The fastener industry is something Earl Size rarely, if ever, thought about. For 20 years, the Michigan-based native has owned a successful skate shop that provides services and repairs for hockey players and ice skaters in Troy, which is about 20 miles north of Detroit. However, aside from the typical blade sharpening, Size noticed one…
How a new product invention led to a global manufacturing company
With a workshop of sorts set up in his garage, K.A. Swanstrom developed a revolutionary product in the early 1940s — one that would reduce time, labor, weight, and inventory on many assembly jobs. This new self-clinching fastener was easy-to-install and provided load-carrying threads in the metal sheets that are too thin to be tapped. …
The making of an advanced adhesives team
It’s been said the journey to success begins with a single step. For Meridian Adhesives Group that step began with building a full team of expert adhesive companies. Founded just a couple of years ago by Arsenal Capital Partners, Meridian Adhesives Group is a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-performance adhesives and sealant technologies — with seven…
How Bodycote became the largest global provider of thermal processing services
A family-made business, Bodycote plc, was initially founded in a small, England market town in the early 1920s. Chances are the original owner, Arthur Bodycote, never expected the company to grow from a simple textile business to a global provider of subcontract thermal processing services. Today, Bodycote employs more than 5,000 employees worldwide. “In fact,…
How ZAGO Manufacturing has built its success on teamwork
Zero regrets are something the owners of ZAGO Manufacturing, a global manufacturer of high-tech, custom sealing solutions and components, can attest to after more than 25 years of business. Husband and wife team, Harvey Rottenstrich and Gail Friedberg began the New Jersey-based company in 1993. “We’ve never once had second thoughts about starting or moving forward…
How women-owned company, Advance Components, has changed the culture of fastener manufacturing
In 2006, Doug Berry sat down with his two daughters, Suzy Cravens and Pam Berry, and shared some unhappy news. His health was failing, and he was ready to turn over control of the company he founded, Advance Components, to his family. Advance has been a top U.S. distributor of specialty fastening products since 1972.…
Meet Infasco: A global, vertically integrated, woman-owned manufacturer
Infasco has been a global provider of one of the largest ranges of fastener products and services for more than 60 years. According to the company, what makes it unique is the high-quality of its components, which are tracked from material selection to the end-user. In fact, one of its common tag lines is: “If…
Designing peace of mind: How a German toolmaker created a global enterprise
Ask 80-year-old Dieter Ramsauer about his childhood and he’s likely to tell you about the bicycle he assembled when he was six years old from scrap parts he found around his neighborhood. In fact, he loved building things out of nothing — and still does. After the second world war, there were many piles of…
Living the American dream: How Hernon Manufacturing became a U.S. success story
Mixing adhesives in his mother’s basement was something Harry Arnon probably never imagined doing growing up. He likely never thought he’d co-own a U.S. company with his brother, Josef, either — and especially a world-renowned one that manufactures high-performance adhesives, sealants, and precision dispensing equipment. However, the two brothers are at the helm of Hernon…
Like father, like sons: How the Slass brothers took Rotor Clip to the next level
Launching a new company is no easy feat, even for the most ambitious of entrepreneurs. For Robert Slass, it took getting fired from one fastener company before he ventured on his own in 1957 and founded Rotor Clip — which has since become a global manufacturer of retaining rings, springs, clamps, and more. “My father…