TS:  OK, let’s address the elephant in the room.  “Washer Werks”, not “Washer Works”.  Where did that come from?  How did you guys decide to use that spelling?

Mike Neumann (MN):  Back in 1994 when my father and I started the company we wanted to promote the Made in USA concept.  Obviously, that is where the All American comes from.  We also,  being of German heritage,  liked the idea of adding a German spelling of the English word Works which is Werks.  

TS:  Let’s circle back to a proper starting point.  Mike Neumann, you run All American Washer Werks, a stamper and manufacturer of special washers.  How long have you been with All American and how did you get started there?

MN:    I’ve been here since the beginning.   My Father Fred, and I started the company in 1995 getting back to what we knew best, and that was manufacturing  washers and specialty stampings.

TS:  Tell us about AAWW.  What are the primary products that you specialize in?  MN:  AAWW is a manufacturer of washers and stampings and we are ISO 9001:2015 certified.  Our market niche is primarily in the specialty washer segment.  Which begs the question:  How do you define specialty washer? Most people in the fastener industry know what standard washers are.  You know the USS and SAE variety.  For the most part, these come from off shore sources.  These usually are offered with standard materials and finishes.  But, there are engineering applications that require non-standard materials and finishes and that is where AAWW comes in.  And it’s not just the difference in materials and finishes that make a specialty washer.  Often, an engineering application requires different OD, ID, and thickness combinations that are not offered off the shelf. AAWW has a full service,  on site tooling department that supports the manufacture of specialty washers and stampings.  We carry Millions of Pounds of Raw Material as well as a large inventory of finished goods.   This combination of manufacturing ability and inventory gives AAWW the ability to deliver products in a timely and cost effective manner.  

TS:  How is the washer marketplace these days?  Or, for that matter, how do you see the fastener marketplace?  Have you been staying busy or have you seen things slow down at all?  

MN:  The first half of the year was very busy.  So far in Q3 business has been a bit less brisk.  It definitely has slowed down from Q1 and Q2 but is still moving along.  A lot of people correlate this to being an election year.  Normally, I would just say that is an excuse. However, this time around I’m not sure.  I guess we will find out soon.  

TS:  There are a couple topics that come up a lot when speaking to domestic manufacturers.  The first one is regarding the labor talent available to operate the equipment.  That always seems to be a challenge and quite possibly will be a bigger challenge in upcoming years.  The other topic is competing with import product.  Sometimes the product has to be made in the USA or maybe the quantities are too small to import.   I guess I am not asking you a question specifically but I would be curious to hear your thoughts on both topics.

MN:  Yes, of course.  AAWW has been very blessed in having employees that have been here 20 years or more.  We utilize their experience to train the next generation that ensures continuity in our manufacturing process.  We have been competing in this marketplace since our beginning.  We seem to fit into the supply chain quite well.  

TS:  Are there certain markets where you are particularly strong?  

MN:  Fortunately, our products go into many different markets and AAWW isn’t interested in focusing on any one market.  Our customer base is very diversified including Agriculture Industry, Automotive, Military, Lawn and Garden, Construction, Appliance and HVAC, Energy, Aerospace, Heavy Truck, Small Engine and many others.  

TS:  What does the future look like for AAWW?  MN:  The future’s so Bright…. We all wear shades 😊 We are coming up on 30 years in business in 2025 and looking back I would say that we have done a great job.  Looking in the next 30 years… wow.  Starting a business is such a challenge and growing a business is also such a challenge.  AAWW is equipped to move forward.  We have so much young talent coming up and taking their place in the business.  Much like when my Dad and I started the company.  He was the wise one that guided and knew how to run a business.  I was the one that provided the energy and new ideas to get AAWW off the ground.  I am very proud of the people working at AAWW and know that we keep providing a great product with a great reputation.     TS:  What does Mike Neumann like to do when he isn’t making washers? Over the years so much of my time has been devoted to AAWW, but lately, I have decided to take a little more time for my family and myself.  Recently, I am blessed to be a grandfather to a new granddaughter Clara, and a new grandson Azaia.  So, I am taking more time to be with them and the rest of my family.  I am also playing a few more rounds of golf, the boat captain for the Neumann water ski team, and am planning a snow ski trip out west.

Mike Neumann

Note from TS:

I have a regular column in Fastener Technology International (FTI) magazine, called 10 Minutes with the Traveling Salesman, which can be read online at www.fastenertech.com. Subscriptions to FTI, print and digital editions, are free-of-charge for fastener manufacturers, distributors and users as well as suppliers to the industry.”  

Thanks very much to Big Bolt for the tour during the fantastic Mid-West Fastener Association Fastnr Week.  The staff gave tours and were wonderful hosts.  Seeing one of the Big Bolt Bears in the lobby caused me to think about how I used to see these carved bears in the lobby of some of Big Bolt’s largest customers.  It made me wonder where they all are today.  I was told that there were about 30 of these carved bears delivered to customers.  Does anyone know where they are today?  My memory tells me there used to be one at Flexalloy in the Cleveland area.  Maybe Suburban Bolt, but not sure.  If you know I would be curious.  Better yet, take a picture and send them in.

Talk about your customer “give-aways”!!

TS:  Take us through the journey of how you entered the fastener industry and how you got to the position you now hold with MW.

Madan Mathevan:  I began my career in the fastener industry in 1998 as an Assistant Manager at Sundaram Fasteners Ltd. Over the years, I progressed through various roles that expanded my knowledge and expertise in manufacturing processes, tool design, and project management. My journey included significant positions at companies like Danaher Tool Group, Southco, Inc., and Sussex Wire, Inc. In 2019, I joined MW Components, where I held roles with increasing responsibility, including General Manager and Vice President. In June 2023, I became the President of the Fastener Division, overseeing multi-site leadership, revenue growth, and full P&L responsibility.

TS:  What all is included in the fastener division?

