Video sponsor: EUROLINK FASTENER SUPPLY & SERVICE “Hard-to-Find Metric Fasteners Delivered”
Eurolink is the premier US Distributor of metric fasteners and fastener lines with hard-to-find metric fasteners manufactured to both DIN and ISO standards. As the nation’s leading source for hard-to-find metric fasteners, Eurolink offers access to more than 100,000 quality C-class parts from countries such as Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, France, and Great Britain. Regardless of your required size, material, or finish, Eurolink has the European resources to meet your demands. If you’re looking for a top fastener supplier you’ve found one!
Nick Ruetz of AIS has been elected as the 2022-2023 president of the National Fastener Distributors Association. Jim Degnan of S. W. Anderson will serve as vice president, Mike Robinson of Vertex Distribution will serve as associate chair, and Kevin Godin of AFC Industries will remain on the Board as immediate past president.
Gigi Calfee of Copper State Bolt & Nut, Jake Glaser of Sherex Fastening Solutions, and Scott McDaniel of TR Fastenings have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors effective June 21, 2022.
Continuing on the NFDA Board are Kelly Charles of Sems & Specials, Jon Queenin of Specialty Bolt & Screw, and Marc Somers of Mid-States Bolt & Screw.
Tribute was paid during the meeting to retiring Board members Adam Derry of Field, Craig Penland of Eurolink Fastener Supply Service, and Jodie Thinnes of Copper State Bolt & Nut.
AFC Industries has acquired Heathfield, U.K. based TFC Ltd. (https://tfc.eu.com/) Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For over 60 years, TFC has been one of Europe’s leading suppliers of industrial fastening products and services supplying customers via a network of UK and European locations. TFC offers customized VMI, product solutions, and engineering & design consultation for a wide range of industrial markets. TFC will continue to be led by Morgan Burgoyne and the current TFC management team as the AFC European business unit.
AFC CEO Kevin Godin said, “we have been looking for some time to be able to better support customers in Europe, but it was crucial to find the right team who shared AFC values and bias for execution. We recognized in TFC a similar commitment to customer service, team culture, and execution that have been central to AFC’s success. We are excited to have Morgan and his team join the AFC family and supporting them in their continued growth.”
TFC CEO Morgan Burgoyne added, “AFC was a natural fit for us. With a shared vision and AFC’s support, TFC will be well positioned to further strengthen its support of existing customers and expand into new regions and markets.”
Headquartered in Fairfield OH, AFC Industries is a dynamic organization dedicated to providing supply chain management solutions for fasteners, tooling, and assembly components to original equipment manufacturers, assembly plants, and other users of these products. Their supply solutions include Vendor Managed Inventory, Stock and Release programs, Light Assembly, Kitting, and Private Labeling services amongst others. AFC supports a diverse base of manufacturers across a broad range of industries. Their experienced team has a proven track record of helping manufacturers and assemblers reduce cost, improve quality, and increase efficiency. (www.afcind.com)
In April 2021 AFC Industries was acquired by Bertram Capital, based in Foster City CA. (www.bertramcapital.com)
NEFCO a family-owned and operated construction supply company, is expanding its reach to the Midwest with the acquisition of Jiffy Fastening Systems headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. This is NEFCO’s 6th acquisition since 2017. Founded in 1967, Jiffy supplies a large breadth of product to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors throughout Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.
Endries International, a fastener distributor located in Brillion,WI has purchased Store Room Fasteners, a 38-year-old business based in Montgomery, AL. Financial terms were not disclosed. Company president Steve Endries said in a statement that “Endries is thrilled to welcome Store Room Fasteners into our family,” Tim has built an organization that mirrors what Endries was and is. The methodology and approach both companies follow is very consistent. We look forward to working with our new team members to improve our overall market offerings.” @Endries_Int
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 41st edition of the International Fastener Expo which will take place in Las Vegas, NV October 17-19th. The IFE is Largest B2B expo of Industrial Fasteners and Tooling & Machinery in North America. Since 1981, the event continues to bring together the manufacturers and master distributors of fasteners and other related products and services with distributors and sales agents in the entire supply and distribution chain. MAKE SURE TO Register by June 27 to save with the early bird discount rate!
