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Fastener History
2006 FIN – Hausoul Follows Merrifield, Dickson, Langholz & Vaughan as NFDA Executive

John Hausoul – Photo courtesy of LinkMagazine.com

Dave Merrifield – Photo courtesy of LinkMagazine.com

1996 FIN 1996 FIN ? NFDA Moving to Offices Adjacent to IFI
December 9, 1996 FIN – The National Fastener Distributors Association will move into a new office adjacent to the Industrial Fasteners Institute in Cleveland, NFDA president Mark Alexander announced.
The move will take place as soon as the distributors association installs a new executive to succeed the late Ken Dickson. The selection committee will meet in mid-December in hopes of naming the new executive vice president. The new office will open when the new director starts on the job.

Alexander, of Adams Nut & Bolt, emphasized that though “we will be in a suite next door, we will remain autonomous. We will be able to share some efficiencies, but we will not be merging.
The NFDA has been headquartered in an office in Dickson’s Somerdale, New Jersey, home.
After Dickson died in September the IFI board invited the NFDA board to consider moving to excess space the IFI has in the East Ohio Building.

The IFI, an association of North American fastener manufacturers founded in 1931, is housed in the 11th floor of the East Ohio Building in downtown Cleveland.

Alexander said the distributors board recognized the “efficiencies we could gain and how the two associations can provide leadership to the industry by officing next to each other.”

At the request of members, the NFDA was already planning more educational programs, which Alexander said could be best conducted with coordination with the IFI.

The IFI has a staff of nine, including three engineers, and will be adding a fourth engineer soon, managing director Rob Harris said.

IFI chairman Max Dorflinger of Nylok Corporation responded when asked about the move that “it is a good thing. We discussed this in October when we met together for one session. It is a very good thing for both parties.”

Both the IFI and NFDA conducted their regular fall meetings during the first week of October in Cleveland. They held a joint banquet on the overlapping day. Though leaders of both groups had been attending each other’s meetings for the past two years, the first joint event was this fall.
“That was our first overlapping meeting and we would like to have more, but nothing is on the calendar yet,” Alexander said.

Dorflinger said he has heard “nothing but good response” from IFI members and other industry leaders.
Alexander said that among the “efficiencies are mailing systems and copy machines that everyone with a small business understands.”

Alexander has also noted that NFDA receives “an incredible amount of phone calls that need to go to the IFI. And the IFI receives distribution calls. We will be able to simply transfer those calls.”
Harris said that adjacent offices are “a great opportunity to further develop a unified industry voice.”
Harris noted that many IFI members are associate members of NFDA.
The new address for NFDA will be: 1717 E. Ninth St. #1185, Cleveland, OH 44114-2879. Tel: (216)-579-1571. Fax: (216)-579-1531. No date has been set for the move.
NFDA acting director Carolyn Fox said that until the move correspondence should be sent to 725 Southwick Circle, Somerdale NJ 08083. Tel: (609)-627-4333. Fax: (609)-627-7531. ©1996/2009 Fastener Industry News.

July 25, 2006 FIN – “My business is growing associations,” the new executive vice president of the National Fastener Distributors Association declared.
As executive director of the Rigid Plastic Packaging Institute John Hausoul presided over a “re-do of the entire organization, which had suffered a 40% decline in membership. The association was rebranded and a lean organization was introduced. The executive board became the only standing committee. Temporary committees were named to handle special projects. Last year membership was up 20%.

But growing the membership numbers may not be the key factor, given consolidation in many industries, Hausoul quickly added. It is important to “grow the health of an organization. A healthy association gives members value proportionate not just for their dollars but also for their time spent, Hausoul told FIN.

After graduating with a master’s degree in public management from the University of Maryland, Hausoul went to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He soon felt lost among the 15,000 employees and 15 levels of management.
“I was not one for the federal bureaucracy, ” Hausoul reflected. “It is not my way of thinking.”

Hausoul changed his career path to association management to focus on “working from within.”
He gained experience with the Society of the Plastics Industry and the American Chemistry Council before joining RPPI.

He joined the NFDA’s association management company, Smith Bucklin of Chicago, as the potential executive vice president and was approved by the board this month.
In the coming months while he learns both the NFDA and Smith Bucklin, Hausoul will have just the one association to manage.
Like many suppliers to the fastener industry, Hausoul enters without fastener experience.
But he knows about association management and how suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and customers have to work together.
“So many issues overlap between industries – customer service, sales, management and finance. ” And such issues as offshore manufacturing and consolidation hit associations, too, he added.

