Continental-Aero History Linked to Locknuts
FASTENER HISTORY
Continental-Aero History Linked to Locknuts
Editor’s Note: The following history and description was provided by Continental-Aero in 2009.
Continental-Aero has a history that parallels the growth of Nylon Insert Lock Nuts since the end of World War II.
In 1945 Sid Greendorfer founded Industrial Nut & Bolt/Fastener City on a borrowed $40 and began peddling surplus fasteners door-to-door. By 1948 Greendorfer recognized the need for significantly better Locknuts. He searched for a source until finding Firth Cleveland and then started the Aero Stop Nut Division of his Fastener City company.
Greendorfer hired Jerry Badner as its first salesman, who would stay for 22 years. Aero would grow to become the largest vendor of Nylon Insert Locknuts in the U.S. Continental Fasteners had been started by Ted Jarman in 1966 to import locknuts from Japan. Continental recognized the marketing potential of making the product with a traceable, fully recognizable color for the insert color and the ROYAL PURPLE TORK LOK NUT is registered with the United States Patent office. Throughout the late 1960’s and 70’s, Continental and Aero were worthy competitors for market share.
In 1982, Niles, IL-based Continental Fasteners, which had been acquired by a Japanese concern, Kobayashi Metals, was sold to Greendorfer’s son-in-law, Lenny Robinowitz.
Based on a tip from a golf buddy, Robinowitz recruited Martin Schneider out of the children’s clothing industry within a week of acquiring Continental. Robinowitz purchased Aero Stop Nut in 1987 from Jack Schaefer of Schaefer Supply and merged the two former competitors into Continental-Aero. Schneider and Margie Schneider acquired a 50% stake in Continental-Aero in 1999 and completed the buyout in 2002.
In addition to its Harrison, New Jersey, headquarters and Chicago area branch, over the years Continental-Aero added stocking warehouses with Pacific Warehouse in Southern California and Assembly Products in the Dallas market. Among the purple promotions are the Continental-Aero miniature trucks, which Schneider convinced Matchbox to produce short runs of the collectable toy trucks to be given as promotions.
As president of the Metropolitan Fastener Distributors Association from 1994 to 1999, Schneider was a member of the Fastener Industry Coalition during the U.S. Fastener Quality Act amendment and implementation process.
Continental-Aero remains involved with MFDA’s scholarship program. Continental-Aero since its inception has been in the forefront of the global distribution of nylon insert and all metal locknuts as well as finished hex nuts in steel and 18-8 and 316 stainless as well as brass, aluminum and monel in metric and inch sizes from miniature to 3 plus inches to standard patterns and specials.
Continental-Aero manufactures to the Industrial Fasteners Institute specifications within ISO 9001:2008. Continental-Aero has always taken a leadership position in quality assurance and accountability.
Continental-Aero nuts are utilized in such diverse industries as transportation, aviation, earth moving and oil field applications and computers. Continental-Aero is proud to be a part of the worldwide fastener community and looks forward to facing the challenges of the 21st century.
Continental-Aero is proud that its Quality Management System have been assessed and registered as meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. Our Niles facility was certified in April 1998 and our Harrison facility in November 1999. Web: continental-aero.com ©2009 GlobalFastenerNews.com
For information on permission to reuse or reprint this article e-mail: FIN@GlobalFastenerNews.com.
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