“Hello, fastener enthusiasts and industry professionals, Cris Young here LIVE in the FastenerTV studio! Welcome to your weekly roundup of the latest in fasteners—industry news, trends, upcoming events, and scholarships. Let’s dive into this week’s episode of In the News with Fastener News Desk!”
Whether you’re a bolt buff or riveted by rivets, these are the stories you need to be following in fastener industry news, acquisitions, upcoming events, and scholarship opportunities making headlines the week of May 13, 2024.
Watch now on FastenerTV at YouTube: (14:54)
IN THE NEWS:
The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) slightly decelerated m/m but remained in growth territory reading 51.6 in April. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) Improved vs. last month and reached a neutral 50. When taken together with other indicators (FAST, ISM PMI), market conditions in April showed improvement vs. March but remained sluggish overall. Read more:
Fastenal’s overall sales of $649.2 million during April were up nearly 11% over the $586.2 million in April 2023. Sales of fasteners declined by 2.2% last month on a daily basis, while safety supplies rose by 5.1%; other products saw a 1.2% increase. Daily sales in Fastenal’s eProcurement operations climbed by 26% in April, down from a 46% increase in April 2023.
Photo credit: Salim Brahimi
A major milestone in fastener industry history…the Industrial Fasteners Institute celebrated the 50th anniversary of ASTM Committee F16 on Fasteners last week at an ASTM ceremony in Philadelphia. Salim Brahimy, the Director of Engineering & Technology at the IFI, received the Walter C. Voss Award, a first for a member of F16, presented by Kathie Morgan (ASTM Immediate Past President). Chad Larson, President at LeJeune Bolt Company was honored for his outstanding contributions to the development of fastener standards with the prestigious ASTM Award of Merit. Join the IFI: https://indfast.org/
Countdown to Fastener Fair USA, taking place May 22-23 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, OH! Fastener Fair USA is the premier exhibition in the U.S. dedicated to the full supply chain–distributors, mechanical and design engineers, purchasers, wholesalers and OEMs. Register today! Use promo code: FND2024 and get your FREE exhibit hall badge. Go to: http://fastenerfairusa24.com/FND2024
Wurth Canada announced the appointment of their new CEO, Yana Popa. With over a decade of experience at Wurth Canada, Yana has been responsible for financial operations, IT and supply chain, as well as the management of several large projects. As the new Chief Executive Officer, she’s committed to supporting high-performance culture to deliver exceptional experiences and meaningful business solutions for customers across Canada. Learn more about Wurth Canada’s vision: https://shop.wurth.ca/about/message-from-ceo
The fastener industry mourns the loss of another veteran…Lawrence Arnold Scharringhausen, 82, passed away at home on Friday, May 3, 2024. Larry is the founder of Liberty Fastener Coa, a successful fastener distribution business celebrating 50 years in business this year. Larry was highly respected in his industry and loved by his employees.
FASTENER INDUSTRY EVENTS:
Torque-Expo 2024 will return to The Exhibition Centre in Telford tomorrow May 14, 2024. This key one-day event offers a B2B exhibition, a substantial conference programme, an innovation zone showcasing new and unusual products, followed by an evening networking and an awards presentation highlighting the industry’s latest developments and achievements. https://events.torque-expo.com/
Join the Southwestern Fastener Association this Wednesday, May 15, 2024 5:30-8pm! for their Houston Happy Hour! Meet up with Fastener Friends and family at Little Woodrow’s in the Heights for happy hour and fastener fun! Registration is requested. Go to: https://www.southwesternfastener.org/
The Pac-West Spring Dinner Meeting & Vendor Showcase is happening this week Thursday, May 16, 2024 in La Mirada, CA. In the ever-changing landscape of international markets, an expert panel will be discussing how to maximize the North American supply chain, including BABA the Build America, Buy America Act, AIS The American Iron and Steel provision, and other domestic programs. Discount Deadline is today May 13. Go to pac-west.org now to register and save!
Don’t Miss the Boat! Prepare to embark on a maritime networking adventure as the NCFA proudly presents its 15th Annual Distributor Social aboard the Goodtime III, the largest quadruple-deck luxury ship on the Great Lakes on Tuesday, May 21st! https://www.ncfaonline.com/
Get ready to tee off and network with your fellow fastener industry professionals at the MWFA 2024 Screwed Up Open! This year’s event promises to be a day filled with fun, friendly competition, and valuable connections. Join the MWFA on May 30, 2024 at the White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville, IL. Register now at MWFA.net
Learn over lunch with The Fastener Training Institute’s Fastener Basics Four-Part Webinar Series. Students can learn over lunch and complete the training, next classes are scheduled for May 30th, & June 27th. FTI’s Fastener Basics course provides extensive fastener parts knowledge to those new to the fastener industry and to those looking to better understand fastener products. https://fastenertrainingevents.com/fastener-basics.htm
The Annual Northeast Fastener Distributors Association Scholarship Golf Outing will take place June 5th at the Southington Country Club. Sponsorships & golfer registration are now open – Save the Date and and Makew Sure to Reserve Your Space today! Go to: https://www.nefda.com/events/
Registration is open for the NFDA Annual Meeting and ESPS taking place in Irving, TX June 11-14, 2024. The NFDA’s premier event includes networking, one-on-one business meetings, education, and social time with industry friends. You won’t want to miss it! Go to NFDA-Fastener.org to register today!
Join Pac-West for their After-Hours event happening in Langley, BC. Stop by and meet other people in the fastener industry and expand your professional network at The Barley Merchant Taproom & Kitchen on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. Go to Pac-West.org to register today!
Don’t Miss Out on the Ultimate Ballgame Experience with MWFA as they head to Milwaukee for an unforgettable day at American Family Field to see the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Pittsburgh Pirates! Friends and Family Welcome! Happening Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 1:10 PM. Hurry and reserve your tickets today! The deadline is May 11th or when tickets run out! Go to MWFA.net to reserve your tickets.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
NFDA Scholarship For Fastener Training Week will offer one scholarship valued at $2,800 Scholarships are available for NFDA members only. Scholarships can be used for any Fastener Training Week program in 2024 or 2025. Submit your completed application to the NFDA office by June 1. Apply now: https://www.nfda-fastener.org/fastener-training-week-scholarship
The Marc Strandquist Memorial Scholarship Fund will offer one scholarship for Fastener Training Week each year (valued at $2,800 each). The deadline to submit your completed application to the NFDA is August 31, 2024. Applicants will be notified of the Strandquist family’s decision in late September. Apply now: NFDA-Fastener.org
Women in The Fastener Industry (WIFI) honors the memory of Ann Bisgyer Wolz, co-publisher of Fastener Industry News with a Fastener Training Institute scholarship. Learn more about this incredible opportunity for training. https://www.fastenerwomen.com/scholarships Applications are due by June 14.
The Mid-West Fastener Association (MWFA) educational scholarship is just one of the many membership benefits. The scholarships= award is a minimum $1,500.00 for higher education. The MWFA has awarded over $950,000 from membership dues, donations & industry shows. Submit your MWFA scholarship at MWFA.net. The application by September 1, 2024.
The stories featured in this week’s episode of IN THE NEWS can be found at Fastener News Desk or in our news feed @FastenerNews at X.com the twitter rebrand, on LinkedIn in the Fastener News Group and @FastenerNews at Threads & Instagram!
If you would like to share your company’s news or events contact me, lisa@fastenernewsdesk.com.
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode of ‘IN THE NEWS’ with Fastener News Desk.
Until next week, be well and keep it fastenating.
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