Madan:  The Fastener Division of MW Components includes a comprehensive range of products and services, such as internally threaded fasteners, externally threaded fasteners, pins, dowels, and connector pins. Our division comprises six cold heading companies and two machining companies, all ISO or AS certified. We serve diverse markets, including aerospace, defense, heavy trucks, automotive, medical equipment, drug delivery, industrial electronics, agriculture, furniture, bathroom plumbing, transmission, and earth mover equipment. Additionally, we offer capabilities such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Analysis, and Rapid Prototyping to ensure optimal product design and performance. We are uniquely set up to take orders from 500 pieces to multimillion pieces.

TS:   What are the other divisions of MW Components?

Madan:  MW Components is a diversified company with several divisions beyond fasteners. These include precision manufacturing, springs, wire forms, and engineered components. Each division specializes in different product lines and serves various industries, but they all share a commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

TS:   How did the purchase of Elgin Fastener in 2023 come about and why was MW interested in Elgin?

Madan:  The acquisition of Elgin Fastener in 2023 was a strategic move to expand our capabilities and market reach. The combination of Elgin Fastener Group with MW Components allows us to offer a broader range of stock fasteners and custom manufacturing capabilities, making us the leading specialty fastener manufacturer in the U.S. This acquisition increases our product portfolio, adding unique capabilities and enhancing our engineering bench strength with over 100 engineers from across MW facilities. Furthermore, integrating with MW Components provides additional support for our business and employees, leveraging MW’s HR, IT, procurement, marketing, and finance platforms. This consolidation also helps us be more competitive by optimizing purchasing efforts and leveraging MW’s extensive sales and marketing support to grow our business.

TS:   What is going on with your plans to consolidate and integrate the companies?

Madan:  We are actively working on consolidating and integrating the companies acquired to optimize our operations. This involves streamlining processes, leveraging synergies, and aligning our teams to work more efficiently. The consolidation will help us reduce redundancies, improve production capabilities, and enhance our ability to deliver high-quality products to our customers. Our Telefast Quality bolt consolidation is complete, and now Telefast has the capability to manufacture bolts up to M16 in diameter and 10″ in length. Our Addison Fastener building will be ready to move in by August 30. Our machines will be moving into the Addison manufacturing building in three waves and should be complete by January 2025. Our goal is to create a cohesive and agile organization that can respond quickly to market demands and innovate continuously.

TS:  Once Addison Fasteners is up and operating, how many manufacturing facilities will MW have within the Fastener Division?

Madan:  Addison Fasteners’ expansion includes the incorporation of Hi-Performance Fastening Solutions (HPS), All Star Fasteners, and Holbrook Fasteners into the Addison location, a 198,000 sqft manufacturing facility. Warehousing, shipping, and sorting will be handled at the current Holbrook building, which will be called the Addison Fastener Warehouse and Shipping. After this consolidation, we will have 8 companies under the Fastener Division capable of manufacturing external fasteners from M0.5 to M16, lengths from 1mm to 2200mm, and internally threaded fasteners from M4 to M20. We also offer machined fastener solutions like inserts and standoffs.

TS:  Is there anything else you want to share with us about upcoming activities at MW?

Madan:  We have several exciting initiatives in the pipeline at MW Components. In addition to expanding our manufacturing footprint, we are investing in new technologies and automation to enhance our production processes. Our Addison Fastener location is set up in a way to take orders from 500 pieces to multimillion pieces due to the unique way we have organized our manufacturing process. Furthermore, we are exploring new markets and applications for our fastener products, ensuring that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

TS:  What trends or developments do you see in the fastener marketplace that you either find interesting or that concern you?

Madan:  The fastener marketplace is constantly evolving, and several trends are particularly noteworthy. One significant development is the increasing demand for lightweight and high-strength materials, driven by the aerospace and automotive industries’ need for improved fuel efficiency and performance. Additionally, customers are seeking faster delivery times, often less than three weeks, and competitive pricing with overseas suppliers. The unique way we have organized our fastener division enables us to meet these demands effectively. The rise of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing is also transforming our industry, enabling greater automation, precision, and data-driven decision-making. While these trends present exciting opportunities, they also require us to continuously innovate and adapt to stay ahead.

TS:  Any hobbies or interests that the average fastener person would not know about you?

Madan:  I have a lesser-known talent that surprises many: I’m quite adept at cooking tandoori food. Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of blending spices and marinating meats to create authentic, flavorful dishes that are a hit at any gathering. Additionally, I’ve been dabbling in baking for a couple of years. While my baking experiments often don’t turn out as planned, they always end up bringing a good laugh to our household, making the process enjoyable and a fun learning experience for me.

In 2014, the Young Fastener Professional (YFP) association teamed up with the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC) to create a program called the fastener “30 Under 30”.   The YFP was founded by Ryan Kertis and it was his coordination with the FIC that led to establishing the program.  The program ran in 2014 & 2015 and then it was put on pause as so many young fastener professionals had been recognized in those two years.   Candidly, there were only so many young people entering the fastener industry and they feared that by running the program again they would run out of worthy candidates.

Also below are the rules that were used to choose the 30 Under 30.

Recognize any names???????   Is it time for the Fastener Industry Coalition to revive the program?

Thanks to www.fastenernewsdesk.com I was able to retrieve the information on this program.  Here is the link that I got from their site that helped me to retrieve this information:

https://fastenercoalition.org/30Under30.html

CLASS OF 2015

CLASS OF 2014

RULES FOR CHOOSING THE 30

A committee of five people will choose the 30 Under 30.  The committee will be comprised of members of the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC) and the Young Fastener Professionals (YFP).

Criteria used to choose the 30 will include information submitted on the application forms.  Because we are not using measurable indicators such as GPA or things used by scholarship committees, the decisions will be largely subjective.  For this reason, we are electing to have five committee members, or five different points of view.

