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TS:  OK, I have got a lot of ground I’d like to cover with this interview, but let’s get you properly introduced to our readers before we get going.  You are Joe Kochan from the Elgin Fastener Group.  What is your exact title at Elgin?

Joe:  I am the Vice President/General Manager

TS:  Now, what do you really do at Elgin? 

Joe:  I am directly responsible for the operations, customer service, and inside sales of the company.  As a key leader in the company I work with the rest of the Leadership Team, comprised of Brian Nadel, CEO, Dan Lawrence, CFO, Jason Swatek, VP of Supply Chain, and Joe Shoemaker, VP of Business Development to set the strategic direction and how we will deploy or achieve that strategy on an annual basis.  It’s a great position to be in because I get to work directly with people like the CEO and also with the customers as well as the people making the product in the facilities.

TS:  And before working with Elgin you did have some history in the fastener industry, correct?

Joe:  I had the opportunity of working as a consultant then as an employee of Maclean Fogg for a couple years focused in Supply Chain.  It was a great introduction to the fastener industry through a company that now has close to 100 years in the business.  I have been able to take the many experiences I collected there and carry them forward to EFG.  I’ll always look back at my fastener introduction, the experience, and the people there quite fondly.

TS:  In addition to working in the fastener industry what have been some of your other work experiences?

Joe:    Many people do not know that I actually started my career on the shop floor as a third shift press operator quickly shifting to welding at a Dana, Inc facility in Alabama.  My first two professional milestones were achieved there.  First by getting my blue shirt meaning I was hired as an employee.  I started as a Temp.  And then moving into the office (into accounting).

I’ve had opportunities of being in leadership roles such as Plant Manager, Director of Supply Chain, Director of Operations, General Manager, and VP of Global Operations.  I’ve built, shipped, or sold various products in automotive, heavy truck, general industrial, and even technology/IoT.

While there is an experience or two I’ve left out, I can truly say I have done some pretty cool things and met many amazing people. 

TS:  Great, that is a well rounded background.  So, let’s jump into the discussion about Elgin Fastener.  We can start with the easy stuff – there are several different business units, what does each one do?

Joe:  There’s no short answer but I’ll at least try to be concise.  Here are the facilities:

The Elgin Fastener Group is made up of 8 facilities and 9 brands:

1. Telefast in Berea, OH manufacturing internally threaded fasteners sizes from M6 up to M22
2. Quality Bolt in Brecksville, OH manufacturing larger diameter and lengths pins and externally threaded product ranging from M10 to M27
3. Ohio Rod in Versailles, IN producing longer externally threaded fasteners and threaded rod as long as 86 inches
4. Best Metals in Osgood, IN.  Best Metals is one of our best kept secrets not only providing Ohio Rod with plating serves but also a few strategic commercial partners as well.
5. Leland Powell in Martin, TN manufacturing high volumes of rivets and externally threaded product ranging from M3.5 to 12mm.
6. Holbrook in Wheeling, IL supporting customers with a full range of fastener related product with manufacturing capability from M2 to 12mm licensed externally threaded products.
7. Rockford Fastener in Rockford, IL, acquired early 2020, capable of producing a full range of rivets, studs, and externally threaded fasteners in M3 to 12mm sizes.
8. Northern Wire in Merrill, WI is EFG’s wire form operation able to produce product from .125 to .750 “ in diameter and ½ “ to 12’ long.

TS:  Several of your plants are based in the Cleveland area so I also know that you shut down a plant last year, the Euclid plant.  That could not have been an easy decision.  What was behind that decision? 

Joe:  It’s never an easy decision to disperse a facility’s capabilities, assets, and products to other parts of a company.  The most difficult part of those decisions is appreciating the impact to the people that started, grew, and were a part of that business.  Fortunately, EFG had the ability to give people plenty of time to decide if they wanted to take advantage of moving to another facility or make a different decision regarding their future.  We will always be grateful to those people.

