Winter 2017Winter 2017Vol. 17 No. 3

“News and Views That Are Out Of This World”“News and Views That Are Out Of This World”Vol. 17 No. 3

Board of Directors

Chairman

George MorganSouthernCarlson

Snellville, GA

Vice-Chairman/Secretary

Ron FoltzCornerstone Tool & Fastener

Tallahassee, FL

Directors

Maria PolidoroAce Tool

Wantagh, NY

Andy MarkerL.W. Meyer, Inc.Waukesha, WI

Mike GleasonELFCO

Mokena, IL

Treasurer

Larry JohnsonNorthbrook Contractor Supply

Northbrook, IL

Ron TaceyA.H. Harris & SonsWest Hartford, CT

Associate Director

Joe WibbenmeyerNu Way

St Louis, MO

Dan WilliamsTighton Tools & Fasteners

Omaha, NE

Todd KluttsPioneer Fasteners & ToolsEuless, TX

Apex Tool Group (ATG) is one of the largest manufacturers of professional hand and power tools in the world, serving the industrial, construction, vehicle service and assembly, aerospace, electronics, and serious DIY markets. The ATG portfolio of innovative brands includes proven category leaders, such as GearWrench, Crescent, Wiss, Lufkin, HK Porter, Campbell, Jobox, Dotco and Apex Fastening Tools. Throughout the entire product portfolio, ATG tools stand for quality, innovation and value. ATG collaborates with distribution to ensure that end-users have the tools they need to solve real-world problems. The company’s unique category management approach provides customers with end-user data, market research, and voice of the customer insight. This approach helps optimize inventory, point of purchase, and promotional decisions.

ATG “At-A-Glance” • Headquarters: Sparks, Maryland, USA • Number of employees: 8,000 worldwide • Operations: Over 30 countries globally • Manufacturing facilities: Over 25 plants throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia • Brands: Over 30 professional hand and power tool brands • Product categories: Hand Tools, Power Tools, Storage, Lifting, & Electronics Tools • Industries served: Construction, MRO, Industrial, Vehicle Repair, AerospaceGearWrench Evolution In an effort to better serve our industrial and construction customers, ATG is heavily investing in the growing GearWrench brand for these markets. Significant product line expansion and user marketing initiatives will be evident as this

investment continues. A streamlined branding effort under GearWrench will still feature our other industry leading brands, but will offer a simplified message to the marketplace. In what seems a natural fit for GearWrench and Chip Ganassi Racing, the NASCAR team announced that GearWrench will sponsor the Jamie McMurray team for multiple races in the 2017 season. “This is the biggest announcement in the history of the GearWrench brand and a significant marketing investment that will deliver significant growth in sales and market share,” said John Constantine, President of North American Hand Tools. “We are thrilled to be taking GearWrench to the next level by partnering with Chip Ganassi Racing and their top mechanics in 2017.” McMurray agrees the partnership couldn’t be more authentic for his team. “It was interesting,” the 2010 Daytona 500 winner told NASCAR.com, “the day I was in the shop and I knew they were coming by (to see the shop), my car chief asked who was coming by. I told him the name of the company” and he said, “Those are awesome tools.” “Then he took me over to his toolbox and opened one of the drawers up and he had a whole drawer already of the GearWrench tools. That’s really special when you get to be a part of a brand you’re already using. Guys that work on our cars every day believe in them and they’re using the tools every day. We’re super pumped to have them on board.” Chip Ganassi Racing President Steve Lauletta echoed McMurray’s enthusiasm for this partnership and the team’s fond familiarity of the brand. “GearWrench is a brand that understands how our team strives to deliver

Apex Tool Group Positioned for Industrial and Construction Impact

APEX TOOL GROUP continued on the back cover

Shore Fasteners and Supply Inc.Pleasantville, NJ • 609-646-6245

Contact: Bill Callahan • bcallahan@shorefasteners.comwww.shorefasteners.com

As I sit here the day after Christmas, I am inclined to take a moment to reflect on just how fortunate I am in so many ways. First, I survived the chaos of having our two daughters, two sons-in-law’s, four grandchildren, and a sister-in-law along with 2 dogs at our home yesterday. It was a crazy time of opening mountains of presents and consuming voluminous quantities of gourmet delights. Of course, if we can’t indulge our families, why have we worked so hard for all these years? Secondly, I am struck by how fortunate I am to have the privilege and honor to play a small part in the success of our cooperative, Sphere 1. By any measure 2016 was a major success on all fronts for Sphere 1. I am pleased to report we will have record revenues, record rebates, record number of GFG programs, and record number of S1U courses taken. Plus, we are gaining real traction with our Moves Management Program. We also added important new talent to the organization to better position our Coop for the future. Speaking of the new year, if the stars were ever aligned more favorably, I haven’t seen the future so positive. It looks like the new administration in Washington is going to be very pro-business, the potential for increased infrastructure spending looks positive, housing starts continue to improve and industrial production should improve as well. Our members and preferred suppliers are certainly positioned to benefit from many of these factors, and obviously, as our members prosper Sphere 1 will play an important part of that success. As this year wraps up I want to take this opportunity to thank our members and preferred suppliers for your continued commitment and support of Sphere 1. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to our outstanding staff, service providers and my fellow Directors for the excellent work they have done this year as well. I look forward to seeing everyone in Tucson at our May meeting. And I want to wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

