Global Fastener News

Westby, Reittinger Head NFDA

John Wolz

Don Westby of Westby Production Components is the new president of the National Fastener Distributors Association, and Jimmy Reittinger Jr. of Automotive Fasteners Inc. is vice president.\
Westby succeeds Don Heppes of Pacific Fasteners Ltd.
Jimmy Reittinger is the son of 1985-86 NFDA president Jim Reittinger. The younger Reittinger is poised to become the 2003-04 NFDA president.
Distributors Michael Friel of Haydon Bolts, John Jenkins of L&J Fasteners and Timothy Meyer of Meyer Retaining Ring were elected to three-year terms on the board.
Joe Butvin of Bollhoff Rivnut succeeded Skip Gallo of W�rth Eastern Fastener as associate chair. Rick Malson of Ramco Specialties Inc. is vice chair, and Rebecca Branson of Threaded Rod was elected as the associates� new board member.
Westby started as an industrial engineer at Elco in 1968. He founded Westby Products in 1987. He describes the Port Washington, WI. company as a �smaller, independent distributor� with about half of its business in managed inventory.
Reittinger has been in the fastener industry for 13 years, after experience in the metal working industry and selling medical equipment.
Greensboro, NC-based Automotive Fasteners has eight locations and specializes in value-added services to the OEM and MRO markets.
Reittinger expects the NFDA will �continue much like our business by adding value for members.�
When distribution sales are down, the cost of association membership becomes an issue, Reittinger said. �We have to show the value we add more often. When we do, the money issue goes away.�
Reittinger pointed out that the slow economy is �not driving down sales of expensive cars. People spend money when they are getting value.�
IFI�s Taylor: Marriage Relationship
Tim Taylor, the new chairman of the manufacturers� organization, the Industrial Fasteners Institute, likened manufacturer and distributor complaints about each other to those of �husbands and wives. We�re in a marriage. We need each other.� Though Taylor quipped that there may be times for �marriage counseling.�
Taylor, president of the fasteners & components division of Mundelein, IL-based MacLean-Fogg Company, said the manufacturers� organization is looking forward to �working together with our distributor partners.�
The steel industry and steel users are divided on the Bush administration�s steel tariff plan.
A separate Steel Fasteners Working Group has been formed by IFI members to lobby against tariffs, Taylor said.
�We are free traders,� Taylor declared.
Taylor questioned free trade with fastener supplier Taiwan, because �relationships are so close� between Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers. China�s production could come through Taiwan, making a Taiwan policy �tantamount to free trade with China and not followed along with openness of the Chinese market.�
Taylor said the IFI is updating its inch-based standards text and is exploring formation of an educational foundation.
Westby can be contacted at Westby Production Components. Tel: 262 268-0200 Fax 262 268-0817 E-mail: westby@execpc.com
Reittinger can be contacted at Automotive Fasteners Inc. Tel: 336 274-3731 Fax 336 274-2424 E-mail: jimmyr@automotivefasteners.com �2002 FastenerNews.com