Regarding the business decision, again it was not easy.  Chandler Products has a lengthy and successful history in the marketplace that we wanted to preserve while becoming more effective in serving our customers and partners.  When we looked at our footprint, capabilities, and ability to leverage talent it was apparent we could move the Chandler product line from Euclid, OH to Quality Bolt and Rockford Fastener.  In doing so were able to keep the Chandler products alive, running, and growing while improving our effectiveness in customer service exiting the Euclid, OH facility.

TS:  Just one final little observation – when you talk about the different companies.  Northern Wire and the wire forms offerings kind of stand out from the others as they are not threaded and do not fall into the “commodity product” category.  Tell me a bit more about Northern Wire.

Joe:  Over the course of my past lives I have come to enjoy a quick tag question when I talk to people, “Wanna by a whatever?”  At EFG Northern Wire has become the product I often use. So TS, “Wanna buy a wire form?”

When I do ask that question the usual follow-up is, “What is a wire form?”  Then I get to describe it and people usually quickly understand.  One thing to clarify though.  Many of our wire forms are actually threaded.  Didn’t know that eh?  But yes it’s true. 

While wire forms might not be thought of or included in the fastener commodity it is quite complementary to what we do and sell as EFG.  If you think about it, and the fact that they are often threaded or have a pierced hole, fasteners are used to secure it in place. 

Northern Wire is a really cool product line with mostly unique processes as compared to the rest of EFG.  Even the threading process done on a CNC machining center (not cut but rolled).  They are operating 10 to 600 ton presses (similar to what I ran early in my career), CNC wire benders (similar to the CNC tube benders in the first facility I managed), and many other processes.  We are largely a JIT supplier for most of the customers we serve largely focused, for now, on the Lawn and Garden market.

Like many industries and facilities they are impacted by today’s common outside forces that most are.  But they are overcoming these challenges quite well and remain an important and growing part of our growth plan.  When we think about the EFG Advantage and selling multiple products to a customer, Northern Wire expands that opportunity.

By the way, “Did you want to buy a wire form TS?”

TS:  Not at this moment but something might come across my desk later today.  But you’re in my head now.

I have been in the fastener industry nearly 35 years and seen a lot of changes.  Over the years there have been a lot of companies that have come and gone and many that have changed due to mergers and acquisitions. This is true both on the distributor side and on the supplier side of the business.   Elgin is owned by private equity.  How do you retain the history and brand recognition as you merge companies together? 

Joe:  This is a great question.  As you know, EFG is comprised of companies that were either family or privately owned and yes each with a distinct culture.  When companies are put together like EFG has been, there are decisions to be made around identify.  “Do acquired companies get rolled into the acquirer without regards to its history?”  “Are companies left alone to operate independently as though nothing changed?” etc, etc. 

At EFG we have decided it is important for each facility or brand to both maintain their identity as well as feel they have an advantage of being part of a larger company.  You will notice on our website and in our marketing information that each brand starts with the name of that brand with EFG beneath or following it rather that EFG leading.

Each business that has been brought into EFG was acquired for a purpose and with the knowledge they were bringing a certain value to the company we didn’t have.  I can tell you after being part of this great company for almost two years it is not easy.  The two things we will continue to remind ourselves to do as we continue our growth are do not lose site of why a business was acquired and when you think you are listening to your people and partners – listen more.

TS:  What are the benefits of private equity and what are the challenges? 

Joe:  I have enjoyed working throughout my career in US and global public companies, family owned, and private equity sponsored companies.  While I would say each structure does have various and ‘predictable’ nuances each is really about the people you work with and the culture you work in.  Audax has been a tremendously supportive partner and sponsor to EFG.  Our continued success and growth is a clear reflection of their buy and build approach. 