Although there are no measurable indicators, some of the things we would ask the committee members to consider would include the following:

–  Length of time at their current position

– Position within their organization (president or other officer, national account manager, regional account manager, lead programmer, or any other designation that indicates they have exceptional responsibilities at their company)

– Any measurable progress noted (cost saving initiatives, sales increases, demonstrable efficiency increases, etc.) in their statement/essay.

–  Bio Information – whether this is a personal application submitted or an application submitted by a sponsor, this portion will weigh heaviest on determining who will be named in the 30

With five committee members, there will be no ties.  Each member of the committee will see each application for review.  Committee members who work with any of the nominees will not be allowed to vote on those applicants unless there is a 2-2 tie from the other committee members.   At this time a dictated point system will not be put into place as it is not fair to set constraining parameters on such a new program.  After this first time of selecting 30 under 30, the application will be reviewed by the committee to determine if changes need to be made.

This program is designed to recognize and encourage the young employees of our industry to make the fastener industry a long term commitment because they can be part of a better future for the industry.

TS:  I have always been interested in how the fastener industry works in other countries.  Over the years I have interviewed someone who ran a fastener distribution company in Ireland.  I did an interview with a distributor in Puerto Rico.  I have interviewed several suppliers and manufacturers from other countries. But when I saw your recent career move it caught my attention.  I now had a guy I knew making a major move with a worldwide fastener distributor, Wurth, and he would be selling into both Africa and Asia!  That was different.

So, what exactly is your new role with Wurth?

Dee Ward:  I am the Senior Vice President for the Würth Group. I am responsible for the Würth Industry companies in Asia-Pacific & Africa. This comprises 12 companies in 11 countries. My region spans from South Africa, Turkey, India, and Northern China to Australia.

TS:  Where is home?  Where do you work out of?

Dee:  I currently reside just outside of Orlando, Florida. We have called this home for over 9-years. This summer, I will relocate with my family to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I will be based out of our Würth Industry Services Malaysia office. This provides a central location within the region for me to travel quickly, work in local time zones, and be more hands-on with each of the business units.

TS:  I have always been interested in how the fastener industry works in other countries.  Is it similar to the U.S. distribution/supplier model? 

Dee:  Yes, it is similar to the U.S. distribution/supplier model. There are typically more local, country-specific distributors within the region who only focus on customers within their geographic area. This reduces import duties when they are not in free trade zone.

TS:  Are the suppliers the same in other companies or do they have a fairly different supplier base?  For instance, do many U.S. produced fasteners get sold in Africa? 

Dee:  There are instances when a U.S. supplier will distribute into other areas of the world. This is primarily driven by imperial dimension fasteners being readily available from a U.S. distributor versus needing to be manufactured. The required volume and MOQs from the manufacturers are often too large for many distributors, so they procure from the U.S. who already has stock. Another example would be secondary processes that are difficult to source in other parts of the world which are readily available and can be secured quickly in the U.S.

TS:  Where do they get most of the product they use in Asia and Africa?

Dee:  Manufactured parts from Asia are still the dominant source for all areas of the world. However, each country has local manufacturers who are often able to meet customer requirements and lead times.

TS:  In addition to wracking up miles on major airlines, how are you dealing with the travel that you must be doing?  It’s not like you’re covering a multi-state region or something.  You must be a long distance from all of your business locations.

Dee:  The past several months have been a whirlwind. But it has been a good whirlwind! My goal was to visit all of the companies that I oversee prior to our move to Kuala Lumpur. I will have completed this goal before our move in June. It has been an incredible experience so far. I am extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity, and I look forward to working closely with our company leaders to continue to drive our business forward within the region.

TS:  What is the most interesting difference when dealing in the fastener industry in Africa?

Dee:  South Africans face many hardships which are primarily driven by political unrest. In addition, water and electricity shortages are common within the country. However, our company in South Africa continues to show incredible success amidst these hardships. There is an overwhelming positivity with South Africans which is contagious. They are able to recognize the challenges, understand that business must continue, and they remain highly optimistic about the future. It is truly inspiring.

TS:  How about selling into Asia.  In the U.S. we import so much product from Asia but it interests me to hear from your perspective how it is to sell into Asia.  What are some of the biggest differences that you see?

Dee:  There is not a major difference than what it looks like here in the U.S. Obviously, reduced lead times due to proximity is advantageous. However, MOQs from the manufacturers and production lead times remain equal across the globe. Quality and engineering is of utmost importance to OEMs in most of Asia. This is why Würth invested in building the Central Distribution Center (CDC) in Haiyan, China. Our quality lab is state-of-the-art and houses a wide array of equipment for use across the globe. In addition, the CDC boasts many automated logistics functions which allow us to house and supply large volumes of inventory quickly to our customers.

TS:  How does your family feel about relocating to Kuala Lumpur?

Dee:  Laura and I have three teenage sons. My oldest is 19-years old and will remain in the U.S. to attend Firefighting Academy in Florida. My middle son is 17-years old and will finish his senior year of high school in Kuala Lumpur. My youngest son is 14-years old and will begin his high school journey in the fall. Everyone is excited for this incredible opportunity and grand adventure! Our family lived in Brazil from 2010-2013, so my wife and I were able to quickly recognize that Malaysia would be a good fit for us. Our sons are excited to attend school, experience the Malaysian culture, and explore all that Kuala Lumpur has to offer an expat family. In addition, my wife is also thrilled and has been overwhelmingly supportive during my recent extended travels back and forth to Asia until our upcoming move. This opportunity will continue to shape who we are as a family in addition to who I am as a leader for the Würth Group.

TS:  Carmen Vertullo, so much has already been written about you, where do I begin?  You won the prestigious NFDA Fastener Professional of the Year for 2023, and the NFDA published a thorough and very well-done biography of you and your many accomplishments.  I encourage readers to track down that announcement if they want to find out more about your personal background and accomplishments. 

https://www.nfda-fastener.org/fastener-professional-of-the-year

To repeat all the details here would take up a lot of space and not leave room for me to ask you about what is new and exciting with Carmen. 

