Global Fastener News

1984 FIN ? Csanadl Opens Fall River Manufacturing
July 3, 1984 FIN – Fall Fiver Mfg. Co. is the name of a new fastener manufacturer specializing in stainless steel machine and sheet metal screws.

The president of the company is Tim Csanadi, who began his career in fasteners in 1966 with Albany Products as a sales trainee.

He joined Bell Fasteners in 1971 and ran that company’s California branch until 1976 when he was made vice president and moved to the company’s headquarters in Paramus, New Jersey.
Shortly after Pawtucket bought Bell Fasteners and moved the company to Rhode Island, Csanadi left to become part owner and vice president of Unimetric Corp. in 1978, in East Providence, RI.
Csanadi left Unimetric in 1984 to set up the new company.

Another alumnus of both Bell and Unimetric, James Conte, is vice president of Fall River and heads up sales.
The company is located at 1073 Airport Rd., Fall River, MA 02722. ©1984/2009 Fastener Industry News.

November 10, 2009 FIN – In the early 1980s the economy was down and Tim Csanadi, recognized a void in the marketplace for a domestic manufacturer of stainless steel screws and bolts.

Continental Screw was moving from New Bedford, MA, to Chicago and leaving “a lot of good equipment and good employees. We took advantage of both,” Csanadi recalled.

In 1984, Csanadi purchased a 10,000 sq ft building in Fall River, MA, that was halfway between New Bedford and where he lived.

Csanadi and John Conte, who had worked with him for 10 years, opened Fall River Manufacturing Co. to produce stainless steel machine screws and sheet metal screws.

As a start-up company, besides taking an administrative and sales roles Csanadi and Conte washed, packaged and shipped every part that was produced in their new factory until they were able to afford hiring more employees.

Csanadi began his fastener career in 1966 as a sales trainee for Albany Products. He joined Bell Fasteners in 1971 and managed Bell’s California branch until 1976 when he was named vice president and moved to the company’s headquarters in Paramus, NJ.  Shortly after, Pawtucket Fasteners bought Bell Fasteners and moved the company to Rhode Island. Csanadi and Conte both moved to RI with Bell fasteners.  In 1978, Csanadi left Bell to become part owner and vice president of Unimetric Corp, in East Providence, RI.  Conte joined him there in a sales capacity.

Conte also was a Bell and Unimetric alumnus who started in the fastener industry in 1974.

By 1999 Fall River had expanded their original building to 33,000 sq. ft. and had opened a second 35,000 sq. ft. facility in Gaffney, SC.  This still left them without room to grow so Csanadi built a new 85,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in the same industrial park it was founded. In 2008 an additional 58,000 sq ft warehouse was added.

This year Fall River Manufacturing and it’s 50 employees are marking its 25th anniversary.  While many fastener manufacturers have left North America, Fall River continues to produce stainless steel and non-ferrous screws, bolts, nuts, socket cap screws, 12-point flange screws and mil-spec fasteners.

“Fall River has been successful because we have been responsive to the needs of employees and customers and forged good relationships with suppliers,” Csanadi reflected. “We are good listeners. When customers wanted shorter lead times and larger parts we expanded the building and added machines and added a night shift. We stayed focused on our niche in the marketplace.”

“We still believe you can manufacture in this country,” said Dave Monti, who joined Fall River in 1999 after 13 years in the automotive parts business.  He was named vice president and general manager in 2002.

Conte recalled that in the beginning they went after standard parts that were more easily processed resulting in a good production rate and better cash flow. “Today with increased competition overseas we have evolved into manufacturing more specials. We’ve had to step up and make parts we shied away from when we were a younger company.”  Monti noted that “we are not going to get the easy parts anymore so we have to ask about any inquiry, ‘Is there anyway we can do it?'” “About 10% of the time the answer is no, but more and more the answer is yes.  We have been developing new capabilities by investing in some R&D,” Monti said.

With $500 in tooling for R&D, Fall River created one cold headed threaded fastener that had been a two-piece welded assembly.

“There are still opportunities and niches,” Conte pointed out.

Monti emphasizes that one of Fall River’s strategies is service. “We’re a sales company. Everything we make can be made anywhere in the world,” Monti acknowledged. “There is no secret technology. What we offer is efficiency, quantities they many not be able to get elsewhere on short notice and we wrap our products in service.”

Monti knows from his automotive experience the need to work with customers to cut costs.  He learned as he watched one U.S. automaker slash the number of suppliers from 1,300 to 250.  That’s why Fall River has worked with distributor partners to “take the cost out of the supply chain,” Monti said.  “We are a different company than we were 10 years ago,” Monti said. “And our business model and product mix will continue to change.”

Fall River is located at 540 Currant Rd, Fall River, MA 02720. Tel: 508 675-1125 Fax 508 675-8770 ©2009/2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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