George

Southern Carlson

Board Chairman's Message

GeorgeMorgan

Welcome New Sphere 1 Member

Stelfast has been an industry leader in fasteners for many years. Our company began its operations in 1972 as a small and progressive manufacturer of industrial gears and screw machine products. Originally known as Eses Limited, Stelfast did not sell its first quarter keg of nuts until 1974. Seeing the need in the market for a reliable and quality oriented fastener company, Stelfast incorporated in 1976 and established operations in Cleveland, Ohio USA and Toronto, Ontario Canada. Today, Stelfast Inc. is a leading importer, stocking master distributor of fasteners and specialty parts from Asia, Europe, and South America (from standard commercial items to special parts per print); and manufacturer of truck and specialty fasteners. With a knowledgeable and dedicated team of employees, Stelfast has expanded to ten regional distribution centers across North America. Stelfast is a family owned and operated company. We offer over 12,000 SKU’s of fastener products direct from stock, including many lines of bolts, cap screws, nuts, screws, and washers in a variety of finishes. We offer per print, specials, and standards either direct from mill, cross dock, or stock and release. John (OJ) Simpson is the Sphere 1 Primary Contact. OJ is the National Sales Manager for Stelfast Inc. He has been in the Fastener Industry for over 30 years. He started in inside sales with Reynolds Fasteners, later promoted to Branch Manager. When Reynolds was purchased by Heads & Threads, he became the Northeast Regional Manager. OJ enjoys the leadership role with Stelfast, promoting the strong values of the company. He understands the needs of his customers and his commitment to the company motto “Service you Deserve, People you Trust”. OJ may be reached at 800-506-6380, cell 732-558-9473 or jsimpson@stelfast.com.

Welcome New Preferred Supplier

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DIAMONDSPONSOR

Sphere 1 Member NewsLate December found Brinker Brown Fastener & Supply playing Santa to a very special group at LARC, a local non-profit that serves developmentally disabled individuals in Southwest Florida. LARC’s main campus is located on Hanson Street near downtown Fort Myers and houses an incredible woodshop where 12 disabled workers, including one who is blind, construct custom wood products such as pallets, trellises, stakes, and more. Representatives from Brinker Brown were invited to tour the woodshop in November, and were so moved by what they saw, they decided to put a plan into action. “When we were invited to tour LARC’s Woodshop, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was truly amazed,” said Mike Blades, Sales Manager for Brinker Brown. “I knew we had to do something special for them.” LARC’s relationship with Brinker Brown is not a new one. “LARC clients have been assembling washers and screws for Brinker Brown for nearly 10 years,” said Blades. “They do this with such accuracy and precision, we are always so pleased. We send them thousands at a time to be assembled and they not only come back perfect, but we

usually have a bag with a note that we miscounted and the extras are inside!” On December 22, Mike Blades surprised LARC’s Woodshop and

presented them with five brand new HITACHI power tools, among other gifts. “Because we rely on limited funding to cover the costs of our programs, replacing equipment can be difficult,” said Angela Katz, Development Director for LARC. “Our clients strive for perfection and that becomes challenging with older tools. The gifts we received from Brinker Brown and HITACHI are truly priceless! Not only did workers receive new tools, they each received their own personal gift that included a t-shirt and safety glasses! To them, they won the lottery!”Katz encourages businesses to learn more about LARC and the services they offer through their Packaging, Assembly and Woodshop programs. “We have 37 local businesses that currently benefit from our

services, but the biggest benefit is to our clients. They have the opportunity to earn wages, contribute to the community, and feel valued for what they do!” For more information call (239) 334-6285 or visit www.larcleecounty.org.

It is better to give than to receive! It was a crazy end of the year for B&F Fastener Supply – not only business related, but also getting involved with the community around us. As we finished out 2016, we had the honor of hosting our second blood drive for the year, donating 38 pints of blood, which can save up to 114 lives. Breakfast was served for all those who donated blood, as well as for some invited special guests.

In addition to that, we adopted a local fam-ily for the Holidays. The employee support was outstanding.

Rounding out the holiday activities was a morning at Feed My Starving Children! There we were able to pack 25,920 meals, enough to feed 71 kids for an entire year. The ship-ment we packed will be heading to El Salvador!

Vendor Spotlight

DIAMONDSPONSOR

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DIAMONDSPONSOR

Sphere 1 Member News

Southwest Fastener LLC, a leading supplier of custom fastener solutions for Utility Scale Projects, is pleased to announce that Ron Stas has joined their team as Business Development Manager. Ron’s expertise in manufacturing, combined with Southwest Fastener’s experience supplying product for over 7GW of Global Solar Instal-lations, enhances Southwest's position as one of the most recognized

vendors in the EPC arena. Ron can be reached by contacting the Phoenix office at 602-272-2658 or email rstas@swfastener.com.