So back to your question, benefits and challenges.  I would say the primary benefit is having a strong, clear, and transparent partnership and access to people that are there to support the business whether in guidance or investing in growth and the future.  When it comes to challenges other than day to day things that any business experiences the benefit I gave is a very high hurdle for any challenge to overcome.  I truly believe that …

TS:  Elgin is very active on social media.  The “Elgin Advantage™” in often mentioned in promotional material.  What is the “Elgin Advantage™ “? 

Joe:  Over the last couple years, we have come to appreciate the work our VP of Marketing, Joe Shoemaker (Shoe), has done on social media more and more.  I’m not sure how he comes up with his ideas but it is definitely fun to be a part of and to wait and watch for his, at least, daily posts.  You never know, I was our first, he is looking for the next bobble head now … TS???  Haha!

When it comes to the EFG Advantage there is a lot to those two words.  When I first joined EFG our structure comprised of two divisions, Rod, Nut, and Bolt with four facilities/brands and Wire and Screw with three facilities/brands.  Within those two divisions each facility or brand served their customers differently.  This is what people would typically refer to as a House of Brands.  While there is nothing wrong with that approach, we started asking ourselves questions like “Does this disconnection allow us to serve our customers the way they deserve?” and, well TS, we are here to grow so the next one was “Are we leveraging and selling our products and capabilities across all EFG customers?”  When our internal answers to these questions were ‘no’ we searched for and received the same response through the voice of the customer.

We listened and learned and that propelled us to begin the transition from a being a House of Brands to a Branded House.  The ‘idea’ of naming it the Elgin Advantage™  came from Joe Shoe.  While we could take a whole 10 Minute Interview to focus on this it can really be boiled down to three key themes of Service, Selection and Success.  We have a unique collection of capabilities for our customers and employees, so we needed to condense these into something easily digestible when communicated internally and to our markets. This led us to three key concepts. 

The first is ‘Selection’.  To our customers, we offer the largest selection of specialty fasteners, licensed fasteners, and wire forms from a single source.  To our employees, our scale provides opportunities for relocation and advancement. There have been examples of team members advancing in roles or even taking on new roles within the company or at a different facility.  

Next is ‘Service’.  We serve our customers with high quality products, which is foundational for us.  Our Blended Sourcing capabilities provides a low-cost solution for high volume runners while backing up demand spikes with local manufacturing, quality control and support.  Internally, we serve our teams through employee development programs and making investments in our facilities, processes, and tools for growth.   

Finally, there’s ‘Success’.  As our customers enjoy success resulting from our partnership, we will grow though customer loyalty, satisfaction, and increased brand penetration.  Internally, we will be successful by developing talent and being viewed as an employer of choice.  

With the three key concepts in place, we just needed a ‘call to action’ which resulted in the tag line you have seen in our advertising and it has served us well. 

TS:  I agree and I admire how active Elgin is involved in social media including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and probably others I do not see as often.  Have you seen positive, measurable results from that activity? 

Joe:  We definitely have.  I spoke about Joe Shoe earlier and the super cool stuff he is doing.

From a measurable point, our marketing exposure has significantly increased.  Whether it is LinkedIn followers, connections, likes, shares, etc. all are extremely favorable.  The number of qualified leads, where people have followed us through to the website for quotes and requests, have increased in the hundreds of percent improvement.  Just recently we hit 4,500 followers on LinkedIn!

Social media is going to continue playing an important and growing part in sharing with our people, our customers, and the industry what the Elgin Advantage can do for them.

TS:  Combining companies together is not always easy or without some setbacks.  Yet Elgin seems to have maintained and grown its business.    To what do you attribute the growth you have experienced? 

Joe:  Without hesitancy or a doubt, it is the people of EFG.  Without them there is no Elgin Advantage.  EFG has grown by acquisition and organic sales because our people care about each other and serving the customer.  When people started their careers I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because they grew up wanting to make nuts or bolts.  It was first to take care of themselves, then their families, and then,  of course,  their team members and customers.  We grow through their dedication, caring and desire to build and sell the best product out there.

