News from NAW:

In another of our many efforts to restore sound labor policy after years of pro-labor activism, NAW has joined in another amicus brief in a case before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  In this case, the Board is considering whether inappropriate employee activity and conduct should forfeit the protection of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and whether handbook rules that prohibit that behavior should be permissible.  Specifically, the Board is considering whether employee activity/behavior that is – among other things – profane, sexually explicit, racially insensitive, degrading, repugnant, bullying, uncivil, etc., should be considered protected activity.  Click here to view the brief.

From the NAW Blog:

Over the last many years, distributors have faced down one challenge after another including the emergence of big-box retailers, disintermediation by manufacturers, the financial crisis of 2008 and more. Distribution survived because of the strength of their customer relationships and an ongoing commitment to gain efficiencies by investing in business systems and information technology. Faced with new disruptive threats, this trend is continuing as distributors invest in e-commerce platforms and a wide range of digital tools.

We were all shocked and saddened to learn that Joe Greenslade passed away suddenly on Wednesday, October 23, at age 71.

Joe served as IFI’s Technical Director from 2007 until 2015. He was a fastener industry icon and highly respected and admired. Joe had a refreshing “can do” approach, an ability to build consensus, a knack for simple solutions, and a gentle, kind and jovial personality that endeared him to all. Joe thoroughly enjoyed working in the fastener industry and was always fully committed to completing anything he set out to accomplish.

We were shocked and saddened to learn last week that Joe Greenslade passed away suddenly on Wednesday, October 23.

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With the arrival of Fall and the turning of leaves, it’s time for Suzy Cravens to start thinking about cookies. “Not just any kind of cookies, but highly decorated cookies,” says Suzy.

It all started back in the 1990s, when Suzy, a self-professed crafter, sewer, baker, and all-around handy gal, decided to venture into the world of cake decorating to satisfy her creative whimsy. After taking several classes she started teaching cake and cookie decorating in her spare time. She also began a home cake decorating business which eventually led to her becoming quite well known in the area as the Cake Lady.

Joe served as Technical Director for the Industrial Fasteners Institute from 2007 until 2015. He was a fastener industry icon, having started his career in 1970 working for various fastener manufacturers before founding Greenslade and Company in 1978.  He sold the company in 2007 and came to work for the IFI.  In a recent conversation with IFI managing director, Joe said that working for IFI had been his dream job.  You could tell he thoroughly enjoyed working in the industry, and he put 100% of his effort into anything he set out to accomplish.

Joe retired from IFI in 2015 when Salim Brahimi took over as Technical Director.  Joe stayed on as a special consultant to IFI, maintaining the upkeep of the IFI Technology Connection software that he had developed and is relied upon by many companies today.

Gordon's family has shared the following information with NFDA:

Gordon, age 76, entered the presence of his Lord on October 19, 2019. He was born on July 7, 1943 to Gustave and Joan (Alkema) Vandermeulen in Grand Rapids, MI. Gordon married Elaine Brunz on June 20, 1965. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Elaine; children Jodi and Rob Hanlon, Quinn and Sydney; Grant and Jennifer Vandermeulen, Gideon and Nathan; brother Jim and Jill Vandermeulen; sister Judy Vandermeulen; brothers-in-law Wayne (Joyce) Brunz, David (Cindy) Brunz, Roy (Sue) Brunz; nieces and nephews. 

Washington, DC (October 21, 2019) — Wholesaler-distributors are invited to join the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and our sponsor PROS on Thursday, November 14, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, for a live webinar: “Welcome to the Age of B2B Innovation.”

Anyone who has a calendar conflict and won’t be able to attend this live webinar, should register anyway. PROS will send registrants a link to view the webinar on demand. Register here.

LIVONIA, MI, September 3, 2019 – General Fasteners Company (GFC), a full-service distributor of fasteners and assembly components for manufacturers, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Clarke as President of General Fasteners Company and General Fasteners de México.

Ian comes to GFC with over 35 years of success in the fastener distribution and manufacturing industries. His impressive credentials align with GFC’s Board of Directors’ objective of creating a culture of growth based on superior customer service and operational excellence.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. September 12, 2019 - Engineered fastener and components distributor, EFC International, continues to “Redefine the World of Distribution”, exhibited in part by the company’s recent implementation of Power BI (from Microsoft). Power BI is linked to their internal SAP operating system and CRM software.

