A few years ago I wrote a piece about the Fastener Hall of Fame. For a few years, they had not inducted anyone and I wrote a blog about that topic. In response to that post I was notified that the HOF was alive and well and was also informed that there was a physical Fastener Hall of Fame walkway in Columbus, Ohio next to the Columbus Convention Center where the Fastener Show had been held for years. For the record, he Hall of Fame has inducted new members in both 2014 & 2015. So, being a student of the fastener industry, I decided to make a pilgrimage to the HOF and see what was there. In December, 2015 I set aside some time to track down the HOF walkway and took some pictures, some of which are shown below.
While I was visiting the site a construction worker told me that they were doing a lot of work in that area and he was pretty sure they were going to be removing the Fastener Hall of Fame pavers as they expanded the Convention Center. I called the Columbus Convention Center and, sure enough, they confirmed that the HOF walkway was going to be removed. I left them my name and asked that they call me to let me know when this would be happening. I never heard back so I made contact again in January, 2016 and I was told that the bricks had been removed and were sitting in a wooden box on a pallet. The Fastener Hall of Fame had been removed and they had no idea what to do with the bricks. I told them that if they did not have anyone to claim them that I would welcome the opportunity to retrieve them. In mid-January, I was sent an email saying if I wanted to pick them up I could take possession of the bricks. With the help of a few industry friends, we did just that.
The Hall of Fame pavers are in safe storage until a suitable site can be found for them. For an audio account of the “Saving of the Hall of Fame” adventure, please visit www.fullythreaded.com and listen to the upcoming Episode #102 to be broadcast on Thursday, February 18.
Here’s a few shots from my visit to the Hall of Fame walkway December, 2015, before I was told they were being removed:
And here is what the same site looked like in January, 2016 when we went to retrieve the bricks:
So, here’s a little walk down memory lane for those of you who were never able to make it to THE Hall of Fame!
Yes, this one was put in upside down.
And, thank you to Fastener Field Trip Team who helped to retrieve the HOF brick pavers that came very close to being discarded:
Again, the Hall of Fame pavers are in safe storage until a suitable site or plan can be found for them. For an audio account of the “Saving of the Hall of Fame” adventure, please visit www.fullythreaded.com and listen to the upcoming Episode #102 to be broadcast on Thursday, February 18.
We contacted the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply show operators to inform them that the Hall of Fame had been removed from its original location and received this response from Karalynn Sprouse of Emerald Expositions:
“We just learned yesterday of this news and we are thrilled he was able to ‘save the bricks’ ….we would like to ask the listeners (of Fully Threaded Radio) to suggest ideas for the bricks. Emerald is listening and we will continue to find ways to commemorate these innovative people in our industry”
Back in a safe place, the bricks have been sorted and cleaned.
To see a complete list of who is in the fastener hall of fame, click below:
http://www.fastenershows.com/hall-of-fame-members/
[…] to the expo center. If you want to learn how the bricks were recovered and saved read more from FastenerBlog.net and tune into Fully Threaded Episode 102 – Paver […]
[…] For the full story and more photos, please visit the Traveling Salesman’s blog: Update on Fastener Hall of Fame […]
Are you able to engrave the names of the people that didn’t get a brick? They stopped engraving them when it moved to Vegas, so it would be nice to have everybody’s name on the bricks at the very least. Also, do we use the “blank” bricks for new HOF winners and the winners of the Young professional from the Fastener Show?
So, how does the Traveling Salesman get rewarded for this awesome deed? The Traveling Salesman asks for no reward – his kindness and goodwill are their own reward. Riding alongside his faithful sidekick, he tips his hat to ladies and, with a hearty “Hi-ho, Silver,” goes streaking into the sunset. A young boy asks, “Mommy, who was that masked man?” “That was the Traveling Salesman, Johnny. We owe him our lives and he’ll never let us repay the debt.” Cue William Tell.
BTW – Nobody would complain if you held out for a brick of your own. You earned it.
Haha, I loved the narrative Charlie. And, I appreciate the thought but you don’t see a lot of reps on the list now, do you?
Saving these bricks was a very BIG DEAL and I’m glad that I could be part of it!
I am sure the industry will settle on a very suitable place for them. I like the recreation at the IFI in Cleveland idea, as well as a travelling wall of fame that is put on display at each year’s induction – adding a new brick for the latest nominee.
Jackie
Nicely done! Your contribution and efforts to preserve fastener history are noted and appreciated.
TS – Thanks for being there, and making this project happen. Had you not been out doing that Traveling Salesman thing you do, the industry would be brick out of luck!
Thanks also for getting Marty, Jackie (KOABD), and me involved. It was great to be able to help.
Finally, I appreciate your blog, and this post today, complete with its dramatic and historical photography. Well done.
I’m liking the Fastener Superslide Hall of Fame idea, but I’m not sure it’s going over well at this point. See what you can do to push for it.
Eric
Thank you for bringing this to our attention last week. We are thrilled you were able to ‘save the bricks’…we would like to ask the listeners to suggest ideas for the bricks, “Emerald is listening and we will continue to find ways to commemorate these innovative people in our industry”
TS,
Thanks again for all the work to hold the Fastener Hall of Fame Garden together! I hope a great NEW spot will be determined in the very near future and highlighted in the fastener trade press. May be near the IFI in Cleveland if there is a good spot available? Cleveland, I like as it the “Home of the Fastener Industry” for many of us ole’ timers from the Midwest.
Good luck and continued success,
Magoo
Very Cool !
So nice to have someone ready to step in and preserve some of the industry’s history that so easily could have been lost. I hope you can find a location for them. It’s too bad Mel Kirschners Fastener Museum is no longer around. Good luck and thank you for your efforts on all our behalf.
That same thought crossed my mind (Mel’s Fastener Museum). The good thing is, I do think the HOF is meaningful to a lot of people in our industry. I’m hoping a lot of good ideas get generated as to what to do with the bricks and also with the Hall of Fame in general.