Now, from a product and capability perspective, we offer the most complete fastener portfolio in the industry.  Whether bolts, screws, studs, rod, rivets, nuts, wire forms, and everything in between we offer it.  Do we have challenges, sure we do and we don’t avoid acknowledging them.  Combining companies and cultures while enjoying significant growth is not a simple task.  That said and getting back to the people, we have extremely strong people that care about what they do and understand the need for transparency and the need to be head over heels in serving the customer.

As we focus and improve our ability to serve the industry through the Elgin Advantage, offering our products and solutions as a whole rather than individually, our growth will continue to accelerate. 

TS:  Now that you have a few years under your belt at Elgin, along with your previous fastener experience, what do you find unique about the fastener industry that distinguishes it from other industries you have been involved in?

Joe:  That’s a great question. 

I don’t think people walking down the fastener aisle at their local hardware store really understand the amount of engineering and quality control it takes to make that ‘simple’ wood screw.  Then you take a complex fastener for a more difficult application like automotive, aerospace, or construction and it’s a level or three greater in engineering.  And with so many products and types of fasteners it boggles my mind at times.

From a manufacturing perspective there are so many methods that can be required to produce a fastener.  Cold heading, warm heading, hot forging, machining, stamping, countless secondary operations, the list goes on all while making thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of the same repeatable part.  All this requires highly skilled people across the entire business from the plant floor to the engineering and quality department and the sales desk.

It is also a very close knit community where most people either know each other or know of each other.  So many of the fastener houses in the US were started as small scale facilities and grew over time with a competitive but close comradery I have not seen in other industries.

This industry safely ‘fastens’ the world together and it’s fun to be a part of it.

TS:  EFG is made up of several domestic manufacturing companies and there are certain challenges that are always faced by domestic manufacturers including hiring skilled machinists, material fluctuations, and then there has been all the Covid related issues.  It is 2021 and business seems to be heating up – what extra challenges do you see this year?

JOE:  2021 is going to continue to be a strong and exciting year for EFG.

That said, the challenges you mentioned are probably among the top ones we are all working with.  I would also add the state of the global supply chain, logistics, and what is cropping up more and more raw material availability.  The days have long passed where I am the youngest person in the room, so I’ve seen a challenge or two over the course of my career.  That said, we are living and working in times never seen before.

With the market and business heating up and growing, these challenges lead to the biggest concern of all and that is customer service.  Our businesses come in every day ready to serve our customers.  While doing that our teams find themselves making difficult decisions ensuring we have our priorities right.  With the growing product demand coupled with constrained resources and supply chain we are going to be ‘moving mountains’ as I say for some while understanding we will disappoint others.  I wish that wasn’t the case but it is for now.  EFG is more focused than ever before on growing and expanding our priorities.  I see the progress our facilities and teams are making and look forward to very soon not having to make these difficult choices.

TS:  Is Elgin always on the hunt for additional acquisitions?

Joe:  As you know, EFG was put together through several acquisitions, even as recent as last year’s acquisition of Rockford Fastener.  There are many great companies that would bring strong products and processes that would be complimentary to our company and current product lines we serve the market with.  The sponsorship and partnership we have with Audax is very strong and it is wonderful to have the support we do from them. So yes, that is going to continue to be part of our growth strategy. 

While we do have a couple acquisition ideas, as I will call them for now, at this point our focus is working our way through the current market and improving our ability to serve it.  As I mentioned earlier, I am excited for what our people are doing and the improvements we are seeing.  With those continued improvements I wouldn’t be surprised either way to see, or not, an acquisition this year.

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.”

