IFI Honors Lench, Brenner & Vass With Soaring Eagles Awards

John Wolz

The IFI presented its fifth Soaring Eagles Awards to Robert Lench, Harry Brenner and Steve Vass.
Lench was given the Ward Leadership Award for more than 20 years of leading the European Industrial Fasteners Institute, including 14 as chair. Lench was recognized for “significant and dedicated statesmanship which has achieved a lasting bridge of goodwill and understanding” between European and North American fastener manufacturers and organizations.
Lench started in fasteners as the third generation in T.W. Lench Ltd., a cold forged fastener manufacturer located 110 miles north of London. His fastener career covered 57 years.
Lench represented the EIFI at numerous IFI meetings. Lench is credited with helping IFI members understand dealing with European producers and guide the IFI on U.S. legislation, which affected European producers.
Lench was “instrumental in bringing the European Distribution Federation to work with the manufacturers on both standards and legislative fronts.” He dealt with multi-language discussions and technical issues.
Editor”s Note: Robert Lench can be contacted at 10 College Rd., Bromsgrove, Worchestershire BG0 2NE England.

Brenner was given the Trowbridge Technology Award posthumously for advancement of fastener application engineering in recognition of “significant technical contributions in mechanical fastener testing, mechanical and performance standards and international standardization, which have made our world a safer place through advances to fastener applications engineering.”
Brenner, a professional engineer, founded Almay Research & Testing Corp. in 1956, the first private laboratory in the U.S. dedicated to fastener research. Brenner joined ASTM in 1978 and was chair of Committee F16 on Fasteners from 1986 to 1991. He organized and developed the F16.93 subcommittee on quality provisions for fasteners. Through participation in Round Robin testing projects, his work has helped set nine ASTM fastener standards.
In the past decade, Brenner had taken a global role in fastener standardization and safety by serving on the Fastener Advisory Committee for the U.S. Fastener Quality Act / P.L. 101-592 and in consulting with the IFI, ANSI and ISO. Brenner authored 15 technical articles and is a contributing editor to three books.

Vass was honored with the Case Meritorious Service Award for “extraordinary service as chairman of the IFI Standards & Technical Practices Committee and for his leadership in the development of IFI standards.”
Vass started in fasteners in 1959 with the Republic Steel Bolt & Nut Division in Cleveland. From 1974 to 2004 he worked in progressive roles as tool engineer, quality control manager, engineering manager, technical director and product engineering manager at Lake Erie Screw Corp. in Lakewood, OH. From 2004 to 2005 he was engineering manager for Nova Machine Products in Middleburgh Heights, OH.
Vass has chaired the IFI standards & technical practices committee. He chaired the ASME, B18 subcommittee 2 on externally threaded fasteners and was a member of other ASME subcommittees, a member of the ASTM committee F-16 on fasteners and participated in SAE fastener standard activities.
Editor”s Note: Steve Vass can be contacted at 648 Bridgeside Dr., Avon Lake, OH 44012.

The Soaring Eagles selection committee seeks nominations from the industry. Jennifer Johns Friel chaired the nomination committee. Members were: Jonathan Turner, Mike Lawler, Jim VanIngen and Leo Monroe. \ �2007 FastenerNews.com