IFE Exhibitors! With more than 300 companies already registered, space is running out to exhibit at this year’s expo. Don’t miss your opportunity to make an impact at the largest B2B expo for #fasteners, tooling & machinery! This year is going to be bigger and better than ever and FND is looking forward to awarding the Best Booth winners with the title and an Ultimate 6lb Championship Customized Belt. You’re going to want this to show off and brag about for years!
Nick Ruetz President of AIS, has been Elected as the 2022-2023 President of the National Fastener Distributor Association. All Integrated Solutions is an MSC Company.
In 3D Printing News…
Fastener News Desk has special coverage of ground-breaking research in bolt manufacturing utilizing additive manufacturing from the University of Limerick in Ireland. Their School of Engineering has successfully manufactured 316L Stainless Steel bolts that meet or exceed specifications. They felt that the gap between how aerospace bolts have been designed and produced over many decades could be optimized by employing the advantages offered by AM technology.
New Leadership Announcement from Young Fastener Professionals. Mallory Cravens Nichols of Advance Components has been elected as the 2022-2023 president of the Young Fastener Professionals. Craig Beaty of Beawest Fasteners will serve as vice president, and Jake Glaser of Sherex Fastening Solutions will remain on the Board as immediate past president.
The YFP Board is currently laying the groundwork to provide YFP involvement and support to all areas of the industry. If you are interested in volunteering, mentoring, or being added to the YFP email list contact nfda-fastener.org for more information.
In Fastener News from Abroad…
The EFDA Assembly of Delegates elected Andreas Bertaggia of Bossard as new President of EFDA. The European Fastener Distributor Association was formed in 2000 to represent the interests of fastener importers and distributors throughout Europe. Andreas Bertaggia is Vice-President, Head of Global Supply Chain of Bossard Group based in Switzerland. He has been a member of the Assembly of Delegates since 2019 and leader of the EFDA Task Force.
Fastener Industry Scholarships…
Women in the Fastener Industry Association is offering two great scholarship opportunities!
WIFI honors the memory of Ann Bisgyer Wolz, co-publisher of Fastener Industry News with a scholarship for opportunity to become a Certified Fastener Specialist with the Fastener Training Institute. Deadline for applications is tomorrow, June 28th.
WIFI honors the memory of Joanne Goodman Sherman, co-owner of Industrial Rivet and Fastener with the Joanne Sherman THORS eLearning Scholarship which is currently accepting applicants! Application deadline is July 1.
Get more info about the scholarship opportunities and apply today at https://fastenerwomen.com/scholarships
In Fastener Event News …
Save the dates: August 21-26th for the Midwest Fastener Association’s FSTNR WEEK! Get involved in a Charity Bed Building Event that benefits the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Organization, plus A Fastener seminar, golf outing and lots more! 👉 Registration and more info: http://MWFA.net
Twitter: @MWFA_News @ShpBeds
The Fastener Training Institute’s Fastener Training Week in-person training class is scheduled for August 22-26 in Chicago. The advanced technical training program is offered in partnership with Industrial Fastener Institute and is for fastener distributors, manufacturers, and end-users.
Fastener Training Week, hosted by the Mid-West Fastener Association, offers five intensive days of education and plant tours as part of the FTI Certified Fastener Specialist™ (CFS) advanced technical training program. Attendees will be eligible for the Certified Fastener Specialist™ (CFS) designation.
🏆 The International Fastener Expo Fastener Hall of Fame recognizes professionals who have made significant and enduring contributions to the fastener industry. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the IFE Hall of Fame Awards! Who do you think should be honored with this prestigious award this year? To nominate go to FastenerShows.com. The deadline to submit nominations is July 30th. Twitter: @FastenerShow
The stories featured in this week’s episode of IN THE NEWS can be found at Fastener News Desk or in our Twitter feed @FastenerNews and on LinkedIn in the Fastener News Group!
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Fastener News Desk is preparing for the grand opening of the Fastener Museum! The online museum will feature a collection of industry memorabilia that dates back over the past decades. We welcome your fastener company to share individual digital images of your memorabilia with us to add to the Fastener Museum and help create the largest online collection of fastener related history.
If you would like to share your company’s events, news or sponsor an upcoming episode of IN THE NEWS or would like to add to the Fastener Museum me: lisa@fastenernewsdesk.com.
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of IN THE NEWS with Fastener News Desk.
Until next week, be well, be safe and Keep it Fastenating.