SAVE THE DATE!! NCFA DISTRIBUTOR SOCIAL JULY 8, 2021 Holiday Inn – Strongsville, OH This last year has brought uncertainty for so many!!! With the future finally taking a positive turn in the Covid battle, we are looking forward to bringing back some of our events. We have missed all of our valued members and industry friends, and appreciate your continued support!! Our first event to kick off this unusual year, will be our Distributor Social. There are some key differ-ences to note regarding this event. We typically hold this event mid May, but we just weren’t confi-dent hosting quite so soon, which is why we pushed it out until July 8th. In addition, the other major change is the location. We will be hosting this year’s event at the Holiday Inn in Strongsville, OH. This will work out well, as Solution Industries has also offered to host a tour and lunch earlier in the day for Distributor Social attendees, which is in close proximity to the new venue. It’s hard to imagine with this being our 12th year hosting this event that it needs any explanation at all, but just in case, here it goes. We imagined being able to recreate a networking event similar to what was once held at the Hyatt Hotel after the old Columbus Fastener Show many, many years ago. It turned out, it was exactly what our industry was missing and wanted. We recognized from the start it was important to keep it simple, so the focus for attendees could be on the social and net-working aspect. There are no booths to drag in and set-up and you are not stuck “working” behind a table top all evening. The Distributor Social is exactly what it is…..a networking event with many top distributors and suppliers in our industry all gathered in one room. You are free to roam the entire evening talking to customers, potential customers, vendors, and industry friends. The NCFA knows very well that this event would not be possible without the sponsorship and support from our SUPPLIER COMPANIES. This allows DISTRIBUTORS TO ATTEND FOR FREE. We thank you suppliers for your continued support year after year to make this event a continued success! This event is OPEN TO ALL OF OUR INDUSTRY FRIENDS, NON-MEMBERS INCLUDED! We feel so strongly about the networking benefits you can get out of this event, we did not want to limit to our membership alone. To show our thanks to our loyal supplier members, they do receive a dis-counted price for sponsoring this event. We are hopeful if you are not a member of the NCFA, once you attend this event or one of our many networking events, you will see why so many others have joined and have been with us for so many years. If you are interested in joining the NCFA, please contact the NCFA Office or visit our website www.ncfaonline.com and click on the “Join NCFA” tab. Looking forward to starting off the new year, albeit a little bit later than we had hoped, some normalcy will be nice. For more information regarding the NCFA, please contact the NCFA Office at 440/975-9503, [email protected] or www.ncfaonline.com.

TS: Over the past couple years I have interviewed several distributors, importers and manufacturers. But, I think this is my first interview with someone that supplies the tooling to those companies that are producing the parts. You are kind of the “behind the scenes” supplier but without companies like yours the fastener manufacturers would not be able to produce the parts we all need and expedite impatiently. And you have been doing this now for quite a long time.

How long has Ford Tool and Machining been in business?

Thom: Over 50 years! Since 1969

TS: What type of tooling does Ford Tool supply to the fastener Industry?

Thom: We produce all of the tooling and many of the parts that are used on any cold header or parts formers, including die assemblies, punches, die and punch cases, inserts, knock out pins, extrusion pins. We are also a TORX® and Taptite® licensed tool supplier.

TS: What is the biggest challenge now in supplying your particular product to your customers?

Thom: Our biggest challenge has been similar to everyone in business right now and that has been adapting to operating during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Specifically, this has meant following CDC and local health department COVID-19 guidelines and developing internal protocols and practices to ensure the safe operation of our manufacturing facilities in a manner that protects our employees.

We have also had to develop contingency plans to make sure that there are not any supply disruptions to our customers. This is particularly important in the automotive industry because of the potential for shutdowns on component or final assembly production lines.

To date, we have been successful in keeping our working environment safe for our employees and we are encouraged by the rollout of a vaccine that will help bring the end of this pandemic.

TS:  So, you supply tooling to many of the domestic manufacturers of fasteners, correct? Who are some of your clients?

Thom: Yes, we do supply tooling and machine parts to many domestic and foreign manufacturers.

Some of our customers include Acument Global Technologies/Fontana Gruppo, Stanley Engineered Fasteners, ITW Global Automotive and ITW Shakeproof Industrial Solutions, Agrati World Fasteners, Vico Products, Nucor Fastener, Elgin Fastener Group, MNP Corporation, Semblex Corporation, and Bulten North America.