Vendor Spotlight

DIAMONDSPONSOR

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DIAMONDSPONSOR

ERB Safety hosted our annual national sales meeting, Suc-cess Focus, in Woodstock, GA on November 9th. Rob Moe and Mike Shumard participated and presented Sphere 1’s Moves Management program to our Regional Sales Man-

agers and Independent Manufacturers’ Representatives. Congratulations to Christy Associates for being awarded Top Independent Manufacturers’ Representative.

ERB Safety announces the addition of Jim Buck as Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager, 222-430-9082, jbuck@e-erb.com; Justin Hopkins as Western Re-gional Sales Manager, 619-227-0412, jhopkins@e-erb.com; Scott Gresham as Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager, 704-207-7527, sgresham@e-erb.com. Contact your regional ERB Safety representa-tive today. Scott Gresham

Preferred Supplier News

Sphere 1 Upcoming Meetings

May 9 – 11, 2017JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass

Tucson, AZOptional Golf Tournament • May 8, 2017

May 15-17, 2018JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country

San Antonio, TX

Optional Golf Tournament • May 14, 2018

Sphere 1 Meeting registration is now “LIVE” on-line at www.sphere1.coop

May 14-16, 2019JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort

Marco Island, FL

Optional Golf Tournament • May 13, 2019

Spotnails/ Reliability Provin announces the appointment of Mike Wright to the position of Northeast Regional Sales Manager. Mike

brings over 20 years of pneumatic tool and fastener experience with him which will provide customers strong support in all facets of their business.The northeast territory encompasses New England, Mid-Atlantic states and Eastern Canada. Mike can be reached at mwright@spotnails.com and 603-715-6401.

Mike Wright

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Preferred Supplier News

Congratulations to Brighton-Best International-LA Julie Toves for winning the Edith Cameron Scholarship courtesy of Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI).In Conjunction with the California State Assembly, City of Long Beach, CA and Women in International Trade, Los Angeles, the Board of Directors has

awarded Rosa E. Hearn from BBI their 2016 Innovative Importer of the Year for the contribution and educational initiative supporting teachers and students in global trade and logistics. Congratulations to Sean Kimport of BBI-Los Angeles and Melissa Miller of BBI-Atlanta as runners up for the FTR/FTI Scholarship. These two individuals will receive winning vouchers from the Fastener Training Institute. BBI wishes to thank Sean & Melissa for a

job well done. WIFI@Work is happy to feature its member spotlight to Melissa Rider who is a Branch Manager in Detroit for Brighton-Best International. To read how she is making a difference in the fastener industry, please visit www.fastenerwomen.com. Congratulations to Miguel Serrano as the new Quality Assurance Specialist in the BBI-LA A2LA lab. Miguel has been with PFC/BBI for over 16 years

and has worked in various departments within the warehouse, DMR, and Special Mill Team. He may be reached at qa@brightonbest.com. Brighton Best International has been chosen for the 2016 Best Booth Awards and Best Character Award at the NIFMSE! For Rosa, The Proferred Riveter and Proferred Pete-- Courtesy of Fastener News Desk.Please visit our website at www.brightonbest.com.

Sean Kimport Melissa Miller

Melissa Rider

Miguel Serrano

Rosa Hearn

Julie Toves

Simpson Strong-Tie has donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to assist Hurricane Matthew relief efforts. The devastating effects of Hur-ricane Matthew were felt throughout the southeastern states, while communities in Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic continue to struggle to recover. More than 1,300 people died from the natural disaster.The Red Cross mobilized disaster relief workers, emergency response vehicles and supplies across at-risk states. More than 3,000 Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground to support the wide-spread sheltering effort. Since Hurricane Matthew first hit the

U.S., the American Red Cross and com-munity partners have served over a million meals and snacks, and provided 97,000 overnight stays.“We continue to keep everyone affected by the hurricane and its after-effects in our thoughts,” said Simpson Strong-Tie CEO Karen Colonias. “We encourage everyone to continue to help in whatever way they can.”

To make a contribution and aid in disaster recovery efforts through the American Red

Cross, visit redcross.org or send a donation to your local Red Cross chapter.For more information, visit www.strongtie.com.

Simpson Strong-Tie supports Hurricane Matthew disaster relief Donates $10,000 to American Red Cross fund for Hurricane Matthew relief

Vendor Spotlight

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Preferred Supplier News

Intercorp is pleased to announce the opening of a new branch in Fairfield, New Jersey. This new branch will service the Northeast-ern United States and Canada.“The demand for our products in the Northeast has increased

exponentially over the past few years, and because of this, we have opened a new branch in New Jersey to better serve our customers,” said National Sales Manager, Law Winchester. “From this strategic location, we can offer same day pickup for the New Jersey/New York area, as well as one day shipping throughout the Northeast on over 500 different types of construction fasten-ers. This new location will complement our existing footprint of eight other branches/warehous-es, giving us the ability to ship anywhere in the U.S. in a very short time frame.”The branch will support Inter-corp’s commitment to the North-east market and help streamline distribution to that geographical area. The new branch is located at: 18 Madison Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004. Phone: 973-227-0111 – Fax: 973-227-0511 – Toll Free: 888-322-2262.