Carmen Vertullo (CV):   I would just like to add one detail about the award – it was one of the most pleasant experiences of my professional life – I would like to say I humbly accepted it and did not deserve it – but I had a change of attitude – I am very happy and proud to have been selected. Humility is overrated – you can’t brag about it.

TS:  So, I had met you before but got to know you better when you were one of the instructors for the Fastener Training Institute’s (FTI) Fastener Week in Cleveland several years ago.  You were one of my instructors.  And, among your many accomplishments, you were a founding instructor for the FTI’s Certified Fastener Specialist (CFS) fastener training program.

So, let’s begin there.  How many different training organizations or seminars are you, or have you been involved with?

CV:  Going back to my beginning in the industry with Ababa Bolt in the early 1990’s I developed and presented training programs for our OEM customers and local trade shows. Then the LAFA (Los Angeles Fastener Association) which later merged with the WAFD (Western Association of Fastener Distributors) to become PACWEST Fastener Association developed the CFS (Certified Fastener Specialist) training program, which now is presented by FTI (Fastener Training Institute). I anchored that program with my wonderful late great mentors Joe Greenslade and Bengt Blendulf for 10 or so years, Then Salim Brahimi and Laurence Clause came along side and they do all the heavy lifting now – I still show up occasionally. I would estimate we have trained well over 1000 fastener professionals in that program over about 30 years – ask Jo Morris for the exact number. I have done hundreds of webinars for FTI and my clients, numerous trade show and conference presentations. We have done Fastner Training programs at our Carver Labs training facility in San Diego and have some new ones coming on line in 2024.  And of course, over 100 episodes of The Fastener Training Minute on Fully Threaded Radio. Eric Dudas is a great inspiration to me in many ways – not just fasteners. My favorite though is our Fastener Experts Mentoring program. Its me and about 20 industry pros who want to sharpen their fastener expertise. We meet on ZOOM twice a month for an hour or so. I loved it!

Of course, we are members of many organizations that we may not provide training directly to– ASTM, IFI, ASME, ISO, RCSC, AISC, SAE, etc. I have to say that I owe a great deal of gratitude to FTI for my industry presence.

TS:  I believe you have a degree in manufacturing engineering but how did you first become involved in the fastener industry?

CV:  After leaving the US Air Force in 1980 I worked in a turbine engine research test cell here in San Diego. I ran a jet engine test cell in the air force so that’s where my background in testing started, but both of those jobs also required a strong understanding of fasteners and I got some pretty good fastener training in the Air Force. I then had a job designing and building test equipment for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. When that program left San Diego, I needed a job and went to work as a sales manager for Ababa Bolt. I like to say I knew nothing about sales, nothing about management and enough about fasteners to be dangerous.  I was there for 10 years but morphed from sales to quality and process improvement – that is where I guess I became a fastener expert.

TS:  Fastener quality is not just how you test products.  I have heard you talk about how quality systems have to start with some very simple procedures, like how companies procure the raw materials, all the way to final inspection and testing.  Is our industry getting any better at implementing these types of systems?

CV:  Our industry is outstanding at implementing these types of systems. As a consultant I get to see the inner workings of a lot of different fastener companies across the supply chain, as well as their customers. Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors and dabblers. Its rare to find a company that does not have a registered QMS or is at least working towards that today. I am very proud – and humbled – that the training we have provided over the years has driven the industry in that direction.

TS:  What is your biggest concern about fastener designing, engineering and applications where fasteners are used?

CV:  We are losing fastener industry talent and expertise faster than we can replace it. That’s one reason for my Fastener Experts Mentoring Program. Fastener technology is not taught in engineering programs at colleges and universities. We see the same old mistakes being made that we thought were trained out years ago – especially- believe it or not – hydrogen embrittlement failures – its not going away and it should be.

TS:  As a regular guest on Fully Threaded Radio, you have brought a lot of attention to hydrogen embrittlement.  I would go as far as to say you are kind of the “hydrogen embrittlement guy” partly because I think Eric Dudas loves saying that phrase.  Is it as rampant of a problem as it seems?

CV:  It’s not rampant – its not an alarm bell safety issue, but we still see our industry getting in a lot of trouble over it. Trouble means costly failures and law suits.  I would much rather spend time and money on implementing a good HE risk-management program for a client than conducting a failure investigation – or God forbid being the expert witness in a legal action.

TS:  We have IFI standards that govern a lot of how fasteners are made and used but a lot of knowledgeable people are retiring and with them goes a wealth of knowledge.  Should we have concerns moving forward?

CV:  YES, we should be concerned. There are a lot of fastener standards organizations and I participate in all of them. We need to pull more young people into them. If you are a fastener business owner or executive, I strongly encourage you to incentivize your people’s participation in these organizations. Don’t just pay their way – pay them extra. Recognize them for their initiative and contribution to the industry. It is financial and time commitment, but worth much, much more than the expense. Plus, its great fun and fellowship and keeps you tied to the industry.

TS:  Despite all of your numerous accomplishments, you do not seem to like to sit still.  Instead of resting on your laurels as the incumbent NFDA Fastener Professional of the Year, you are creating a new business which includes things like fastener application consulting, testing, training.  And, you have some manufacturing that you do.  So, please give us the rundown of your current operation and what all you are doing!

CV:  Carver Labs is the newest part of our business- not exactly new. Lois and I have been doing the fastener consulting, testing and training thing for over 25 years. We are really excited about Carver Labs though. It’s a combination of 13 different fastener testing laboratories – there’s no fastener test we can’t do and if there is one, we can’t do we find a partner to help us out. We are often the expert between our clients and other labs.

On the manufacturing side have a CNC machine and welding shop. We design and manufacture special fasteners from scratch, which includes engineering, drawing and testing. We also modify off-the-shelf fasteners to customer needs. We have a 4 KW CNC fiber laser cutter where we make special washers and flat or bent parts too difficult or not cost effective for stamping. We make sophisticated test fixtures, tooling, and research specimens for our clients, our partner labs and for in-house use.

