Industry Veterans Agree: Obama May Be 1st Presidential Visit to a Fastener Company; STAFDA Conventions Featured 2 Ex-Presidents
Industry Veterans Agree: Obama May Be 1st Presidential Visit to a Fastener Company; STAFDA Conventions Featured 2 Ex-Presidents
John Wolz
The world will see a fastener plant when U.S. president-elect Barack Obama visits Cardinal Fastener in Ohio, and several industry veterans believe it may be the first presidential fastener visit.
Two former presidents have been guest speakers at Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association conventions.
Edith Cameron, who started in the fastener industry during Franklin Roosevelt’s second term as president, doesn’t remember any other presidential visits to fastener facilities.
George Wasmer, who was chairman of Lake Erie Screw Corp. in Cleveland for 18 years and is a third generation member of a fastener family, recalls President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade “driving by up on the freeway.”
Wasmer also recalled that President George H.W. Bush remarked to him that former first lady Barbara Bush worked as a temporary receptionist for RB&W during World War II.
Ben Benson, who started at Central Screw Co. in Chicago during the Eisenhower administration before being transferred to Los Angeles during the Kennedy administration, described Obama’s fastener visit “as a first in many ways.”
When Mary Chambers, who started with Standard Hardware Company during Richard Nixon’s first term, heard about the Obama visit, she wanted to be there. “But they had already done background checks on folks, so I wasn’t able to go.” She plans to watch online.
Chambers has lived in Texas during the presidencies of three Texans – Lyndon Johnson, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Today Chambers operates a stocking rep agency, Assembly Products & Sales.
Presidents Signing FQA Bills
Fasteners received momentary presidential attention as President George H.W. Bush signed the original U.S. Fastener Quality Act into law in 1990.
President Bill Clinton signed three amendments to P.L. 101-592 – the original FQA: P.L. 104-113 in 1995, P.L. 105-234 in 1998 and P.L 106-34 in 1999.
Presidents Speak to STAFDA
STAFDA hosted two former presidents as convention speakers: Gerald Ford in 1980 in San Diego and Ronald Reagan in 1990 in Anaheim.
The unsuccessful 1996 Republican presidential nominee, Bob Dole, spoke to STAFDA in 1999. �2009 FastenerNews.com
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