Intercorp, has released their new product and submittal catalogs. Featuring more than 500 items, these catalogs are complete resource guides for Strong-Point® construction fasteners.“Our product catalog has been updated with new product offerings, new images, and now includes both our bulk and packaged products,” said Director of Marketing David Harlan. “The submittal catalog is brand new. We took all of our submittals and packaged them into one complete catalog. We created it as a tool for our customers, architects,

specifiers, and contractors. It provides them with the technical data they need on every product we carry, including: application, coating information, qualified specifications, ICC (where ap-plicable), installation instructions, and pullout and shear values, again, where applicable. It is the most comprehensive submittal catalog available and we are excited about the value it will bring to our partners and their customers.”

To download the new product catalog, visit: http://www.intercorpusa.com/download-catalog/To download the new submittal catalog, please e-mail info@intercorpusa.com to request a link for the download.

Lift-All Company is pleased to announce and welcome Jason Dively as the Director of National Sales. Jason will be responsible for leading the sales team to achieve our corporate mission of pro-

viding exceptional value to our customers through integrity, communication, and performance. Jason comes to Lift-All with over 10 years of sales and sales management experience. He has been recognized with multiple sales achievement awards and earned an MBA with an empha-

sis in Organizational Leadership from Ashford University. His proven track record of team leadership and vision will complement and enhance Lift-All’s ability to exceed the needs of our customers.“I am very excited to be joining such a well-respected and well-run orga-nization as Lift-All. My goal is to enhance the Lift-All brand and build on the tremendous success of this great company. I have every confidence that this organization will not only meet our customer’s needs, but far exceed them for years to come.” – Jason Dively

Jason Dively

Vendor Spotlight

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Preferred Supplier News

Lackmond Products, Inc. welcomes back Erric Jackson as Southeast Regional

Sales Manager, overseeing the company’s sales strategies in the Southeast and parts of the Midwest. Erric joined Lackmond in 2002 and was instru-mental in increasing company revenue and establishing strategic account partnerships within his region. Erric went to The Georgia Institute of Technology. “I am excited to rejoin Lackmond and be part of continuing their growth in the construction and industrial markets. I look forward to reconnecting with many of our customers and friends”, said Erric.

Kevin Sullivan has been selected as Regional Sales Manager, overseeing the company’s sales and business development in the province of Ontario, Canada. Kevin brings over 25 years of experience in sales and distribution within the construction and industrial markets. Prior to joining Lack-mond Products Canada, he ran his own sales agency, Nivek Marketing, for nearly 24 years. There he was responsible for multiple lines catering to the industrial and construction supply markets. “This position is truly a unique opportunity for me to help strengthen relationships between Lack-mond Products Canada and our customer partners. I am excited to be part of continuing and accelerating Lackmond’s growth in the construction and

industrial markets”, said Kevin. Jonathan Brock, as Southeast Territory Sales Manager, overseeing the company’s sales and business development. Jonathan began working at Lackmond Products in April 2005 in the shipping and receiving depart-ment. From there he quickly moved into customer service and inside sales, with his most recent position being Customer Service Manager for the Western and Central United States. "His extensive experience in cus-tomer service, our products and customer base, will help tremendously,” commented Cliff Sallis, President and Owner of Lackmond Products, Inc.

Scott McCoy has joined the company in the position of West Coast Territory Manager. Scott brings over 16 years of experience in sales and marketing in the construction and industrial industry. Prior to joining Lackmond Products, Inc., Scott was the Sales & Marketing Man-ager for Tajima Tool Corporation, a leading Japanese hand tool manufac-turer, out of Torrance, California. There he was responsible for managing multiple sales agencies, and developing sales and support programs that target the construction supply market in North America. Scott also brings experience from advertising agencies and retail management.

Erric Jackson

Kevin Sullivan

Jonathan Brock

Scott McCoy

EVCO Tools and Fasteners is pleased to an-nounce the addition of Josh Hebert to their team as Vice President. Josh started out in 2002 as a government civil service worker at Redstone Tech-nical Test Center in Huntsville, AL providing engineering support for test and evaluation of Army missile systems. Near the end of 2005, he trans-ferred to Anniston Army Depot to continue his service in the equipment support division. Having joined EVCO in 2008 as the part-time accounts payable rep, Josh recently resigned from federal service to go full-time at

EVCO. Josh is the new Primary Contact for Sphere 1. He may be reached at 205-822-5381 (office), 205-612-7671 (cell), or jhebert.evco@yahoo.com.

Josh Hebert

AJ Coley is the National Account Manager for Gardner Bender and will be the Sphere 1 Primary Contact mov-ing forward. He joined the GB team in July 2014, but has recently taken over the management of Sphere 1 accounts within GB. His passion is being in the front of, and working with, customers on a daily basis. He prides himself on his reputation, and is pleased to be the GB face for all Sphere 1 members. AJ can be reached at aj.coley@powerprodllc.com, 262-293-0533 or cell 262-408-0935.