Our two reps (that’s a technical term, but they are just really good friends) Doug Weiland in the west and Jackie Ventura in the east, have been an absolute godsend. And we have the blessing of people like you TS – promoting and helping us out with your time and industry experience.

Check us out at www.carverem.com or on LinkedIn.

TS:  Is there anything else you still want to do in your career?

CV:  Well – I have had a great career in the fastener industry – but there is plenty left to do. I have several product development projects in the works. Some are fasteners and some are not.  I want to write a book – not necessarily about fasteners.

TS:  Tell us something else about Carmen Vertullo that we do not already know.

CV:  If you know me already, then you know the most important thing to know about me is my love for Jesus and his church. I can give full credit to Jesus for any success I have enjoyed in this business. Also, for my family – two great well-launched kids, Rob and Teri, and 47 years of marriage to the best woman ever. We have 6 grand kids and a great extended family. I ask your prayers over all of us – especially Rob who is serving as an army combat medic and first sergeant in Syria.

I love smoking meat. I enjoy the occasional cigar and have just started getting familiar with firearms.  I love my work and I love my not work.

I really enjoy the fastener industry events – trade shows, mud runs, bed builds, pool parties, fastener bashes, socials and celebrations of all kinds. If you are reading this, I hope you know I love hanging out with you too!

Carmen Vertullo

Lois and Carmen -then…..

….and now!!

On the worksite

Carmen in action, instructing!

Some of Carmen’s adoring fans – actually, individuals who were extremely grateful for his assistance and instruction

Salim Brahimi and Carmen

Patriot Bolt Unveils Record-Breaking Achievement:

The World’s Largest Hex Nut in Houston, TX

Houston, TX — November 22, 2023 — Patriot Bolt a leading innovator in the specialty fastener manufacturing industry, proudly announces the successful production of the world’s largest hex nut in the vibrant city of Houston, Texas. This monumental achievement reflects the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of engineering and contributing to the local industrial landscape. The world’s largest hex nut, Big Tex The Incredible Hex, is a symbol of strength and quality and is a testament to the capabilities and craftsmanship that define American manufacturing.

Unveiling a Symbol of Strength and Precision

Measuring approximately 16 feet in height, our record-breaking hex nut surpasses all expectations. Crafted together with another local manufacturing company, JK Welding, this colossal hex nut stands as a testament to our dedication to excellence in manufacturing.

A Showcase of Engineering Mastery

“The world’s largest hex nut belongs in the State of Texas, Kris Kolb, President”

The Future of Manufacturing in Houston

As we celebrate this achievement, Patriot Bolt remains committed to advancing manufacturing capabilities in Houston. This accomplishment not only underscores our dedication to quality and precision but also marks a step forward in promoting Houston as a hub for cutting-edge industrial solutions.

About Patriot Bolt

Patriot Bolt has been a driving force in the manufacturing industry, consistently delivering innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients. With a focus on quality, reliability, and customer service we have established ourselves as leaders in the field.

Contact Information

For media inquiries, please contact:

Bryce Oliveira Vice President 281-581-0176 bryce@patriotbolt.com

###

Patriot Bolt – 1974 South Houston Ave Humble, TX 77396 – www.patriotbolt.com

TS:  First of all, let’s talk about the name JM Tor Par.  Please tell us the meaning behind the name.

Jose:  When my father, Jose Janeiro, started the company in 1984, he was manufacturing hot forged bolts, cap screws and suspension parts for a Mercedes Benz Trucks plant close to Mexico City as well as for other truck and trailer suppliers such as Fruehauf and Kenworth.   Originally, the company was called JabaMet. Jabamet was the abbreviation for his family name (Janeiro Barros) and the word metal, all combined together.

In 1994 JM Tor Par started as another commercial entity and was part of the JM group. At that time, JM Tor Par imported nuts, washers and other complimentary items that they would sell with the bolts that were manufactured in Jabamet.  Products were imported from the US, Canada and Asia.

Finally, our brand and the group were being referred to in the market as JM and we decided to put it all together under the JM name. Internally our company now uses the JM Tor Par name for all our activities in the fastener industry.

TS:  And today, JM Tor Par is a hot forger.  You make hot forged bolts, correct?  Tell me more about the types of products you manufacture.

Jose:  Yes we are a hot forger, but we like to say that we are not like other hot forgers. We have been recognized in Mexico and now in the US and Canada for being a high quality manufacturer. We manufacture all our parts under cap screw standards and constantly invest in our equipment, infrastructure and in our team in order to be able to offer products for O&G, construction, mining, earth moving, metric specials and heavy duty suspension manufacturers and distributors. And these are just a few of the special industries we work with.

TS:  Your company is a family business.  How long have you been in business?  Can you share with us some of the company history?

Jose:  My father started more than 45 years ago in the automotive industry, just when he arrived from Spain. He is a mechanical engineer and has been involved with fasteners for his entire career. JM’s 40th anniversary will be in June 2024. I’ve been involved in the industry for more than 18 years.

The company started with one forge, one Dodge pick up truck (bought with the proceeds after my father sold his VW Beetle and my mother her Ford Mustang) and it was the family and company’s sole mode of transportation. JM became one of my father’s passions.  He would work seven days a week from morning until 11pm at night and his main goal was always doing things the right way and always being able to show people the value of his word and name.

I am one of two siblings.  I studied Industrial Engineering in Mexico and Australia and went to live to Taiwan when I finished my degree.   I worked in Asia for some time with fastener manufacturers and traders and then came back to Mexico where I spent time working at JM.  Next, I went to work at GE for several years. After 2008 when the market and economy crisis erupted all over the world, I came back to JM to start working in exports, imports, and sales.  Then finally in 2017 I took over the role directing the operation.  About 10 years ago, I completed my MBA in a Mexican University affiliated with Harvard.  Part of my studies included trying to understand better the shift our industry was taking toward financial involvement from investment groups and trying to get the best value added into the company.

