SUMMER 2019

92 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

92 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Jo Morris Marketing Director, Fastener Training Institute ® FASTENER TRAINING INSTITUTE ® 5318 East 2nd Street #325, Long Beach, CA 90803 TEL 562-473-5373 FAX 661-449-3232 EMAIL info@fastenertraining.org WEB www.fastenertraining.org FASTENER TRAINING WEEK - THE ULTIMATE SUMMER CAMP What better way to spend a week this summer than to be immersed in fastener training? Networking with industry experts, learning labs, plant tours and interactive exercises represent only a portion of the week designed for fastener manufacturers, distributors and end-users. Students take a deep dive into learning about manufacturing processes, consensus standards, quality controls and much more. The only other element that might make this week slightly more enticing is to add Chicago to it. For the fourth consecutive year, the Mid West Fastener Association will host Fastener Training Week from August 19th – 23rd. Industry professionals Salim Brahimi (IFI Director of Engineering Technology), Laurence Claus (NNi Training and Consulting) and John Medcalf (Peak Innovations Engineering) will present elements in torque tension, print reading, material specifications, thread gaging and lot traceability. Hands-on demonstrations and tours to SWD Plating, Semblex Corporation and SGS MSi Testing supplement the week’s curriculum. Former student testimonials rave that Fastener Training Week provided a “ground-up and organized master class in all aspects in fasteners.” and “Fastener Training Week was an awesome experience. After 35 years in the business I was amazed at how much I learned and how much I didn’t know about fasteners.” Upon completion of this training and passing a final exam, attendees will be eligible to receive the Certified Fastener Specialist (CFS) designation. Class registration fees go up July 29th so register today. Now what could be better than a week spent learning about fasteners and enhancing your career then attending for free? For the sixth consecutive year, Fasteners Clearing House and the Fastener Training Institute have partnered to present one candidate a scholarship for full tuition to Fastener Training Week. To qualify, candidates must work within the fastener industry and must submit a brief essay, TECHNICAL ARTICLE approximately 300 words in length. The essay should address the importance of training in the fastener industry, and the impact of training on their career. Managers and owners are welcome to submit an essay on behalf of one candidate per company, however there is no limit to the number of individual candidates from any company who submits an essay on their own. Candidates who applied last year but did not win either the grand prize or runners-up prizes, will be re-entered automatically this year. Essays may be submitted to ftr@fullythreaded.com by the end of August and the winner will be announced in Las Vegas at the International Fastener Expo. More training and new classes are coming this fall when the Fastener Training Institute heads to Las Vegas for the International Fastener Expo. Carmen Vertullo will instruct “Fastener Platings & Coatings – including the newest innovations and processes.” This is a hands-on, interactive training program. Attendees will conduct fastener testing, search through standards for answers to important fastener coating questions, process decisions for selection of fastener finishes, and test their knowledge about fastener platings and coatings. This class is intended for all levels of fastener experience and a must for Owners, Managers, Quality Assurance, Sales and Purchasing Personnel. New classes and course development are essential for FTI. In April we were pleased to announce that Würth Industry North America partnered with FTI as our 2019 Sustaining Sponsor. The generous support of Würth will help FTI fund both existing programs and develop the new content needed to grow. JO MORRIS | FASTENER TRAINING INSTITUTE

SEMS AND SPECIALS INC KEEPING IT ‘SPECIAL’ FOR OVER 29 YEARS THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 93 6483 Falcon Road, Rockford, IL 61109 TEL 1-800-888-7367 FAX 815-874-0100 EMAIL sales@semsandspecials.com WEB www.semsandspecials.com Sems and Specials Incorporated have successfully completed our 29th year in business, and it all began with one Individual, Mr. Bruce Hayes. Sems and Specials Incorporated had a vision to become a top tier domestic fastener manufacturer to support the Distribution environment. One year later Mr. Jim Kelam joined the team. With Bruce creating the manufacturing environment and Jim developing sales; we have grown to 105 individuals and produce 500 million fasteners annually. Sems and Specials Incorporated manufacture fasteners for all segments of industry: Truck, Bus, Marine, Appliance, Medical, Digital Transmission, Laptops, Lawn and Tractor, Military, Automotive aftermarket, Motorcycles and Health and Industrial Products. Our early business model was high volume standard Sems products; we were the number one supplier of standard sems to the distribution environment. Today 60% of the products we produce are “Customized Manufacturing.” With three manufacturing engineers and one sales engineer on staff, we have the flexibility to offer precise applications or technical support. We have grown by customer demand to have one of the largest band widths in our market. Sems and Specials Inc. manufactures all Generic trilobular and plastic products, Swageform (our Registered Trademark), BXCA (self-aligning thread forming screw), TMXS (thin sheet metal fasteners), Saddle Clamps, Drill Screws , special sems configurations. Recently we added several multi-station machines which has created “Added Value” to many of the specialized items we produce. We have designed and built special secondary equipment for specific customer requirements to add value and reduce manufacturing cost. Along with the “Added Value” manufactured products, we have the ability to provide unique packaging to add value to our customers by less handling. Our product diameter range is #2 (M2) thru ½ (M12) having a length range of 1/8” (3mm) to 5” (125mm) having both single and multiple forming capability. BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE SEMS AND SPECIALS