inventory closer to our customers due to the logistical challenges of shipping freight across the country. Under the direction of chief operations officer, Jennifer Sturm, our new service facility was established within four short months at a location 2,600 miles away from our Spokane headquarters."

A group of fastener industry veterans gathered recently in Naples, FL to celebrate Jim Ruetz earning his PhD. Pictured from left to right are:

Congratulations to Jim Ruetz, now known as Dr. James Ruetz, Ph.D. Jim recently graduated with his doctorate from Oklahoma State University. His dissertation titled “Succession Versus Harvest in the Family Business: The Role of Passion and Family Involvement in Exit Strategy” involved 118 family business owners and 33 private equity managers.

Jim thanks those NFDA members who played a big role by participating in his data collection. He will present his findings during the upcoming NFDA Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL on June 14, 2023.

Martin Inc. Welcomes Marc Strandquist, Executive Vice President, Fastening Solutions

Martin Inc., one of the nation’s leading providers of custom-tailored solutions for maintenance, repair, operation and production supplies, welcomes Marc Strandquist to the role of executive vice president, Fastening Solutions Division. In this role, Marc will develop and execute strategic plans, drive efficiency and profitability, create synergy across all Martin business units, while building and leading the fastening team to achieve business objectives.

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Ed McIlhon. We’d like to share with you the obituary lovingly written by his family.

Edward (Ed) James McIlhon journeyed peacefully to Heaven on July 11, 2022. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 52 years and his four children every step of the way.

Fastener Fair USA announced today the decision to postpone the show scheduled for June 22-24, 2021. The event has been rescheduled for November 8-10, 2021 (Conference: November 8 | Expo Hall: November 9-10) at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Ohio.

“After extensive consultation and ongoing monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made this decision with the wellbeing of all our customers and partners as our highest priority,” said Marie Brown, group vice president, Reed Exhibitions. “We are developing additional channels and digital tools to complement the live event in order to serve the industry, support our loyal exhibitors, and to ensure our attendees have access to find the solutions they need.”

IFE Americas is proud to announce that we are now working in cooperation with R.L. English to offer a high quality range of fluid system components with a first class service level.

Marty Nolan runs the R.L. English Co., a manufacturers rep group located in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Marty is a 35 year veteran of the fastener industry and has been involved with several fasteners associations locally and nationally over the years. In 2019, Marty was inducted into the Fastener Hall of Fame. His company covers Ohio and the surrounding states as well as some national accounts. 

From the NAW Blog

2020 has been a tough year for most distribution sales teams. In certain markets — such as janitorial and sanitation, HVAC, home improvement and landscaping — shifting consumption patterns have spurred rapid growth. Customers increasingly engage with suppliers through e-commerce, market platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba, and virtual meeting platforms. These new, emerging buyer and seller engagement models present compelling value and efficiencies that are certain to endure beyond the pandemic.

From the NAW Blog

It has become a universally accepted truth that the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated customer expectations for buying online. Many distributors report a dramatic shift toward customer orders placed on e-commerce platforms. This trend has confirmed what many have said for several years: distributors must invest in modern e-commerce platforms to remain a viable source for meeting customer expectations. But is doing so enough? Is there a more vital lesson that many distributors are missing? Will distribution miss a critical opportunity for locking in unbreakable customer loyalty if they remain blind to the bigger picture? 

From the NAW Blog

In our playbook for distributors to SURGE ahead using customer stratification, we outlined ways distributors could segment customers to boost profitability — particularly to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe it is a foundational analytics practice for any distributor. And its applications in the pursuit of profitable growth are almost endless.

Buckeye Fasteners and its affiliated companies have a new mobile app that will give users direct access to five manufacturing plants in North East Ohio:

• Brainard Rivet
• Buckeye Fasteners
• Joseph Industries
• Ohio Nut & Bolt
• Plan-E-Tech Tool and Die

You can use it to request a quote and can include your agent if you have one. The app will be useful in the field or in your office.

From the NAW Blog

One of the most valuable resources distributors have is their data. Data can reveal what your customers are likely to buy, what growth opportunities you’re missing out on and where you can cut costs. Distributors with the right data can meet customer needs and dominate competitors. But acquiring and handling data properly is no easy task.

Epicor has just released its newest version of Prophet 21. Some of the new enhancements include:

• Access to Prophet 21 remotely using any device in the P21 Web App
• Epicor Commerce Connect (ECC) brings you a full line of eCommerce offerings
• Epicor Rentals Management makes the rentals process more efficient
• Automate work, increase customer satisfaction, and grow service revenue with Service Pro
• Process shipping transactions quickly and efficiently with Epicor QuickShip
• Create budgeting, forecasting, and planning reports/dashboards with Epicor Data Analytics (EDA)
• Allow each user to create more intuitive reports with Prophet 21 Report Studio

Click here to view the full list

S.W. Anderson Company, a specialty and class C component distributor, has acquired OEM Fastening Systems, a specialty fastener distributor in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

"We're excited to welcome the OEM Fastening Systems employees to the S.W. Anderson family" stated Jim Degnan, president of S.W. Anderson. "OEM's reputation in the southeast U.S. as a customer-focused product expert aligns closely with S.W. Anderson's value proposition. We look forward to working with our new team members to extend our products and services to OEM’s customer base. "