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s commerce ministry said on Tuesday it would extend anti-dumping tariffs on certain steel fasteners imported from the European Union and United Kingdom for five years.
The anti-dumping tariffs will be imposed from June 29, the ministry said in a statement.
Workers arrange steel rims for export at a wheel factory in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China November 22, 2017. China Daily via REUTERS
(Reporting by Emily Chow in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Copyright 2022 Thomson Reuters.
Tags: steel, tariffs, Asia, European Union, international trade, United Kingdom, Europe
The EFDA Assembly of Delegates elected Andreas Bertaggia from Bossard as new President of EFDA. Andreas Bertaggia is Vice-President, Head of Global Supply Chain of Bossard Group based in the city of Zug in Switzerland. He has been a member of the Assembly of Delegates since 2019 and leader of the EFDA Task Force.
EFDA represents the interests of fastener distributors at European and global level. We bring together active and established national associations and a growing number of independent distributors in other European countries. In total 170 innovative and top-performing associates have a massive combined inventory of fasteners and other C-Parts, collective sales of more than 4 billion Euros and affiliates and trading partners across the globe.
EFDA’s mission is to defend free trade and the international competitiveness of our members. We strongly believe that competitiveness on a global scale is a precondition for European prosperity and that regulation, while balancing unfair behavior, must not restrict the capabilities of fastener distributors to support a wide spectrum of strategic European industry sectors with quality assured products and advanced logistics.
Over the past decade, the fastener distribution industry has undergone dynamic development to meet the ever more critical demands of European industry. The core competences remain: closeness to the customer and guaranteed availability of a broad variety of products that consistently meet the demanding quality requirements of customers. Every day, EFDA associates demonstrate their professionalism as an integrated logistics partner for their customers, sourcing worldwide for the most suitable products.
In times of rapid internationalization, EFDA provides the forum for national distributors associations and independent companies to coordinate their activities on European issues and exchange views and experience both within Europe and through contact with our counterparts in Asia and North America.’
June 20th, 2022 – NEFCO, a leading partner to the professional construction trades, has completed the acquisition of Jiffy Fastening Systems Inc. (“Jiffy”), headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. This is NEFCO’s 6th acquisition since 2017.
Founded in 1967, Jiffy supplies a large breadth of product to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors throughout Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Jiffy services customers out of three branches located in Lexington, KY, Louisville, KY, and Cincinnati, OH.
“Jiffy is one of the best SHARP® suppliers in the Kentucky and Ohio market and we are excited to join forces. The acquisition of Jiffy furthers our commitment to be the national leader in SHARP® products as we continue to execute on our vision to partner with contractors across every jobsite in America. Through this partnership, NEFCO will expand its presence into the Midwest and service contractors in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia” states NEFCO President & CEO, Matthew Gelles. “Jiffy has been fortunate to have the exceptional leadership of the DeMoss brothers and we are excited to welcome Jeff, Kevin, and Steve DeMoss to the NEFCO family. All three brothers will continue to lead the Jiffy business and we look forward to working with them for many years to come”.
“The folks at Jiffy Fastening Systems, Inc./Bluegrass Tool Warehouse, Inc. could not be more excited to join forces with the NEFCO family” stated the DeMoss brothers. “NEFCO is also a family business with a huge footprint on the east coast, stretching from Maine to Florida. Both families share the same core values of taking care of family, employees who are extended family, and customers who are treated like family. Couple these values with the added bonus of going to market in the same way with the exact same product mix (SHARP®) and this is a perfect match. We are very excited to join the NEFCO team!!” For more information, email: Inquiries@nefcocorp.com, visit our website:www.GoNefco.com. About NEFCO NEFCO is a family owned and operated construction supply company providing a broad range of products and services to a large variety of professional contractors. With 16 locations along the East Coast, NEFCO provides localized, contractor-centric services including extensive industry expertise, large local inventories, fast dependable jobsite delivery, turnkey engineering services, and specialty fabrication and assembly of construction materials.
About Jiffy Fastening Systems Inc. Founded in 1967, Jiffy is a family business started by Bob and Mary DeMoss. Bob and Mary subsequently sold the business to their three sons, Jeff, Kevin and Steve in 1988. Under their leadership, Jiffy has dominated the Kentucky and Ohio market as the leading supplier of SHARP® (Strut, Hardware, Anchors, Rod, Pipe Hangers) and Power Tools throughout Kentucky, Ohio and surrounding markets.