TS:  You manufacture in Mexico.  A lot of U.S. distributors and manufacturers have facilities in Mexico so moving product back and forth is not unfamiliar to many U.S. companies.  How do you handle the movement of product when you ship outside of Mexico?

Jose:  JM directly services our customers as though we were a local supplier in the US. We are part of the USMCA (North American Trade Agreement) and we actually buy our steel in the US. We handle all the import transactions and duties needed to get the product across the border from Mexico to the US.  We supply products which are US melt and we ship to our customers in the US and Canada from a warehouse in Texas, so for our customers it is like they are buying from any other US based supplier. We plan to start offering more services during 2024 with a US based local JM office and warehouse which we feel will be even more beneficial to our current and future customers. Right now some people from our administrative team are already located in Texas and constantly visit our local customers.

TS:  You are a member of IFI and I believe the only Mexican manufacturer of fasteners that can say that.  Tell us a bit about the quality systems that you have in place to meet the specifications of your customers.

Jose:  In our group we have three different companies, one which actually supplies product to more than 90% of the automotive brands that manufacture in Mexico. We supply to them through our TIER 1 customers, which require IATF standards and certifications. In JM we also supply to some OEMs through some of our global customers.  All the companies within the JM group work under the highest standard of the quality certification that any of our companies have.  Even JM is ISO certified, and many of our processes are according to IATF in our group. We receive training directly from the IFI through US programs and in Mexico in our facilities directly conducted by the IFI Technical team.   We have the only fastener heat treatment facility in Mexico which is audited to supply to API suppliers in O&G in the US. As you can see, there are many quality considerations we have in our processes that we must follow.  Compared to other hot forgers that only supply commercial parts, we feel we meet much more stringent quality standards.

TS:  So, in addition to having high quality products, what has been the reason for JM Tor Par’s strong growth and success in the marketplace? 

Jose:  As mentioned before, we’ve been buying our steel directly from a US supplier and all our material and certificates for raw material are directly supplied by them. We qualify as a North American product and as a US Melt product supplier too.   That has been important to our growth outside of Mexico.  But really what we consider to be the key to our success is our team and all the people involved in the company, so we are always looking to have a better trained and more professional team. There is always time to learn, to invest, to grow and to be a better version of what we are right now and our goal is to be the best hot forge manufacturer in North America.  Not necessarily the biggest, but the hot forger with the best product, service and experience possible. JM is all about making things right in all ways possible.

Santiago Ortiz, German Ibanez, Jose Miguel Janeiro and Jose Janeiro

Note from TS:  I have a regular column in Fastener Technology International (FTI) magazine called 10 Minutes with the Traveling Salesman, which can be read online at www.fastenertech.com  Subscriptions to FTI, print and digital editions, are free-of-charge for fastener manufacturers, distributors and users as ell as suppliers to the industry.

TS:  So, I would like to say “welcome to the fastener industry”.   But, in all fairness, I did get the opportunity to listen to your recent interview on Fully Threaded Radio with Eric Dudas.   And Eric did a wonderful job of introducing you to his audience.  But for the few people who did not get to listen, let’s start with what you were doing before you joined Endries.  You said you came from the electronic components industry.  Tell us a bit more about that.

Michael:  Prior to joining Endries I spent the entirety of my career in electronic components, both as a manufacturer and a distributor.  Most recently, I was President of the Exponential Technology Group (XTG), a division of TTI Inc (a $10B component distributor owned by Berkshire Hathaway) and I was corporate head of business development, which included M&A.  I built XTG through a combination of strategic acquisitions in the semiconductor and IoT space, and investments in those acquisitions to unlock their growth potential.  When I left the group was comprised of eight acquisitions collectively contributing more than $800M a year in revenue to TTI, and growing on average +30% a year.

TS: In the time you have been on board with Endries, have you noticed any big differences or similarities between the industries?

Michael:  That is a really interesting question in that within the answer is one of the core things that attracted me to Endries in the first place.  The fastener distribution business, and much of  industrial distribution in general, reminds me of the electronic components industry in the late 80’s and the 90’s.  It is relatively fragmented with lots of local and regional firms that are still run by their founders, and a handful of very large, predominately domestic firms.  How the product goes to market and how distributors interact with customers is also very reminiscent to me of the electronic components industry.

The electronic components industry today is heavily consolidated with the majority of the local and regional specialists having been acquired by some very large firms that then took their business models international.  Distributors provide their suppliers point-of-sale reports, and special pricing authorizations (SPAs) are the norm in the industry, which is very different than the fastener industry today.  There is also a lot of product standardization across the electronic components industry, especially in the C class parts which are highly commoditized. 

At an operations level, the trend in electronic components has been large distribution centers with lots of automation and the majority of the product being delivered from the DC dock to the end customer’s dock, or the customer’s chosen contract manufacturer (the largest users of electronic components these days) rather than being delivered through some sort of vendor managed inventory arrangement.  There is also a very well-developed on-line business that accounts for tens of billions of dollars in annual sales.  Most electronic component distributors have very sophisticated, highly automated e-commerce platforms.

So, while the differences are fairly significant, they are familiar to me and my time in the electronics industry as it evolved gives me a pretty good roadmap of what is likely ahead for the fastener distribution business.  Others that I know who have made the switch from electronics to industrial distribution, specifically the CEOs of Vallen and Galco, have a similar view of things.   

TS:  One of the topics you discussed with Eric was the supply chain challenges from the past few years.  You really caught my attention when you said that the supply chain issues, are not over.  In fact, you said, “not even close”.    I would like you to elaborate on that topic a bit more.

