Fastener Blog Catch Up
I've take a fair amount of deserved grief over the fact that I talked about attending the Fastenal trade show and then never wrote about it. Sorry folks. Between work and Christmas shopping and travel I just have not found time to sit still and write. And, not that you asked, but I'll share some personal insight here. When I have time and the mood is right, writing this blog is a pleasure. There are just times when I sit down and everything just flows and it is simple. Then, when I am rushing around and feeling guilty that I have not posted in a while, nothing flows. It does not feel like work but it does not feel like what I was hoping this blog would ultimately be...which is a place for people to come chat about the industry and just share what they are thinking. So, forgive me and we'll just move on.
A quick note about the Fastenal show. Once again it was packed. The show is always busy with Fastenal employees "highly encouraged" to hit every booth. They use bingo card style pages and certain vendors have their logo on the "bingo" squares. At the booth there are colored markers used to mark vendor's space once the employee has stopped by to visit. If the employee fills the card, they get a prize like a gym bag or a jacket or something pretty decent. They also have a similar deal they do with colored plastic washers that have to be gathered and put on a plastic bolt. If they collect like 30 washers they can turn them in for a prize and the washers are found at the booths of participating vendors. So, Fastenal has some clever ways to drive traffic to the booth and then it is your job to stop the Fastenal employees and tell them about their product. If you don't do that, then your wasting a golden opportunity. Although, after a day and a half of repeating the same sales information, you feel pretty spent and you are sick of hearing yourself repeat the same thing over and over to each group of Fastenal employees that show up at the booth. But, ultimately, you realized you paid to come here so you tough it out and keep selling. Cause, that's what we do. You can probably find an industry publication or Fastenal's website if you want to learn all the statistics about their sales figures and number of branches, etc. Needless to say, I know of very few suppliers that do not count Fastenal among their largest customers,
So, like I said, I've been kind of busy. And I have a lot of holiday planning to do. On Christmas Eve, the extended "Salesman Family" all comes to our house to celebrate. Then there's the whole Santa Claus shopping thing. And I've got to find time to find all my favorite holiday shows - "Elf", "Grinch", "Christmas Story" and NBA basketball on Christmas because I'm pretty sure that is how the Good Lord wants his birthday celebrated. This year, I have another show I need to schedule - and it involves fasteners!! The Richard Manno Co., a manufacturer of screw machine and electronic hardware, is being featured on the ION channel on a piece called "The World's Greatest". The Richard Manno Co. is being featured as one of the world's greatest fastener manufacturers and the segment will be running on satellite and cable tv on December 28, 20111 and again on January 2, 2012 and January 9, 2012. I understand this is Episode 155 of the World's Greatest so look it up on your cable network and check out one our fastener manufacturing brethren on the big screen!!
And, I hope to post again in the next few days. I've been in contact with several more organizations that are involved in helping to promote re-shoring and the groups support small domestic manufacturers and that is definitely something that interests me. Hope it does you too.
A quick note about the Fastenal show. Once again it was packed. The show is always busy with Fastenal employees "highly encouraged" to hit every booth. They use bingo card style pages and certain vendors have their logo on the "bingo" squares. At the booth there are colored markers used to mark vendor's space once the employee has stopped by to visit. If the employee fills the card, they get a prize like a gym bag or a jacket or something pretty decent. They also have a similar deal they do with colored plastic washers that have to be gathered and put on a plastic bolt. If they collect like 30 washers they can turn them in for a prize and the washers are found at the booths of participating vendors. So, Fastenal has some clever ways to drive traffic to the booth and then it is your job to stop the Fastenal employees and tell them about their product. If you don't do that, then your wasting a golden opportunity. Although, after a day and a half of repeating the same sales information, you feel pretty spent and you are sick of hearing yourself repeat the same thing over and over to each group of Fastenal employees that show up at the booth. But, ultimately, you realized you paid to come here so you tough it out and keep selling. Cause, that's what we do. You can probably find an industry publication or Fastenal's website if you want to learn all the statistics about their sales figures and number of branches, etc. Needless to say, I know of very few suppliers that do not count Fastenal among their largest customers,
So, like I said, I've been kind of busy. And I have a lot of holiday planning to do. On Christmas Eve, the extended "Salesman Family" all comes to our house to celebrate. Then there's the whole Santa Claus shopping thing. And I've got to find time to find all my favorite holiday shows - "Elf", "Grinch", "Christmas Story" and NBA basketball on Christmas because I'm pretty sure that is how the Good Lord wants his birthday celebrated. This year, I have another show I need to schedule - and it involves fasteners!! The Richard Manno Co., a manufacturer of screw machine and electronic hardware, is being featured on the ION channel on a piece called "The World's Greatest". The Richard Manno Co. is being featured as one of the world's greatest fastener manufacturers and the segment will be running on satellite and cable tv on December 28, 20111 and again on January 2, 2012 and January 9, 2012. I understand this is Episode 155 of the World's Greatest so look it up on your cable network and check out one our fastener manufacturing brethren on the big screen!!
And, I hope to post again in the next few days. I've been in contact with several more organizations that are involved in helping to promote re-shoring and the groups support small domestic manufacturers and that is definitely something that interests me. Hope it does you too.
Thanks for the update TS. Was wondering if you'd been captured and taken up to the mother ship in Winona.
We're still seeing good business all the way up to till now, so that's a great way to end out the year. Hope your prediction on Fully Threaded radio turns out correct.
Merry Christmas to you and Mrs. Salesman and all the little Salesmans!
Dave
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Listen T.S., I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and all. But quit your whining and keep on posting. I look forward to your pearls of wisdom and off-brand fastener news reporting. That is a backwards compliment to your site as I do enjoy it. Peace.
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I hear you. Promise for 2012...no more whining. There is so much happening in the fastener world and we do need to keep talking in a relaxed environment so I will try harder ("no try, DO!") to keep things current. You 154 subscribers deserve as much. By the way, how about spreading the news and let's get the subscribers up to 200 this year!!
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