TS :  How is business trending for you as you look ahead to 2021?

Thom: 2020 was extremely challenging! Especially in the beginning of the pandemic when many of our customers and all the automakers were shutdown. We have since seen a nice rebound and have experienced a significant increase in business in the fourth quarter of 2020. Barring any COVID-19 pandemic related shutdowns, we expect business to slowly increase every month in 2021 and we are hoping that the economy makes a full recovery by the end of this year.

TS: How is what you do a market indicator for what is happening in the fastener marketplace?

Thom: Typically, the business activity that Ford Tool and Machining experiences would be a leading market indicator of the fastener marketplace. This is because our customers need to purchase tooling before they can manufacture fasteners and create inventory in the supply chain.

TS: Have there been any innovations in fastener tooling that the average fastener person would not know about?

Thom: Yes, there have been many innovations that I would like to share, and I would like to highlight some of the major changes in how tooling is manufactured that benefits our customers.

There have significant advances in CNC Equipment and Robotic Automation that we utilize to produce tooling for our customers, and we have made large capital investments to take advantage of these technical advances and increase our capabilities in these areas.

For example, we have installed a CNC EDM and CNC Machining Cell with robotic parts handling automation that both enables us to increase productivity and hold tighter tolerances on the tooling that we produce. This means the parts that we produce will be of higher quality and our customers will experience better dimensional repeatability and better tool life.

We made this decision because we found that we had many bottlenecks in the die production area where we produce our Taptite® die product line, our Torx® die product line, and other special dies. We assembled a team and devoted a year to identify and test potential solutions to solve this problem. After we finished evaluating tooling quality and repeatability, part finish, and cycles times of various CNC machine tools, we ultimately decided on a clean sheet approach and invested in a production cell that had the best of breed CNC machines that  exceeded our requirements. We also utilize a CAD/CAM system to program the cell and save each part program to ensure that repeat orders will be produced with the same CNC program and customer specifications. Although we have experienced tool makers program and run the machines, utilizing Computed Aided Manufacturing and saving the original program enables to take much of the art out of the toolmaking process and use science to repeat the process on every time a tool is made in the future for product consistency. It also reduces set-up time.

Since successfully implementing this cell, we decided to add more cells with similar CNC and Automation Capabilities in other tooling product lines such as a robotically loaded 5-axis machining center.

TS: Do tooling companies need to have certifications like the manufacturers and distributors? Do you have to be ISO Certified or AS certified for certain manufacturers to be able to use your tooling?

Thom: Many of our customers required tooling manufacturers to be ISO Certified. Ford Tool is ISO 9001:2015 Certified and we obtained our initial certification in 1993.

TS: Where can our readers learn more about Ford Tool and Machining and its tooling capabilities?

Thom: www.fordtool.com

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.”

TS: First of all, congratulations on recently being inducted into the National Fastener Hall of Fame.  I know there are multiple reasons why you were considered and ultimately elected into the HOF.  But, I’m going to shoot straight with you coming out of the gate.  My first thoughts when I hear the name John Wachman are Fastener Training Institute and cowboy hat.  And, while you look dapper in that Stetson you wear, I’m not thinking that got you in the HOF – but I’m not sure.

John: Thanks for the invite to visit with you for “10 Minutes”. My induction into the HOF was surely a surprise to me. The great thing about the fastener business is that is gives everyone the opportunity to succeed. Show up every day, work hard, work smart, learn from your mistakes and anything is possible. Dapper would be installing blind rivets in a “Blue Bird” bus in Georgia in the summertime in a three piece suit. That’s where my first fastener job started as technical services manager for Gesipa.

TS: So, let’s circle back, start from the beginning and make our way through this.  First of all, how long have you been in the fastener industry?  Tell us a little bit about your start in the industry and the landmarks along the way.

