Global Fastener News

PERSPECTIVE: Melting Snow

John Wolz

The April 23, 1996, Fastener Industry News Perspective column was headlined, �Spring Snowballing.� The column showed how unity was on a roll in the fastener industry.
Industry squabbling and various segments� willingness to sacrifice others had led to no FQA amendments passing Congress in 1994. It was so bad that congressional staff scolded the industry and told it to go home and not come back without a unified position.
As a result, from 1994 until the FQA was amended in 1999 the fastener industry had been united by a common legislative goal.
Regional associations and the National Fastener Distributors Association came together to form the Fastener Industry Coalition. Importers created the American Association of Fastener Importers and even found themselves working with domestic manufacturers on the issue.
The Public Law Task Force had been formed to represent manufacturers, distributors and importers in developing a unified position on FQA changes. The Industrial Fasteners Institute and NFDA began holding overlapping meetings in order to conduct joint sessions. The NFDA headquarters was moved next to the IFI for closer communications.
The NFDA started conducting joint training sessions and meetings with regional associations.
Too Good?
But no sooner than the mutual goal of changing the FQA was accomplished in mid-1999 than the newfound industry rolling snowball of unity began melting.
What happened? One issue is trade shows. Several associations have been funding their general budgets or scholarship programs over the years from tabletop or full trade show revenues. Several organizations without shows have for years wished they had that revenue source.
For example, a 500-booth trade show with 2,500 attendees should easily yield more than a half million dollars after expenses for the sponsors. A simple association tabletop show with 50 exhibitors and 300 attendees can generate more than $10,000 for scholarships.
Any trade show sponsor understandably wants to keep its cash cow, and would-be competitors want to milk the cow too.
Several combinations of groups have attempted to put together a variety of training or trade show configurations. And that has resulted in some harsh words and divisions.
Instead of the unity of the FQA era, the situation has been dominated by groups jockeying for position, playing one-up-manship or taking the ball & leaving the playing field.
An ominous sign of what the recent squabbling is doing to industry unity is illustrated by a leader in one organization actually complaining that another association had done �too good of a job� in lobbying for FQA changes.
Too good?
This Perspective column is not an endorsement of any particular type of industry event, joint sessions, training program, trade show or sponsorship. The only point is to remind all leaders of what working together on the FQA accomplished.
After all, when snow melts too fast it can cause flooding.