AJ Coley

Concrete Update This year has been an excellent one for the Sphere 1 Membership. Our growth as an organization has been exceptional; the help we receive from our Preferred Suppliers has certainly helped to make this happen. This is no more evident than in the story below: Advantage Construction Supply of Sacramento, CA working closely with BoMetals, a new Preferred Vendor in 2016, recently secured a large project near Elk Grove, CA. This project called Echo-Water Biological Nutrient Removal is 1 out of a multiphase project and required more than 100,000 feet of PVC &

strip-applied water-stop & hundreds of custom fabrications. The willingness of the Member, Supplier and end user working together on an almost daily basis for more than 60 days (from logistics, helping the contractor with correct fitting, to even attaching rolls of water-stop to custom fabrications to decrease the amount

of labor for the contractor) were all key factors in securing this opportunity. Brandon Copeland, Engineer for BoMetals, credited Todd Corkery, Account Manager from Advantage, with the “never give up” attitude in winning this highly competitive order. In the end, this was a six-figure win for Advantage Construction Supply, all due to working TOGETHER. WOW, Well Done!!!

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Preferred Supplier News

Conversion Corner

Louisville Ladder is pleased to announce the addition of Casey Fuller to their team in the posi-tion of National Field Market Specialist. Casey has over 15 years of industry experience with seven of those years specializing in the ladder industry. His focus will be on converting key end-users and distributors to the Louisville Ladder product line nationally. He will represent the entire range of company products and services to assigned customers, while lead-ing the customer account planning cycle and ensuring assigned customer's

needs and expectations are met by the company. He can be reached at casey.fuller@louisvil-leladder.com or you can visit Louisvilleladder.com.

Casey Fuller

Moves Management Well, Moves Management is in full swing. To date more than 125 Members have been contacted and approximately 100 Performa’s deployed to various Members. Our first Supplier Webinar took place on 12/16/16 (a huge success; more than 100 Supplier attendees participated). Members / Suppliers are sharing thoughts, ideas and insight. The results are paying off for both Members and Suppliers alike and relationships are flourishing. Look for more updates and testimonials this Spring.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (New-ell Brands) new Sphere 1 Primary Contact is Matt Welsh. Matt has been in the industry for

9 years. He started his career with Technical Concepts, a restroom hy-giene company in the Tennessee/Northern Alabama market. Matt joined the Rubbermaid team 8 years ago when Rubbermaid purchased Technical Concepts. He spent 4 years as a Territory Manager, covering Georgia and Alabama, before being promoted to his current position as National Ac-count Manager. Matt may be reached at 540-409-8492 or matthew.welsh@newellco.com.

Matt Welsh

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Preferred Supplier News

MAX USA Corp. would like to announce the fol-lowing additions to their sales team. Robert (“Bob”) Iampietro is the new Northeast Regional Sales Executive. Bob has worked in the building products

manufacturing and distribution business throughout the Northeast for over 25 years. Bob has a vast range of knowledge and experience in manufac-turing, distribution, and other jobsite related construction products. Bob may be reached at riampietro@maxusacorp.com or by cell at 781-738-9494.Brett Miller, is the new Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Executive. Brett has worked in the construction distribution business, in the Southeastern US, for over 16 years. He has a wide range of knowledge and experience in the distribution of power tools, fasteners, and other jobsite related construction products. Brett's may be contacted at bmiller@maxusacorp.com or by cell at 980-257-0409.

Cliff Tucker, is the new Midwest Product Special-ist. Cliff has over 25 years of experience in the Wood Flooring Distribution business, with an emphasis on the tools of the trade, including but not limited to installation, sand and finish, and promoting the proper guidelines of the National Wood Floor-ing Association. Cliff has extensive training in tool repair, including some pneumatics, and is NWFA accredited in Wood Flooring Installation Procedures & Techniques and Advanced Custom Wood Flooring Installa-tion & Sand and Finishing Techniques. Cliff may be reached at ctucker@

maxusacorp.com or by cell at 469-678-6376.

Bob Iampietro

Brett Miller

Cliff Tucker

A change is ahead in the executive management and organizational structure at Majestic Glove. After nearly 45 years in the glove and safety business, Hugo Kruiniger, current President of Majestic, is retiring. John Damon, current Vice President, has been promoted as President and General Manager.“Hugo’s innovation and dedication to total safety in the glove and personal protective equipment business is a tremendous credit to his legacy,” said John Damon. “His commitment to reliability in safety

has made Majestic one of the nation’s leading safety companies that will continue to protect America’s workers for many years to come.”As John Damon takes the helm as General Manager, he brings 33 years of safety experi-ence in sales, distribution, management, and manufacturing. Throughout Damon’s nearly 14 years of managerial leadership, Majestic has achieved unprecedented growth and success.“I am excited for this opportunity to continue Majestic’s path of tremendous growth, in-novation in safety, commitment to our employees, and pledge to our loyal partners. This transition puts Majestic in a great position for continued success,” Damon said.Other changes in Majestic’s organizational structure include the promotion of Todd Gorrebeeck to Director of Sales and Vincent Kruiniger as Director of Purchasing & Information Technology.Todd Gorrebeeck joined Majestic in 2008 and has been a veteran of the safety industry for over a decade. His leadership at Majestic has produced extraordinary results in sales and business development. As Director of Sales, he will oversee the company’s depart-ments in sales, marketing, and customer service.Vincent Kruiniger has been with Majestic since 2002. For the last 6 years, he has excelled in the company’s procurement and research & development departments. His work has helped produce industry leading and award winning safety products. Vincent will manage the company’s purchasing and IT departments. He will also sit as Majestic’s representative on the ISEA Board.

