North Coast Fastener Association’s annual Distributor Social day of events for 2019 were well executed. Every year the leadership of the NCFA Social has provided their membership with a great event. This year was no exception, in fact it was one of the best industry day of events we’ve attended. Our day was spent learning about the manufacturing and distribution of fastening products. 

After the plant tours there was plenty of socializing with friends, a barbecue, and we even played the popular Midwest game of corn-hole.

About the Social:  

On Thursday, May 9th, the NCFA hosted its 11th Annual Distributor Social!  We are so thankful for the support the industry has given this event and know this couldn’t be possible without the support from our SUPPLIER SPONSORS…..so thank you! The sponorship from the supplier companies allows DISTRIBUTOR COMPANIES TO ATTEND FOR FREE (up to 5 attendees).  We truly believe the simplicity of this event is what our industry was looking for and what keeps it going year after year. The NCFA Distributor Social brings together top distributors and suppliers in the fastener industry for three hours of networking. There are no booths to drag in and set-up.  You are not working behnind a table all evening hoping a prospective customer or a currrent customer heads your way.  You get to decide how little or how much you want to get out of the evening, by networking with whom you wish. There will be a selection of delicious hot & cold hors d’oeuvres and free* drink tickets.  Last year this event had over 200 attendees, not only from Cleveland and surrounding areas, but all over!  This is an event you don’t want to miss!

First stop….

forged rod ends

The day started with a tour at Wodin, Inc.. While we missed the start of day’s events, we heard from those that attended how impressed they were with the manufacturing facility, the company and their employees. 

About Wodin, Inc.

Wodin, Inc., an Ohio based Forge, is the leader in upset forgings supplying both gas and induction forgings across all industries including the military and aircraft industry.

Wodin, Inc. has upset forged bar and tube in alloy, stainless, and nickel steels since 1967. Originally a manufacturer of industrial valve stems, we have expanded our forging capabilities to include a wide array of quality near net shape forgings, in solid bar, tube and hollow bar, carbon, alloy, stainless, nickel, inconel, brass, and bronze materials. We can supply blank forgings, machined forgings, and specialty forged bolts. We currently forged drill tubes, gear blanks, torsion bars, valve stems, aircraft forgings, rod ends, specialty bolts, fasteners and pins. We are ISO, AS, PED certified / NIAC Approved.

Their forge manufacturers a range of near net shape forgings as diverse as gears, axles, torsion bars, and drive train components for truck and off-road vehicles, to shafts, forged fasteners, forged rod ends, swing bolts, double end studs, pins, rings, rods and drillrods for the military, mining, food processing, oil equipment, construction, marine, aircraft, and fastener industries.

Their rapid growth and success in the upset bar and tube forging industry are attributable to Wodin’s commitment to quality and unparalleled customer service.

ImageWodin, Inc. • Certified to ISO 9001:2008 • AS9100 • PED Certified • NIAC Approved

Check out some of the tweeting from this event…..

 

Next Event of the Day: Plant Tour & BBQ at Brighton Best Int’l 

 

The second event was the BRIGHTON BEST INTL OPEN HOUSE/BBQ at their state-of-the-art new facility located in Strongsville, OH. We arrived to see a huge MissionBBQ vehicle in their parking lot, we knew then we were in for some good eats. We were welcomed by friendly Brighton Best staff,  as the distributors arrived they were taken in groups for a tour of their new facility. When you enter the warehouse the sheer size is breathtaking. Each group had the opportunity to be taken on a tour by an assigned and very knowledgeable employee that explained the facts and figures of their new facility. The facility sits on 7 acres of land (already preparing for future expansion). The building is 240,000 square feet of fastener goodness, boasting 40,000,000 pounds of inventory. The facility caters to the needs of fastener distributors not only in the Midwest, but also acts as a hub or distribution center for Canada and the United  Kingdom. 

 

    • 27 foot high rack systems
    • 54 Vehicle Bays
    • 240,000 sq. feet
    • Approximately 80,000 sku’s. 
    • 40,000,000 lbs of inventory
    • 7 acres of land (already preparing for future expansion)

Check out some of the tweeting from this event…..