EFC has been at the leading edge of the industrial distribution industry, embracing and implementing advanced innovative technology and digital transformation. Matt Dudenhoeffer, CEO, stated “EFC’s implementation of Power BI provides our team with a powerful business analytics tool that delivers real-time interactive dashboards customized to our business strategy and performance metrics. Our SAP and CRM systems are incredibly versatile in enabling customized reports for our suppliers and customers, and now we can take that a step further with interactive visualizations through a simple interface.”

EFC International provides safe and high quality swing couplings for hydraulic, pneumatic, vacuum, gas, chemical fluid and water applications. The swing couplings are manufactured with the latest technologies to provide production methods that achieve efficiency, increase plant safety, improve productivity and save costs for industrial connections.

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We're celebrating 10 years of manufacturing the world's best Wave Springs this summer with one TINY announcement!
Rotor Clip's proud to announce that we are able to produce wave springs as small as 3mm O.D.!

(That's .118 inches)

Midland Industries is happy to announce our new Press Ball Valves are coming soon. The Press Ball Valves will be ready to ship on August 1st.

EFC International’s offering of the BCT Rivet nut is a best practice light-weighting solution for attaching carbon fiber and composite panels in automotive.  The rivet nuts are manufactured by BBA with BCT® (Bulge Control Technology).

BCT Rivet Nuts are ultra-high strength and engineered to prevent cracking or delamination of carbon fiber panels. The patented design enables an engineered yield point on the body of the rivet nut ensuring the bulge formation always begins beyond the panel and is drawn back on the panel. BCT rivet nuts can be placed near the edge of the panel without fear of inducing a crack in the panel.

The Gilchrist Foundation has awarded three scholarships from the 2019 applicants. Congratulations to the recipients. We wish them well and are pleased to assist them with their education.

They are as follows and their sponsoring companies:

The National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) recently awarded a scholarship for Fastener Training Week, an advanced fastener technical training program produced by the Fastener Training Institute, to Jeffrey Boushell, an outside sales representative for Wurth Revcar (Roanoke, Virginia).

Jeff’s supervisor, Jamie Farrell, says, “Jeff hit the ground running just over 12 months ago, capitalizing upon his sales training and experience from previous jobs. His intuitive mechanical abilities have allowed him to become an immediate asset to his existing customers. However, in the highly competitive fastener market, we want Jeff to stand out from the crowd.

Würth Industry North America is pleased to announce its exclusive partnership with The Fastener Training Institute as the 2019 "Sustaining Sponsor" of FTI. This new level of sponsorship will help FTI fund both existing programs and develop the new content needed to grow. The generous support of Würth will be acknowledged throughout the year at FTI classes, webinars and industry events.

"We are excited to partner with FTI to ensure we provide the next generation of engineers and technicians with the knowledge they need to support their companies' growth and innovation", said Dan Hill, Chief Executive Officer for Würth Industry North America. "Würth prides itself on a long history of engineering expertise and appreciates FTI providing high quality fastener training for the industry."

Advanced Cable Ties is proud to announce the release of another high-quality product manufactured in the USA at its headquarters in Gardner, Massachusetts.

The market has spoken and ACT has once again delivered an innovative approach to an existing idea.  Engineers in many industries have asked for a Fir Tree Push-Mount Cable Tie with superior holding power.

Assembled Products, Inc has earned recognition as a Partner-level supplier for 2018, and was inducted into the Supplier Hall of Fame and Enterprise Supply Management Supplier of the Year in the John Deere Achieving Excellence Program. The Partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating. Hall of Fame status is given after a supplier attains a Partner-level rating for five consecutive years. The Urbandale-based company was selected for the honor in recognition of its dedication to providing products and service of outstanding quality as well as its commitment to continuous improvement. Company employees accepted the recognition during formal ceremonies held on April 16th in Davenport, IA.

Assembled Products, Inc is a supplier of Consolidation and Assembly Services to John Deere’s operation throughout North America.