John Damon

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Preferred Supplier News

Radians® is pleased to an-nounce the open-ing of its new

Canadian distribution center in British Co-lumbia doing business as Radians Canada Distribution, Inc. The new distribution center at 1487 Lindsey Place, Delta, B.C., V3M 6V1, is automated and will allow for same day shipping of in-stock safety prod-ucts to all major cities in Canada.According to Randy Miller, Director of Operations Canada, “Radians Canada Distribution, Inc., will stock a comprehensive line of Radians and DEWALT® safety products to satisfy our customers’ demands. Our world class customer service and fast order fulfillment will give our distributors a competitive edge in the Canadian marketplace.” All of Radians safety products comply with the current Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards, ANSI standards, and WorkSafe standards, and are manufactured in ISO-certified facilities. The Radians Canada Distribution, Inc. safety product line includes: DEWALT® and Radians work gloves; RadWear® high visibility vests, accessories, and rainwear; Radians, DEWALT, and Crossfire® premium eyewear; Disposable and reusable hearing protection; Respirator and lens wipes.According to Bill England, President of Radians, “Opening our new Canadian Distribution Center will efficiently consolidate distribution activities, improve product availability, pro-vide a higher level of customer service to our Canadian distributors, and enhance our growth in Canada.” RCD Inc. is sold through authorized distributors. For more information, call toll free 1-877-723-4267, email sales@radians.com, or visit www.radians.com to download the Radians 2017 Canada Products brochure.

In other news Radians recently announced the ad-dition of embroidery to its custom imprint program, which also includes screen printing, pad printing, and heat transfer services. According to Jim Hink, Director of Marketing at Radians, “Embroidered logos are sleek, professional, and durable. They represent one of the most popular branding methods to stand out from the crowd and differentiate your

brand image. Radians’ in-house marketing team and graphic designers will work with you to ensure a quality embroidered or imprinted product.”Radians state-of-the-art embroidery machines stitch up to 1,200 stitches a minute and offer up to 15 colors in any one design allowing for production efficiency, versatility, and creativity. To learn how to turn your PPE into a walking billboard to advertise and differentiate your brand, visit http://bit.ly/2fjOQGo. Radians safety specialists and in-house marketing team can help you every step of the way.

Protective Industrial Products (PIP) proudly announces its twen-tieth acquisition - the acquisition of Century Glove, Inc. For over 75 years, Century Glove has manufactured work gloves and accessories

in the United States of America. “Century Glove will definitely add some unique products to our line and will add capacity for U.S. domestic-manufactured personal protective equipment,” explains Joe Milot, President of PIP. “We plan to move this production to our McHenry Manu-facturing facility in Bluffton, Indiana, the home of the most versatile production facility in the USA for the unique needs of the Safety Industry.” Century Glove has been well known for supplying industrial gloves and accessories. “For us, it’s more capacity and more new products which fit perfectly into our flexible production model,” says Steve Robbins, President of PIP’s domestic manufacturing divisions, PR Indus-tries and McHenry Manufacturing. This acquisition represents a personal milestone for PIP and Joe Milot, who left Century Glove in 1984 to start Protective Industrial Products with longtime partner Wellson Tao over thirty years ago.

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Preferred Supplier News

Aervoe is pleased to announce the promotion of Bob English to Eastern Regional Sales Manager. Many of you may already know Bob because he has been with Aervoe since

1993. This move is part of a territory re-alignment and establishment of a 4th region. Wes Emerson - West, Keith Faber - Central, Mel Breaux - South, and Bob English - East. We look forward to a mutually successful 2017.

Bob English

Ryan Marquie

Ryan Marquie, Director of Channel Manage-ment at Klein Tools, is the new Sphere 1 Primary Contact. Ryan has been in the industry for over 19 years, with experience working for both power tool and hand tool manufacturers. He has been with Klein Tools for 4 years . Ryan may be reached at 847-821-4142 or RMarquie@Kleintools.com .

