Most are unlikely to guess that the world’s top adhesive producer began as a modest manufacturer of detergent. However, nearly a century-and-a-half ago, a young German salesman by the name of Fritz Henkel took a chance, producing soap. He initially partnered with two associates to form, Henkel & Cie, in the city of Aachen in…
A life-long career of learning in the fastener industry
If you’ve been in the fastener industry for any length of time, you’re likely aware of Jo Morris. She’s well-known for her work with the Fastener Training Institute (FTI), a non-profit organization dedicated to education and training in the fastener sector. She’s technically FTI’s director of marketing — although she wears many hats and has…
Setting goals and finding balance with Fasteners Direct
Caia Baker is a list-maker. Like many of us, she has a to-do list but perhaps more importantly, she has a list of goals that she routinely sets — and accomplishes. In under two weeks, she’s crossed off six of her 14 goals for this month alone. “I have a whiteboard in my office and…
Joining the family fastener business
It seems destined that Lauren Hicks would one day join All State Fastener Corporation, a specialized vendor of standard and engineered fasteners in Roseville, Michigan. Her paternal grandfather started the company nearly 60 years ago and it’s where her parents met. “I believe my mom was first hired to work on the switchboard, back when…
Finding success in change: From mechanical fasteners to adhesives
What began as a mechanical fastener business for construction and industrial applications in the ’80s has since turned into a global manufacturer of industrial adhesives. Today, Adhesives Technology Corp. manufactures advanced chemical and adhesive products, primarily for the commercial construction and transportation industries. “The company began under the name U.S. Anchor, and it was primarily…
The oxygen, cutting & welding company: Koike Aronson / Ransome
Established near the end of World War I in 1918, Koike Seisakusho and Koike Sanso Shokai — one root of Koike Aronson / Ransome, Inc. — was founded by Mr. Seiichi Koike. Koike truly began to grow its operations near the end of World War II. Well-known today for its precision cutting and welding capabilities,…
The growth of a global, go-to adhesives company
Brandon Willis has had a year of challenges — but good ones. Despite the pandemic, he relocated to a new state with his family, bought a new home, and started a new job with an impressive role. “I started with Epoxy Technology on September 1st of this year,” he says. “I’ll admit it was a…
Pushing forward in uncertain times: The CEO of Optimas Solutions shares insight
It’s certainly been far from the year Marc Strandquist anticipated when he first began his role as president for the Americas with Optimas Solutions in January of 2020. Optimas is a global, tech-enabled industrial manufacturer and distributor that delivers fasteners, inventory management, and production-related solutions. “It’s been a challenge, that’s for sure,” says Strandquist, who…
Rolling the dice on success: A company built on vented screws
It was polio that set Ron Anderson up for a career as a draftsman. Eventually, this path led him to start his own business, UC Components, Inc. — a manufacturer of vented screws and components — from his home garage in Union City, California. He bought a drill press, a spray-mist cooler, and a small…
Going digital with Perlane Sales
Months before the pandemic hit, Ken DeCrane felt it was time to digitalize a few of the services offered at Perlane Sales Inc., a distributor and engineered partner of fasteners and tools. “The challenge in business is to continually be forward-thinking and to avoid complacency,” he says. DeCrane is the company president and he’s been…