John: Gesipa got me hooked on the fastener biz 45 years ago! The sights, sounds and smells of a factory floor where products are made and where real prosperity is created by real people are mesmerizing. Fasteners are used by all types of manufacturing companies. Gesipa was actually engaged in valued-added selling long before the term was used. To add value you must visit a prospect or customer and learn every aspect of their operations and find a way to solve their problems. These site visits were always my best days. I’ve had the privilege to see how cars, planes, boats, tractors, horse trailers and much more are made. I’m proud to think I’ve made contributions to the productivity of these companies and the quality and reliability of their products. My journey has included stints with fastener manufacturers, importers, master resellers and distributors. The other brands I rode for (that’s cowboy talk for companies I worked for) included Gunnebo, Bulten, Cherry/ Textron and Copper State Bolt & Nut. Then there are the fastener people I’ve worked with along the way. I’ll mention a few with apologies for leaving out too many. Dick Mayoh, Leo & Don Coar, Mike McGuire, Bob Lehman, Win Adams, Martin Calfee, Jamie Lawrence, Gene Simpson, Russ Doran and Andy Cohn all helped guide me along the way.

In 1989 Martin Calfee took a chance to move us to Arizona to manage a VMI project I had created at Cherry/Textron to service a major automotive air bag manufacturer. We delivered engineered blind rivets and custom installation tooling to support their factories that ran 24/7 year round to meet growing government mandates for airbags on cars. As the automation became more complex and our supply contract expanded we pioneered what became known as “zero-defect” fasteners supported by Cherry, Semblex and Atlas Engineering(a then private company owned by Paul Perry). One bad part was cause for a reject of the complete lot. The VMI program continued to grow through the 1990s. At that time this may have been the highest volume single source VMI program in the country. This JIT program lasted over 10 years and was very, very profitable for us. I will be forever grateful to Martin for the move and the Calfee family for the great 10 year run.

TS: So that brings us up to what you are doing today.  I think I have only interviewed one other manufacturers rep so far and that was Rick Rudolph.  What more can you share with us about being a manufacturers rep in 2021 – good and bad.

John: I started my rep agency in the spring of 2001. I was at an Unbrako sales meeting in Detroit that fall when the attack of 9/11 occurred. The world stopped for quite a while but I needed to grow my fledging business. I was one of a very few people flying or traveling for quite a while. It was very strange but in retrospect somewhat similar to today’s COVID19. The first three years were awful and expensive, the next two were plain bad but we turned the corner in year 5.

Our business model is straight forward. We represent a very small number of lines and provide great service. Some reps say they sell to distributors. We sell through distributors. The difference means it’s not sold until it is delivered to their end user customer and they are totally satisfied. Our job is to help grow both our principals and the distributors business. This is done through product training and joint sales calls. We proudly represent: AVK Industrial Products, Stelfast, Lindstrom, Elgin Fasteners Group, Goebel, Handles Unlimited, GF&D Systems and BTM Manufacturing

The rep business is raw capitalism. Straight commission; so sell or die! No credit for activity or hard work but just for results. Pay for all your expenses: travel, entertainment, health care and hopefully end up in the black at month’s end. A rep has two masters, the principal that supplies the products and hopefully pays the commissions earned and the customer that buys the products. The trick is to make sure their aspirations and outcomes are aligned. If either is not happy then your life can be hell. Our entire supply chain is under extreme pressure to reduce cost. This is not new but getting worse. This is both bad and good news for the independent rep. The bad news is a principal might be tempted to eliminate the rep for cost savings….short sighted thinking. The good news is independent reps are very cost effective for the principal. Cost effective because most reps are experienced, seasoned professionals who can add value without the high fixed cost of a direct sales force.

TS: And tell us some more about the Desert Distribution team.