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Preferred Supplier News

Surface Shields™ has proudly partnered with nationally recog-nized Anvil Builders in the launch of ‘Never Stop Serving,’ an awareness campaign for Sentinels of Freedom, a 501(c)(3) Veterans

service organization. For over a decade, Sentinels of Freedom has been committed to setting wounded Veterans up for success as they transition to civilian life. Their unique two to four-year scholarship program pairs Veterans with a mentor, and helps them craft the specific and nec-essary skills to succeed as a civilian. They pride themselves in being more than just a hand out. They continue to work with the Veterans long term to ensure their success. The CEO and President of Anvil, HT Tran, in-curred permanent injuries

from an attack during services in Iraq. He used his military experience to build a career in construction, and in 2010, he co-founded Anvil Builders. To this day, HT employs many veterans, as he is an advocate of helping them transition back into civilian life. Surface Shields has teamed up with Anvil Builders to help bring awareness to the wounded Veteran service organization, Sentinels of Freedom. Surface Shields developed this video to celebrate the success of Anvil Builders and

to drive donations to the Sentinels of Freedom organization. Addition-ally, Surface Shields will be donating $25,000 once they achieve the goal of 50,000 views. To obtain this goal, they will be reaching out to all cus-tomers and other contacts to post the video on their websites and social media pages. Feel free to re-post this video to support the cause and to contact us for additional ways to get involved.

Neu’s Building Center in Menomonee Falls, WI held their annual Tool Day Sale on December 2nd. The event was extended to a full week as the number of customers was hard to serve during a single day. A 16 page ad booklet highlighted the hot deals available. On Friday, Dec. 2 Neu's hosted more than 2,000 customers. Guest visited with vendors, enjoyed a great meal topped off with homemade cookies. Neu employees baked several delicious varieties of cookies, over 250 dozen. Makita had a very successful sales day and week, and wishes to thank the Neu's staff for all of their support. Makita looks forward to more events in 2017.

Matt Nerney, Regional Sales Manager for RIVETEYELET.COM, recently announced a marketing partnership with Bellator MMA fighter David ‘The Cave-man’ Rickles. David’s upcoming bout from the Kansas Star Arena will be shown live on Spike TV on January 27, 2017.

RIVETEYELET.COM is a domestic and international source for pop-style rivets, setting tools, and custom eyelets products. Contact at 800-853-7011 or mattn@riveteyelet.com.

Vendor Spotlight

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Preferred Supplier News

Southwire Company, LLC announces the acquisition of Sumner Manufactur-ing of Houston, Texas - a recognized leading manufacturer of material lifts, jack stands, welding tools, material carts and other tools and equipment for the construction market. Sumner is a key supplier to the welding and mechanical contracting industries and has a market presence in more than 50 countries around the world. The acquisition includes manufacturing operations and corporate support functions in Houston, TX and Langfang, China, as well as sales and distribution offices in Canada, the United King-dom and the Netherlands. The addition of Sumner will welcome more than 160 employees to the Southwire workforce.Southwire and Sumner share a small amount of product overlap; therefore, most of Sumner’s more than 350 products will help expand Southwire’s equipment catalog. Sumner’s existing manufacturing capabilities will be integrated into Southwire’s business operations and will provide customers with a comprehensive product offering of contractor equipment solutions.“We are excited to welcome the Sumner team to the Southwire family. This acquisition sup-ports all three of Southwire’s key strategic goals: build organizational capability, drive opera-tional excellence and accelerate growth,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s President and CEO. Southwire wins industry innovation awards Best-in-class products receive recognition for innovation, power and value.Southwire Tools and Equipment have been named winners in a competition hosted by online enthusiast website, Pro Tool Reviews.The awards recognize tools and accessories that provide excellent value, advanced features and the newest innovations. A panel of judges made up of tool professionals from across the United States weighed in on entries from top global manufacturers, and Southwire Tools & Equipment received awards for the following products: SIMpull Non Conductive Fish Tapes; Model 40150N Advanced Dual Range Non-contact Voltage Detector; ACLHS Adjust-able Can Light Hole Saw; MPSCP 6-IN-1 Multi-Purpose Side Cutting Plier; CT50 Heavy Duty Cable Tie, 50 pounds.“We are honored to have been presented with five Pro Tool Innovation Awards,” said John Payne, Product Director for Southwire Tools and Equipment. “We strive for success through improvement and innovation in our tools. These tools reset the bar in performance and value for electricians.”Lean more at www.southwire.com.

Thorn Customer Solutions CenterSouthwire Tools & Equipment held the groundbreaking of the Thorn Customer Solutions Center on May 10th. This upgrade to Southwire Tools & Equip-ment’s current facility will help to extend the commitment of building relationships with our customers and distributors. Further, this facility will pave the way to developing and manufacturing tools and

equipment that will help our loyal customers and distributors succeed. “The development of the Thorn Customer Solutions Center brings an exciting opportunity for Southwire,” said Brandon Moss, Southwire’s President of Tools and Assembled Products. “Tactical experience is the most important aspect of fully understanding the value of the entire Southwire product offering, and, through this facility, we will provide training and education for our end users on how to fully maximize the benefits of the solutions we offer.”The new facility will be 18,000 square feet and will feature a classroom area that can hold up to 80 participants. This demonstration jobsite environment will offer hands-on opportunities, and more than 1,500 square feet of conference room and staff offices. The Thorn Customer Solutions Center will assist in providing professional training to our sales teams, channel partners and contractor visitors in the years to come. We anticipate our first training classes to take place in January of 2017 and hope to have as many as 200 distributor and contractor guests experience the new center in 2017.

