Global Fastener News

The last president of the Los Angeles Fastener Association and first president of the merged Pacific-West Fastener Association is the new president of the National Fastener Distributors Association.

Kelly Cole of Hayes Bolt & Supply emphasized associations working together in his initial speech to NFDA members.

Cole was involved in the 2009 “unification” of the Western Fastener Distributors Association and LAFA into Pac-West.

“It took a lot of people to bring that together,” Cole recalled.

Cole called for “breaking down the ‘fragmentation’ of so much of the fastener community” and support for “speaking with a singular voice.”

The NFDA has held multiple joint meetings with regional associations in recent years, Cole noted. And the NFDA will meet with the Mid-West Fastener Association and Pacific-West Fastener Association March 14-16, 2019, at Omni Hotel in San Diego.

The next NFDA annual meeting will be with the North Coast Fastener Association, June 10-11, 2019, at the Hilton Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, OH. The NFDA will participate with Pac-West’s next tabletop show March 4-6, 2020, at Westin in Long Beach.

Cole called on association members to take advantage of programs. He noted the final speaker at the NFDA’s 50th anniversary meeting in Costa Rica was the most expensive, yet there were fewer members in the room.

Cole touted the NFDA’s support of education programs, such as 40 scholarships to Fastener Training Institute programs.  The NFDA was involved in development of the FTI, and there are now 538 graduates of the FTI Certified Fastener Specialist program.

Donations to the Fastener Education Foundation have resulted in $125,000 in support of training programs.

Member surveys indicate the top three NFDA  are networking, business and marketplace information and services and executive education, Cole reported.

Cole reported NFDA finances have improved over the past five years.  NFDA ended 2013 with $40,744 in the ban and a net annual profit of $2,324.  By the end of 2017, NFDA had $139,842 in the bank with a profit of $49,835 for the year.

NFDA 2018-2019 Leaders
Cole succeeds Kevin Miller of Bamal Corp.  Dan Zehnder, Trinity Logistics, is the new vice chair and Bruce Hayes of Sems & Specials is the new NFDA associate chair.

New board members are Adam Derry, Field Fastener; Bryan Wheeler, Star Stainless; Scott Somers, Mid-State Bolt & Screw; and Keven Simmer, Würth DMB Supply.

Outgoing board members are Jennifer Ruetz, AIS; Marc Strandquist, Würth Group; Adam Pratt, Sherex Fastening Solutions. and Kevin Godin, AFC Industries.

Founded in 1968, the NFDA currently has 160 member companies. Web: NFDA-Fastener.org