John: After a successful 23 year run at Duncan Bolt, Beth VanZandt joined us in 2012. She is obviously a seasoned fastener professional and loved by her customers and our principals. When Beth joined our territory was CA, AZ, NV and NM. In 2014 I convinced Jo Morris to come aboard. Jo worked with me at Copper State Bolt & Nut but agreed I still needed help. Jo is the consummate professional with extraordinary people skills. This addition allowed us to expand our reach to include CO and UT. My bride Monica, we call her Mo, runs the office and handles the business side so we can spend our time with customers. Life is a circle as Monica was the office manager for my rep firm in Michigan when I was with Gesipa. We’re just 20 years in and still looking to grow so if your need a rep agency for engineered fasteners and components covering the Southwest and Rocky Mountains, please let us know.

TS: The Fastener Training Institute, to me, is a crown jewel of our fastener industry.  The training that is offered by FTI is unrivaled and our entire industry is stronger and better served by having this sort of training available.  I know there is story here so walk us through it.  How did the FTI begin and end up where we are today?

John: FTI’s roots were in the Los Angeles Fastener Association, LAFA. Their distributor members agreed that collectively they could better train their employees with product knowledge. The class offering grew over the years. As a LAFA BOD member, Vickie Lester, Executive Manager, asked me to chair their training committee. Thanks Vickie!  I said sure, how much time could that take? When LAFA merged with WAFD the training activities were really starting to grow. The new BOD agreed to launch FTI as a stand-alone registered 501c6 nonprofit. FTI assembled a new BOD consisting of fastener industry professionals with me serving as its first President. I now serve as Managing Director with Desert Distribution managing FTI under contract to the BOD. Beth, Jo and I help produce and manage the ever-growing list of live and web-based classes. The FTI OnLine Learning Library includes over 40 unique classes.

The Industrial Fasteners Institute, IFI, has long been a strong supporter of FTI and our goal and vision. Joe Greenslade and Rob Harris had looked for a partner to expand their reach. Their initial nurturing support is now continued by Dan Walker, IFI Managing Director; Salim Brahimi, Director of Engineering Technology and Laurence Claus, Director of Education & Training.

A review of the history of our training initiatives would not be complete without acknowledging the early and ongoing contributions of Carmen Vertullo, Founder of AIM Testing Laboratory. Carmen worked with us and Joe Greenslade on the early development of our “Certified Fastener Specialist, CFS” program and the follow-on “Fastener Training Week”.

TS: I know you depend upon industry support to keep the FTI growing and thriving.  What can people do to support the FTI?

John: 2019 was a break-out year for FTI and momentum was growing entering 2020. Then…… COVID19 caused us to shut down all live in-person training. We were in a tough spot financially. We scrambled to increase our web-based training and begged for sponsorships. We survived but 2021 will still be a challenge. We’re fighting to resume our full schedule.

Our goal at the outset was to become the primary training platform for the fastener business: to serve the entire supply chain including fastener manufacturers, distributors and end users with high content, affordable product training. FTI needs our community stakeholders to support us through sponsorship, in-person and web-based class attendance and guidance.

TS: You are so intimately connected to the FTI – tell us what we can expect in coming years from the FTI.

John: Our plans are to continue to grow class offerings. We’re launching a major refresh of our Fastener Training Week class later this year and offering 4 sessions in Houston, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles.

TS: OK, now to the hat.  I know you live in Arizona and the sun is a factor.  But, you could have gone with a baseball cap or a fishing hat or any number of other hats.  But the Stetson suits you well and it has become kind of a John Wachman trademark.  Let’s talk some hat.

John: When we moved to Scottsdale in 1989, Mo wanted to take horseback riding lessons. I said sure, how much time could that take? Well, a lesson, one horse bought, then another, a couple of saddles, a truck, a trailer, a house with a barn and (wait for it) cowboy hats! I became quite comfortable wearing them but it took a while to look in a mirror and not laugh. Somewhere along the way I wore a hat to a fastener industry event. Wow, did I get attention! Vickie Lester suggested it could become my brand. Thanks again Vickie!

TS: I agree with Vickie, the hat suits you. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview and, Happy Trails!

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.”