Michael:  The reason I am so certain of this is that the fundamental issues behind the extreme supply chain crisis we experienced have not been fully addressed.  Regardless of the market segment or component type, supply chains today largely operate the way they have since the 1980’s when the big push started to offshore everything to low-cost labor countries.  Most supply chains are optimized for cost reduction, rather than resiliency and security, both of which have long been taken for granted. 

We all got a big wake-up call going into the 2020’s, but a true transformation that address the issues in a sustainable, economical way is a massive and risky undertaking.  The good news is that we have the technology to get it done, much of which centers on the digitizing of everything from sourcing to manufacturing to logistics.  But the bad news is that we have real barriers to overcome in that supply chains are proprietary, and the participants are understandably reluctant to make them completely digitally transparent.  Not to mention the growing geopolitical turmoil that is driving us away from globalization, and increases in extreme weather events that regularly add additional chaos to the mix.

The net result is that the supply chain today is still mostly resembles the supply chain of the past and so remains very inefficient and vulnerable.  Lead times on lots of parts are still well north of what they were pre pandemic and despite what feels like a widespread over inventory situation, end customers are still living hand-to-mouth on everything from raw materials to power semiconductors.  Once the inventory build is worked off (which I think will become more and more obvious as we approach the end of this year), I believe we will find once again that capacity has not yet completely caught up to demand.  As the next cycle begins, I’m afraid it won’t be long until we are having a déjà vu 2021/2022 moment.

TS:  In the interview with Eric you also mentioned taking a business unit with your former company from zero to over $800 million in revenue, mostly through acquisition.  So clearly, mergers and acquisitions are something that you have been involved with.  Consolidation has become a huge part of the fastener industry over the last several years.  The pace of acquisition, both on the distributor side and the supplier side, has increased dramatically in recent years.  As you enter into a new industry you have the dual task of learning about your new industry but also diving right into the merger/acquisition side of the industry.  How do you balance that?

On the acquisition front, I am fortunate to have an ace up my sleeve in the form of Steven Endries.  With my joining Endries, the company Steve and his family built, he has turned all of his focus on strategic acquisitions, in addition to being chairman of our board of directors.  Steve knows more about this business than I will ever likely know, which is a tremendous resource for me, and makes him the perfect leader for the acquisition-based portion of our growth strategy.

Steve Endries has successfully sold Endries three times, the first being to a large, public industrial distributor, and the second two times to financial investors, plus he has lead the company to acquire dozens of distributors that are now part of Endries.  One result is that Steve has been on both side of the deal table which gives him tremendous connectivity and empathy with the owner of any firm that might be exploring a sale of their business. 

Endries has a great track record of being great for the businesses that we acquire, and the people that come with them.  The firms that we court don’t have to take our word for it.  They can talk directly with people throughout our business that joined Endries through an acquisition and have thrived afterwards. 

In addition to Steve Endries, we have a group of people who have been with us a long time and are exceptionally good at onboarding our acquisitions. Combine all of this with our business size and strength, and the backing of an amazing owner that gets the business and financially supports our acquisition strategy, and you’ve got a winning formula.  This too is a very similar situation to my days at TTI where I had the financial resources and reputation of Berkshire Hathaway behind my acquisition work.

TS:  I heard you have an interest in rebuilding British cars, trucks, tractors, and old motorcycles.  And I thought it was funny that you even went as far as to manufacture your own parts when you could not find them.  What kind of parts were you making and what machinery are you able to run to make the parts?

Michael:  Most of what I do is make nuts and bolts with British Standard Whitworth threading.  BSW was the worlds first national screw thread standard, and it harkens back to the mid 1800’s.  The old British bikes that I am so keen on all use BSW and it can be quite hard to find.  I’ve got a set of hand tools for cutting the thread on blank rods, and for cutting threads in nuts.  Pretty basic stuff.  About as sophisticated as I get is to use a drill press to make “banjo” bolts and collars that are often used to deliver oil to overhead cams. 

The tractors and trucks that I work on are all American from the 40’s and 50’s and so therefore it is easy to find the hardware I need.  That said, I have a knack for snapping off things like manifold stud, so I have had to get good at extractions and re-tapping.  It is very time consuming and always a pain in the butt, but there is something extremely satisfying about it all.

TS:  You have only been on board with Endries for a few months now but I still need to ask you, what can we expect to see from Endries in the next few years?

Michael:  We’ve got a lot of things in the works that are going to be needle-movers for us.  Some are based on new technology we are working on, some based on new business processes.  I can’t give too much away at this point, but there is one thing that I am particularly excited about.  It uses technology to modernize a core business value proposition of ours regarding vendor managed inventory.

We are working on the next version of our well-known Pulse system that was launched in 2016.  This system uses RFID tags on the lineside parts bins which, when empty, get dropped in a kiosk at the customer site sending us a replenishment signal.  The technology for tracking part consumption and transmitting data has come a long way in the last six years and my background in IoT is really coming in handy as we design Pulse 2.0.  The goal of the new system is to eliminate the kiosks and build the part consumption and data transmission tech, both coin cell battery operated, into every bin.  This will give us great precision and cloud-based analytics that the customer can use and decouples us from having to depend on fixed power and network access at the customer site.

Also, you can expect us to continue to acquire companies that match our focus and passion.  The organic and inorganic growth opportunities at Endries are what attracted me to the business and now that I am six months into things, I can say with assurance that all of my expectations coming into this company and this industry have been exceeded.

TS:  I am sure you still keep an eye on the electronic components business and, of course, the fastener industry.  In a more macro outlook, what is your outlook on the overall business climate?  Still strong, more challenges ahead?  What do you see?

I remain very bullish on both industries.  It is pretty easy to keep an eye on trends in the electronics industry from my new vantage point as so many of Endries’ current and target customers incorporate electronics in their end products.  A core business goal for all companies that make something is to evolve their product lines such that they stay ahead of their competition and remain differentiated in their end markets.  New technology is an enabler of this goal, making all end products smart and connected, a trend that will be with us for a far ahead as I can imaging. 