Endries International, Inc. is pleased to announce that we have acquired Store Room Fasteners.
Store Room Fasteners was founded in 1984 in Montgomery, Alabama by Tim Wilsford. Tim started the business out of a storage shed and for nearly 40 years has continued to lead the business with a laser focused emphasis on meeting the needs of the Original Equipment Manufacturing and Industrial markets. Today, in addition to the Montgomery facility, Store Room Fasteners operates facilities in: Opelika and Selma, Alabama; Lagrange, Georgia; and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Tim’s ability to build a dedicated team of associates that carry forward the standard he personally set for meeting customer needs are the underpinnings of an organization that has seen continuous growth since inception. Additionally, a commitment to quality has always been at the forefront which is confirmed by the company’s accreditation to ISO 9001 for over 14 years. Store Room Fasteners major fulfillment offerings today include: vendor managed inventory, sub-assemblies, and kitting solutions.
Store Room Fasteners will continue to operate on their current ERP system as Store Room Fasteners, An Endries International Company. Tim Wilsford will remain with the company in a leadership position over the 60 dedicated associates. Endries is a leading distributor of fasteners and Class-C parts serving industrial Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) and the Industrial marketplace worldwide. From its headquarters in Brillion, WI and eleven U.S. and international distribution centers, Endries provides over 500,000 SKUs to its customer base. Endries operates primarily through a vendor managed inventory model, managing C-part categories for its customers across diverse industrial end markets. Endries partners with customers through robust replenishment systems that provide products and support services which are critical to maintaining the manufacturing process. “Endries is thrilled to welcome Store Room Fasteners into our family. Tim has built an organization that mirrors what Endries was and is. The methodology and approach both companies follow is very consistent. We look forward to working with our new team members to improve our overall market offerings.” said Steve Endries, President of Endries.
About Endries
Founded in 1970, we’re proud to say that even though we’ve grown tremendously over the last 50 years, we’ve also stayed true to our roots. Bob and Patricia Endries started the business in their basement in Brillion, Wisconsin — the same town where our headquarters is still located.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we maintain the same commitment to quality and customer service and remain tied to the Endries family. Bob and Patricia’s son Steve Endries took over as President in 2004 and continues to lead today.
The latest news in the ocean, air, rail, and trucking industries.
By Chris Donnell
Ocean Carriers, Freight Rates and Ports:
Ocean Freight continue to slide as rates have decreased as much as 15% over the past 30 to 45 days. This decrease is attributed but multiple factors such as a slowing US economy to the 2 month long Covid-19 shutdown of the world’s busiest port, Shanghai.
As of June 1st the city of Shanghai announced it’s opening up and trying to return back where it was prior to it’s 2 month long self-induced lock-down. The result of the lockdown could result in China not hitting their aggressive goal of 5.5% GDP growth for the year. The road to recovery for Shanghai will be slow as many economist are stating it could take the remained of the year for Shanghai to get back to where it was prior to the shutdown taking place. We’re still seeing major issues with shutdowns throughout China in cities like Beijing, Tianjin and several others.
Congestion at the United States busiest port terminals (Los Angeles / Long Beach) has significantly dropped from it’s high mark of more than 100 vessels sitting idle off shore to just over 20 today. Terminals throughout this complex are still struggling with congestion but it’s not nearly as bad as it was just 2 months ago. How long this decline continue is anyone’s guess as we are waiting to see how quickly Shanghai bounces back.
On a sad note, a massive fire broke out at a container depot in Chittagong, Bangladesh which claimed the lives of some 80 people including firefighters who were called to help extinguish the fire. The fire is thought to have started in several containers which contained chemicals. This situation while smaller in nature is very similar of the explosion that rocked the Beirut port a year ago where certain chemicals were in fact illegally stored in areas where they shouldn’t have been
In a recent study of port efficiency, the biggest ports in the United States ranked near the bottom compared to the rest of the world. Los Angeles and Long Beach came in at 369 and 370th place respectfully. Several smaller ports in the United States found there way into the top 50, places like the Port of Virginia (23rd) and Miami(29th).
The ILWU and PMA have continued talks after a brief weeklong suspension enacted upon by the ILWU however this doesn’t mean things aren’t being done. It’s still my stance that we will not see the same issues we all saw back in 2015/16 and both sides are promising that any type of slowdown is the furthest thing from their mind right now.