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BoMetals• Overview

ITW Commercial Construction• How to Sell Sammys• Sammys 103• Chemical Anchoring 101• Chemical Anchoring 102• Ramset 101• Ramset 102• Ramset 103

Makita• 18V LXT Brushless Recipro Saw XRJO5M/Z• 18V LXT Brushless Quick-Shift Mode 4-Speed Impact Driver XDT12M/Z• 18V X2 LXT (36V) Brushless Recipro Saw XRJO6M/Z• 18V LXT Sub-Compact Brushless• 18V LXT Recipro Saw XRJO4M/Z

TREK Center News

SAIT 2-Day Training Seminars

United Abrasives, Inc. / SAIT 2-day seminar at the North Windham, CT facility offers Distributors an overview of abrasive products including bonded, coated, brushes, and accessory items. Attendees will also

be given a plant tour and participate in an extensive hands-on session. The next training classes will be held March 2nd – 3rd, 2017 and May 4th – 5th, 2017. Keep checking the Newly Updated Website's Training section for future training dates.For more information contact Ron Gehen at rgehen@unitedabrasives.com or visit www.unitedabrasives.com.

SPHERE 1 UNIVERSITY UPDATE

• 3,057 Member Employees taking courses

• 217,372 Enrollments

• 75,798 Hours of Training Completed

• 320 Courses

value to our partners and find ways to grow the business together,” Lauletta said. “They have been associated with the sport for several years from local tracks to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and we are excited that we will be able to put their products to work in the hands of our mechanics in the shop and at the race track.”Mechanic’s Hand Tools Industrial and construction industry professionals know that GearWrench products deliver strength, speed, and access and are designed to maximize productivity. The line is constantly evolving, innovating and expanding. Two examples of this evolution are highlighted in the recently extended line of GearWrench impact sockets. Impacts are high-stress tools, so consistent strength is important. GearWrench impacts meet or exceed ASME specifications, guaranteeing they are manufactured to the highest professional standards. The expanded line includes nine new impact socket sets and features larger sizes and size ranges. GearWrench impact sockets are made of impact grade chrome molybdenum alloy, and feature high-visibility laser-etched and secondary hard-stamped markings to allow for quick and permanent size identification.

The GearWrench® line also featuresthe revolutionary120XP™ technology. Utilizing a 60 toothdouble pawlinnovation, 120XP ratchets and ratcheting wrenches feature 120 positions in each full rotation. This allows the tool to turn fasteners with a swing arc of as little as three degrees. The 120XP line of GearWrench products highlights productivity through improvement and the innovation has recently been incorporated into our world famous ratcheting wrenches as well.Trade Tools

The Apex Tool Group portfolio also features several trustworthy and recognized trade product lines. Crescent, Lufkin, HK Porter and Wiss are powerhouse brands that have been built upon decades of consistent performance. Wiss has been the market leader in aviation snips for over 50 years, but the line also features scissors

and other specialty cutting tools that are durable and perform to professional expectations. An example of this performance can be seen in the introduction of its latest product, the Wiss Auto-Retracting Safety Utility Knife. “Hand tool safety is becoming increasingly important,” says Brian Bogle, Director of Industrial Marketing for Apex Tool Group. “Attentive manufacturers are continually looking for ways to innovate and improve their products that satisfy market changes. The new Wiss Auto-Retracting Safety Utility Knife is a good example of how we anticipated the needs of our customers by listening and learning, and designed a product to meet those needs.” In addition to safety, convenience and comfort are important parts of this product’s design. Blade changes are accomplished quickly and easily, and the Wiss Auto-Retracting Safety Utility Knife accepts all standard blades. Its ergonomically-designed handle features rubberized control areas for a comfortable, secure grip and an integral storage compartment that holds two additional blades.

Storage JOBOX continues as a North American leader of jobsite and safety storage for the industrial and construction professional. With nearly 60 years of manufacturing experience, JOBOX is known as a trusted and dependable storage solution for the pro’s livelihood...their tools & equipment. Manufactured in Jonesboro, Arkansas, JOBOX is known for quality, reliability and value. End-User Specialist Team To further support the industrial and construction markets, Apex Tool Group has developed a substantial team of End-User Specialists that provides product support on-site to facility operators and jobsite personnel. Specialists drive fully outfitted vehicles featuring thousands of products from the Apex Tool Group portfolio. Specialists can provide technical expertise, offer product demonstrations and facilitate orders. The highly trained specialists will get “hands-on” with operators to ensure that they are using the optimal tool solution for every application. Additionally, Apex Tool Group has developed dozens of product and safety training modules that can be utilized by both distribution and on-site with end-users. For more information, please reach out to your sales representative or email tool.van@apextoolgroup.com

APEX TOOL GROUP continued from the front cover

GW84938Impact Set

WKAR2 Utility Knife

Ratchets and Ratcheting Wrench81206P

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