Hausoul’s first step is to “improve communication with the membership, starting with a twice-a-month Friday online update.
Ultimately “the membership must have value proportionate to the cost. ” Hausoul declared.

Members are customers, he noted. Associations have to keep pace with their industries.
Once upon a time an executive wrote a note, mailed it and waited a week for a response, Hausoul recalled.
“We’re seeing efficiencies and worker productivity today from computer investments five years ago.”

Hausoul described himself as a “type double AA personality.” Hausoul has “a lot of energy” and is delighted to be able to be in a position to love his work. “You spend so much time at work you should enjoy what you do.”

Hausoul’s permanent predecessors were Dave Merrifield (1996-2005), Ken Dickson (1990-1996), Mary Ann Langholz (1976-1990) and Gordon Vaughan during the 1970s.

After Merrifield’s resignation last year the NFDA decided to close its independent office in Cleveland and turn to Smith Bucklin.
Hausoul can be contacted at the NFDA. Tel: 312 527-6671 E-mail: jhausoul@nfda-fastener.org ©2006/2009 FastenerNews.com

2010 FIN – Lenhart Brings Marketing, Organization to NFDA

September 28, 2010 FIN – “Everything I’ve done prepares me for this position,” the new executive vice president of the National Fastener Distributors Association said.
In more than 20 years of experience with Chicago businesses, Mark Lenhart’s previous roles include sales, business strategy, a start-up company, distribution and industrial – including the automotive and agriculture industries.
He was responsible for development of marketing, sales and communication strategies for subsidiary companies serving industrial markets, including a metal fabrication firm selling to the automotive industry. Most recently Lenhart was marketing and sales manager for distribution with a global provider of veterinary products.
Dating back to his Eagle Scout days in Iowa and being vice president of his business fraternity at the University of Iowa, and in both volunteer and business roles, Lenhart noted he has been actively involved in organizing and marketing.
His most recent job was distributor marketing & sales manager for Abbott Animal Health. Previously he was director of marketing for a venture capital firm – Monroe Group – and national account manager for business supplies & equipment company, Oce USA.
Though he has not held an executive position managing a trade group, Lenhart knows associations from the board member’s perspective: He was president of the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association.
His experience aside, Lenhart said he understands the ultimate measure of NFDA is distributor membership and participation. Associate members will join and attend if distributors are there.
The NFDA reported 94 distributor members and 74 associate members. The 168 current total is down from 252 in 2005, 246 in 2000 and 209 in 1995.
The recession is only part of the lower numbers.  In 2000, the NFDA reported losing 13 members in the previous year due to member company acquisitions.
This year the NFDA acknowledged losing a few domestic associate members due to its globalization initiatives.
Though he hasn’t been an association executive, in an interview with GlobalFastenerNews.com, Lenhart explained that the NFDA’s management firm, SmithBucklin, offers the backup for experts in association needs, from booking meeting space to developing trade shows or other activities.The day after Sam Geist spoke to the NFDA on “Execute or be Executed,”  Lenhart said the immediate goal for the NFDA is to “do a few things well … to execute on this.”
In a slow economy NFDA needs to focus on programs offering the most value to members rather than try to provide many services. “Less is more,” is the description Lenhart used. The NFDA has begun a globalization initiative with the Taiwan and European distributors’ associations and is seeking what Lenhart termed as “collaboration and cross-pollination .”

Thus far the NFDA has put its “toe in the water” on globalization. Yet to come may be a trade group trip to encourage exports from the U.S.

Lenhart said the NFDA also wants to work with the regional associations. Representatives of the Midwest Fastener Association attended the autumn NFDA meeting in Chicago.  The NFDA is inviting regional associations to participate in its distributorship benchmarking program.

Expect to see NFDA offering compact meetings with optional activities such as golf at the beginning or end. As a SmithBucklin executive Lenhart will also manage a second association – the Decorative Plumbing Hardware Association.
The “decorative” refers to high-end plumbing fixtures.  “Towel warmers, not toilets,” Lenhart explained the “decorative” adjective.
NFDA president Jim Derry cited Lenhart’s “multi-faceted business background and his understanding of the challenges and opportunities our industry faces,” for his selection. “Mark has a wealth of experience in the key areas of business development and growth, marketing strategy, change management and strategic alliance-building which will allow NFDA to grow and introduce new services designed to facilitate your firm’s long-term growth.”
Lenhart is the sixth executive in the 42-year history of the NFDA.  He succeeds John Hausoul, who resigned from NFDA and the association’s management firm, SmithBucklin.
Gordon Vaughan was the first executive director in the 70’s. He was succeeded in 1976 by Mary Ann Langholz, who led the association until she retired in 1990. Ken Dickson led the NFDA from 1990 until his death in 1996. Dave Merrifield was executive from 1996 to 2005 and Hausoul took the reigns in 2006.
During the NFDA’s business session at the autumn meeting, Derry announced the financial benchmarking program would be expanded. Other associations are invited to participate to broaden the number of participants.
The benchmarking also can be expanded for other important measurements such as fill rates or lines packed per hour, Derry added.
The next NFDA meeting will be April 6-8, 2011, at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach, FL.  For NFDA information: Tel: 312 527-6671 E-mail: info@nfda-fastener.org Web: nfda-fastener.org  ©2010 GlobalFastenerNews.com

