FALL 2014

36 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

36 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL FASTENER & MILL SUPPLY EXPO SURINDER SAKHUJA & LEO J. COAR NAMED TO FASTENER EXPO “HALL OF FAME” - INDUSTRY VETERANS TO BE HONORED AT VEGAS RECEPTION 34 North High Street • New Albany, OH 43054 • Phone 614-895-1279 • Fax 614-895-3466 • www.fastenershows.com Surinder Sakhuja, founder of Stelfast, Inc. and Leo J. Coar, Editor and Publisher of Distributor’s Link Magazine, have been elected to the National Industrial Fastener Expo “Hall of Fame”, it was announced by Expo management. “We are pleased and proud to add these two wellknown and highly respected industry veterans to the prestigious group of ‘Hall of Fame’ members who have preceded them”, said Jim Bannister and Mike McGuire, General Partners of the Expo. “Surinder and Leo are the first persons to be elected since 2008, and we are going to honor them with a private reception to be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, immediately prior to the big Expo Welcome Party scheduled for that evening at the Treasure Island hotel in Las Vegas. More information about this event will be announced in the industry media and Expo program material during the coming months,” added the Expo partners. Surinder Sakhuja Surinder completed his Industrial Engineering Degree in London in 1964 and immigrated to Canada in 1965. He worked for various companies in Toronto. In June 1971, a friend who owned a small gear factory told Surinder that he wanted to sell his business. After several meetings, they agreed on a price. In July 1971, Surinder purchased Industrial Gear Co., later renamed ESES Ltd. Surinder met Tony Kolody, formerly with Infasco. In May 1974, Tony joined ESES and Surinder began buying/selling nuts. He also bought a small aircraft bolts/screws manufacturer located in Lorain, Ohio and opened the first USA ESES warehouse. Deciding to separate the gear/screw machine and fastener business, in June 1976, he registered Stelfast Fasteners Inc. in Canada and the USA. There are now seven USA distribution centers, two in Canada, and a manufacturing facility in Taiwan. Surinder’s daughter is the President and sole shareholder of Stelfast USA. Her husband, Carmine Tomasso is Director of Purchasing. Leo J. Coar Leo J. Coar has been in the Fastener Industry for 60 years. He started his sales career in 1954 with Southern Screw Company as a sales agent covering the metropolitan New York and New Jersey area. During the following years, Leo sold fasteners nationally, was in manufacturing, a master distributor, a show producer, and for the last 37 years editor and publisher of Distributor’s Link, a magazine that services and supports fastener distributors. Leo has been married to Myra for 57 years and resides in Naples, Florida. They have four children (two of them in the fastener industry), six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. For more information regarding the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, contact Susan A. Hurley, General Manager, at (614) 895-1279, email info@fastenershows.com, or visit the Expo website at www.fastenershows.com.