About Brighton Best:

Brighton-Best traces its history to a Cincinnati storefront factory, which opened in 1925 as Brighton Screw Co. Best Socket Screw started in business in New York, N.Y. in 1965 and was located at 3 Howard Street in what is currently known as the SoHo district of New York City. The founders, Mr. Stan Sevell and Mr. Perry Rosenstein, both had extensive experience in the distribution of fastener products both locally and nationwide. In 1971, the two entrepreneurs purchased the assets of Brighton Socket Screw Manufacturing, a quality manufacturer of Socket Screw products in Cincinnati, Ohio.

By joining the two companies together, Mr. Sevell and Mr. Rosenstein created Brighton-Best Socket Mfg. Inc., a company that would ultimately become a major supplier of socket screw products in the United States.
By 1975, Brighton-Best had opened 12 warehouse distribution centers throughout the US and was looking for expansion opportunities abroad. The first foreign expansion came in Toronto, Canada and the opening of four other warehouses in Canada quickly followed suit. Over the next 20 years, Brighton-Best Socket Screw continued to open distribution centers in the USA, UK, Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia. Brighton-Best is currently located in 31 locations in 6 countries and supplies over 7,000 distributors throughout the world.
On January 2, 2008, Brighton-Best Socket Screw Mfg. was bought by a consortium of investors from Taiwan headed by Mr. Robert Shieh, President of Ta Chen International, Inc. (www.tachen.com). In 1986, Mr. Shieh founded Ta Chen International, Inc., a dominant supplier of valves, pipe, bar, coil, sheet and flat plate in Stainless Steel and other Non Ferrous materials. Ta Chen has distribution warehouses in 8 major industrial markets in the United States with corporate headquarters located in Long Beach, California.

In 2013, BBI acquired the Porteous Fastener Company (PFC), an industry leader in fastener master distribution, headquartered in California. The acquisition combines the strengths and diversities of the two largest fastener master-distributors in the global fastener industry. In addition to expanding our distribution footprint to 34 locations worldwide, the synergies created in scale and product scope will only strengthen BBI’s already formidable value proposition in the global distribution channel. The acquisition of PFC brought BBI squarely into the construction products market through the Proferred and US Anchor divisions previously under the PFC umbrella.
The Proferred brand line of products includes a full line of professional hand tools, manufactured in Taiwan, Safety Supplies (PPE) and consumables such as gloves, tape and glue, all in stock and ready for immediate delivery.

The U.S. Anchor brand has a 45 year history of quality anchoring products. The product range spans comprehensive light/medium and heavy duty offerings ideal for the construction and industrial applications. Our flagship Ultrawedge+ wedge anchor has obtained the prestigious ICC-ES approval for cracked concrete as well as the Miami-Dade County approval. The State of Florida, City of LA and State of California have approved the “Ultrawedge+”.

In 2017, BBI acquired Ironclad Performance Wear. Born on the job site, Ironclad was founded in 1998. Ironclad’s high performance gloves, with flawless fit technology, enhanced grip materials, Duraclad™ reinforcements, and ballistic nylon have an unrivaled fit that is lifting the industry to new standards. Ironclad gloves are built for the everyday hero; the hard-working men and women, in law enforcement, construction, warehousing, engineering and the military. Ironclad’s Limitless Leather glove is the recipient of the OHS 2018 New Product of the Year award. Our portfolio includes KONG, Ironclad Tactical and EXO/Command Series and with 26 patents granted across the globe, Ironclad is leading the way, the company of the everyday hero.
Brighton-Best International, Inc. (BBI), offers new products, more extensive inventory, world class service, quality products, and a 24 hr. online web ordering web site.

The finale event was the NCFA Distributor Social capping off the days activities.

The social is always a well-attended industry event, but it seems even better attended this year. It’s always nice to see industry friends you don’t see all that often, as well as all the new faces that filled the floor. A good day was had by all that participated. Thank you to NCFA, the organizers and to Wodin, Inc & Brighton Best Int’l for their hospitality and factory tours.

It’s great to see everyone participating in social media and adding to the representation of our great industry. We have a lot to talk about, after all we are holding the world together! 

Check out some of the tweeting from the social…..

See you again next year…..Thank you to the leadership and members of the North Coast Fastener Association that work hard to make this event possible.

PHOTO Gallery:

 

Fastener Association, Fasteners, The Fastener Museum