It is the trends in technology that punched through COVID in short order, and then continued to drive strong end market demand straight through frequent business disruptions caused by geopolitics and extreme weather events, and now uncertainty around inflation and interest rates.  I think this will be a strong driver of growth throughout the remainder of this decade.

That isn’t to say there won’t be some soft spots as we climb through the next half dozen years.  But those soft spots should be momentary and caused by factors other than true underlying demand.  In fact, we have been navigating such a soft spot the first half of this year as excess inventory and confusing macroeconomic signals have encouraged conservatism in the supply chain… despite the strong, carry-forward customer backlogs and stickiness of last year’s price increases.  Some of this even now starting to resolve itself and confidence in the second half of the year is improving. 

I think when the dust settles, many suppliers in both industries will finish at least even with last year.  That is a significant accomplishment given the headwinds, and the fact that in 2021/22 so many companies experienced the kind of growth that would normally take 10 years to achieve.  That said, I also expect that we will again see some macro level softness in the first half of 2024 as the US economy takes a short, inevitable breather, after which business will gain momentum and we will start another strong up cycle.  For one thing, the billions of dollars in federal infrastructure bills will create strong tail winds for the manufacturing economy which will be a real catalyst for this next cycle.

Note from TS:  I have a regular column in Fastener Technology International (FTI) magazine called 10 Minutes with the Traveling Salesman, which can be read online at www.fastenertech.com  Subscriptions to FTI, print and digital editions, are free-of-charge for fastener manufacturers, distributors and users as ell as suppliers to the industry.

TS:  Deanna Ellis, your title is “Plant Manager of Elgin Fastener’s Telefast Division”.  To my knowledge, in the fastener industry there are not a lot of female plant managers.  But, you paid your dues and worked your way up to that position and have held this position for many years.  But first, let’s travel back in time a bit.  How did you first get into the fastener industry?

Deanna:  When I started at Telefast, Jeff Ferry was the owner.  I was introduced to Jeff Ferry by his brother.  Over the next couple of years, I moved into different roles, HR, AP/AR and the assistant to Jeff Ferry.  After Jeff Ferry passed away his wife Kathleen Ferry took over formally running the company and I slowly moved more into the operations side of the business.  Under Kathleen I learned about the company from the financial side and the operations side.  I eventually started scheduling the production floor and just being more involved in the operation.  Kathleen was a great mentor and she showed me every aspect of the business from the P&L to how to build, manage and lead a team.

TS:  How did you transition into the manufacturing side of the business?

Deanna:  Kathleen was the owner at this time and asked if I would be interested in learning other parts of the business.  I think Kathleen noticed that I have a knack for setting up systems and processes and felt it would be a good fit.  I was always willing to help or learn something new, so I moved into purchasing the tooling and eventually moved into scheduling when the opportunity came up.  As I started scheduling the primary machines, I eventually took over scheduling the secondary machines and scheduling what needed to be done in our toolroom.  Once I started spending more time out on the production floor I was hooked.  I really enjoyed working with the operators as a team to get the product out the door.

TS:  Today, you run a plant that manufactures nuts.  But previously, bolts were also produced at Telefast.  What different types of fastener products have been produced at factories where you were the Plant Manager?

Deanna:  In the 30 years I have been in the fastener industry, I have always worked only at Telefast but in past years we produced nuts, standard hex head cap screws on our bolt makers and specialty bolts on our #89 & #56 Nationals.

TS:  Have you personally run parts in your production facilities?

Deanna:  Yes, I have run tappers and helped run the CNC machines that we use to make our tooling.

TS:  Telefast is a division of the Elgin Fastener Group.  Tell us a little bit more about Elgin.

Deanna:  Sure, happy to do that.  Elgin is made up of seven manufacturing plants.  Three of those plants specialize in small screws (Holbrook, Rockford and Leland Powell), another one does bent wire products (Northern Wire)  , another concentrates on larger diameter cold formed bolts (Quality Bolt).  Ohio Rod is another unique operation as they make cold formed bolts but they can produce parts up to 84 inches long.   And then of course there is Telefast which only makes nuts.  We also have a few facilities that can do plating but for the most part those plants are plating our own parts.

TS:  Is everything you make special order or do you stock some items?

Deanna:  Of the Elgin factories, Telefast is the only plant that does stock some off the shelf items and those would be domestically produced hex nuts, but a lot of what we do are made-to-print special parts.  There are very few manufacturers of domestic nuts these days in the fastener industry.

TS:  Great, thanks for that info.  Lets switch back to your career in the fastener industry for a moment.  Have there been specific challenges you feel you have faced being a woman in what has been traditionally a male dominated role?

Deanna:  I think earning the respect of the operators was difficult.

TS:  How were you able to overcome that?

Deanna:  By working with them.  By helping them with whatever they needed to get done.  Like helping get something fixed or ordering tooling or helping solve whatever issue comes up and listening to their issues.  With each small step you build more credibility.

TS:  What challenges have you seen in manufacturing over the last few years?  What are some of the biggest challenges in manufacturing today?

Deanna:  Finding skilled workers has been the biggest challenge over the past few years and will be for the future.  With the younger generations focused on going to college we have seen a drop in candidates who want to work not just in manufacturing facilities but also skilled labor positions.

TS:  So, you’ve worked hard and been able to establish yourself in the fastener manufacturing world.  What about your time away from work?

Deanna:  I am lucky there.  I have been married for almost 30 years to my wonderful husband Mike.  I have raised three great kids (two boys and a girl) and all have graduated from college.  And we are excited because one of my sons is getting married in July, 2024.  So, I am fortunate to have found that nice balance between work life and home life.

Note from TS:  I have a regular column in Fastener Technology International (FTI) magazine called 10 Minutes with the Traveling Salesman, which can be read online at www.fastenertech.com  Subscriptions to FTI, print and digital editions, are free-of-charge for fastener manufacturers, distributors and users as ell as suppliers to the industry.