FULL SCANWELL REPORT:
Air Freight:
Rates are on the decrease as well, with Shanghai’s PVG airport opening this is take a lot of the pressure off of places like Ningbo, Hangzhou and other local airports in the Shanghai region and with additional capacity rates should continue to decline.
Congestion and storage issues are still plaguing our airports and airline terminals but we are seeing driver wait times diminished compared to what they were in the first quarter of 2022.
Intermodal (Rail):
Rail traffic for the month of May dropped some 5% versus the same time last year which contradicts the numbers posted by the ocean terminals which are saying they have more than 200,000 containers sitting at the Southwest port terminals awaiting railcar allocation. How could the rail volume drop but the number of containers at our ports awaiting rail movement increase?
4 of the United States largest Class I railroads have submitted their 6 month recovery plan to US regulators – each carrier outlines measures which they will enact which will aid to the efficiency and costs to the rail carriers and importers.
Trucking:
One of the main issues that crippled the Shanghai shutdown was the lack of available truckers but as Shanghai opens drivers are slowly coming back but there are still hurdles they must go through to pick-up and delivery goods from the ports and specific locations through the region.
New truck driver jobs have risen for the 3rd time this year. In May, some 13,000 new drivers came on line and is one the largest increases in the past 12 years. This is a good sign but the industry is still woefully short on drivers nationwide.
Driver coercion claims are still continuing to climb even though the load rejection levels drop.
Diesel fuel continues to climb, in several states the average cost per gallon is over 6 dollars and in 3 states the cost is over 7 dollars per gallon.
Infrastructure and Government:
US cracks down on forced labor and manufacturing in China – this is something that’s been a conflict between the US and China for months. This will be a major obstacle many importers especially in the garment and textile industries are going to have to go through to maintain their supply chains.
US Commerce Chief thinks its best that we lift some of the section 301 tariffs on China – her thought process on this will be to lower the costs of goods to the American consumers.
With China’s strict Covid-19 policy and the section 301 tariffs many importers are looking at moving manufacturing to places throughout the Southeast Asia and Indian Sub-Continent.
The global economy is in dire straits as countries limit their exports especially in the food sector where countries try to keep runs on food minimal.
Mallory Cravens Nichols Elected YFP President for 2022-2023
Mallory Cravens Nichols of Advance Components has been elected as the 2022-2023 president of the Young Fastener Professionals. Craig Beaty of Beawest Fasteners will serve as vice president, and Jake Glaser of Sherex Fastening Solutions will remain on the Board as immediate past president.
Christian Georgievski of IFE Americas, Vik Lall of Formedge, and Zech Williams of Wurth Revcar Fasteners have also recently been appointed to serve on the YFP Board of Directors.
The YFP Board is currently laying the groundwork to provide YFP involvement and support to all areas of the industry. If you are interested in volunteering, mentoring, or being added to the YFP email list, please email Amy Nijjar at amy@nfda-fastener.org.
Young Fastener Professionals (YFP) is committed to providing educational and networking opportunities for ambitious young professionals desiring professional growth within the fastener industry. We empower, advocate for, and provide opportunities for education and networking for young fastener professionals.
Young Fastener Professionals is a community of young professionals that seek to offer a glimpse of the fastener industry through the perspective of the next generation. While respectfully preserving the industry’s past, the next generation is hastily shaping the future of the business spectrum through technology, while implementing the most current business practices. This organization aims to create a platform for young professionals, and the businesses employing them to develop, educate and enhance a variety business initiatives. YFP also serves as forum for networking, referrals and professional support to further improve the fastener industry as a whole.
Endries International, a fastener distributor located in Brillion,WI has purchased Store Room Fasteners, a 38-year-old business based in Montgomery, AL. Financial terms were not disclosed. Company president Steve Endries said in a statement that “Endries is thrilled to welcome Store Room Fasteners into our family,” Tim has built an organization that mirrors what Endries was and is. The methodology and approach both companies follow is very consistent. We look forward to working with our new team members to improve our overall market offerings.” @Endries_Int
Nick Ruetz President of AIS, has been Elected as the 2022-2023 President of the National Fastener Distributor Association. All Integrated Solutions is an MSC Company.