1997 FIN – NFDA Selects Merrifield as New Executive
January 2, 1997 – He has been directing an international professional association with 3,000 members and a staff of 12. But Dave Merrifield is delighted to be downsizing to a trade association with 222 members and one assignment because he wants a more personal role with the association he manages.

In announcing Merrifield would be the next executive vice president of the National Fastener Distributors Association chairman Mark Alexander said the ability to develop a personal, friendly relationship with members is one of the qualities that the selection committee was seeking.

Merrifield, who started in association management six years ago after a military career, succeeds Ken Dickson, who died of cancer in September after six years directing the NFDA.

Merrifield will wrap up his duties and move from Des Moines, Iowa, to the new NFDA office in Cleveland, Ohio, by late February.

“We were looking for someone to be a leader in the industry,” Alexander said. “We wanted someone who could stand up and explain the NFDA position. We want aggressive leadership.”

Alexander described Merrifield as “one of those guys who comes in offering a lot of ideas about what we could do. He is sociable and will get along well with our members. Dave will be a visible type of person.”

Merrifield demonstrates his personal touch by quickly asking to be called “Dave” instead of David M. Merrifield.”

Merrifield told FIN the NFDA’s personnel ad in an association executive’s magazine interested him because it sounded like he could have direct contact with members. As executive director of the International Association of Milk, Food & Environment Sanitarians his contact with members around the world was “remote, other than occasional meetings with the board.”

Merrifield termed the NFDA role as “a fresh beginning” as the distribution group moves from New Jersey back to its roots in Cleveland.

In addition to new offices and the new executive, the association will have a new assistant to be chosen by Merrifield.

“It will be a brand new start with the opportunity to develop my own style and staff,” Merrifield said. “There are things I will change, and there are things that are working well as is.”

Specifications & Maintenance

As a helicopter pilot in Vietnam Merrifield learned the importance of “not just bolts being up to specification but the maintenance crew applying the correct torque. It was absolutely critical to safety.”

“We used to refer to our helicopter as ‘one million parts flying in formation.'”

Merrifield, who holds bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Souther California, retired as an Army lieutenant colonel in 1991. He cited a three-year NATO assignment in the Netherlands, aviation research and development, teaching military science (“better known as ‘ROTC,'” he explained) at the University of Northern Iowa, and combat experience in Vietnam as the highlights of his 23-year military career.

After retiring from the military he led the Iowa Chiropractors Association for four years and then headed an association which he defined as “food safety professionals.”

His association experience includes administration and budget, upgrading computer systems, training in OSHA regulations, increasing membership and association income and strategic planning.

Merrifields spouse, Lynn Merrifield, is a registered nurse and publication specialist. They have a daughter who is an insurance association executive, a son in college in Chicago, a son in the Army and a daughter in high school.

Merrifield said the move to Cleveland is no problem because the family members “as Army brats are used to moving.”

Vaughan, Langholz & Dickson

Merrifield emerged from 150 applicants plus inquiries from association management firms to become the association’s fourth full-time director since it was founded in 1968.

Gordon Vaughan was the first executive director in the 70’s. He was succeeded in 1976 by Mary Ann Langholz, who led the association until she retired in 1990.

Alexander said the selection committee was happy with all four finalists who were brought to Cleveland December 14 for interviews with the entire committee. Preliminary interviews of 30 applicants were conducted by committee members around the country. Fellow Iowan Ed McIlhon conducted the initial interview with Merrifield.

“It was a very diverse group with candidates coming from everywhere,” Alexander said.

Langholz, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, said her advice to the new NFDA leader is “to be flexible. Being flexible is a great asset in that position.”

Carolyn Fox, who was Dickson’s assistant and has been acting director since his death, will assist in the transition and the NFDA spring meeting April 16-20 in Scottsdale, Arizona. ©1997/2009 Fastener Industry News.

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