His tenure as managing director of the Industrial Fasteners Institute began with the U.S. Fastener Quality Act. The law had been passed and signed into law by the first President Bush in 1990 and as the decade progressed FQA issues grew.

Rob Harris took over the IFI at the beginning of 1995 and retires this month as the longest serving managing director.

As the IFI members considered the ramifications of the law not yet implemented, they calculated the original FQA would cost $500,000 per plant. “Members said, ‘We don’t want this to happen’,” Harris recalled. And members didn’t see how the original law was going to stop crooks.

Harris had worked where government auditors were in the aerospace manufacturing facilities and he knew the costs.

As Harris became involved the IFI expanded beyond engineering into politics by retaining “consultants” (lobbyists) – The Laurin Baker Group – for advice during the process of getting the FQA amended three times during the 1990s.

There had been divisions between segments of the industry on the FQA. IFI leaders – led by Bob Brunner and Mike Lynch of ITW – went to work with multiple industry associations to create an united position.

By the time the fastener law was implemented on December 6, 1999, it had become a “Truth in Advertising” law, Harris said.


Key Changes During Harris Tenure

• Harris was happy to recruit Joe Greenslade to be director of engineering technology in 2007, succeeding retiring Charlie Wilson. When Greenslade retired at the end of 2015, Harris brought in Salim Brahimi.

• The IFI has expanded its educational programs. In addition to coordinating with the Fastener Training Institute, has developed nine training programs which are free for IFI members. “It even can be attended by key customers,” Harris noted. “We’ve had as many as 30 in a class.” Beyond the classroom, there are take home materials.

The headquarters training space was part of the 2006 move from a downtown Cleveland office to shared suburban facility in Independence, OH. The IFI is co-located with the Precision Metalforming Association.

• The IFI hired three former fastener manufacturing company executives to direct the divisions: Pat Meade, aerospace; John O’Brien, automotive; and Bob Hill, industrial.    

• The IFI has more international coordination. The IFI has worked closely with its European, Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese counterparts. Harris has even worked with the South African organization needing copies of the IFI articles and bylaws to develop its own association.   

Four Italian companies plus several German and Belgian firms are now IFI members.

It is all a part of companies working globally. German or Swedish fastener manufacturers partnering with U.S. or Asian companies in buying. 

“That’s big time,” Harris declared.

• A “driving issue” in the coming years is the lack of incoming workers for fastener manufacturing, Harris said. It is about developing skilled labor to operate heading, threading and screw machines. U.S. fastener manufacturers need many new employees in the next two years.

Why do fastener companies join the IFI? Harris said members peg networking as the top reason. Second is manufacturers and suppliers are “conspicuous by their absence,” and third is the IFI’s role in government relations.

The IFI now has $2 million in reserves – up from $300,000 when he was hired.

Today there are 74 manufacturing companies with 68 subsidiaries as members of the IFI plus 60 associate members.

As he retires, Harris sees a “healthy industry and healthy customers” for the fastener industry. “Boeing and all aerospace are booked with orders,” he pointed out. 

A factor helping domestic suppliers is just-in-time supplying. “End users want shorter supply chains,” Harris explained. The one-time ship’s captain noted that “relying on ships crossing the oceans is problematic – with weather and labor issues.”

Harris retires as the longest-serving managing director and only the sixth managing director in 86-year history of the IFI. Kenneth McCreight succeeded him on November 27.

Harris, who continues as a consultant, is confident in the organization’s future. Harris’ philosophy has always been to “hire the best people you can find – people who are smarter then yourself – an get out of the way to let them do their jobs.

Next for Harris? “Sailing,” he responded in noting his hobby of decades. Also international travel.


IFI chief staff officers:

1931-1939  (None)

1940-1954  Herman Lind

1954-1974  Frank Masterson

1975-1981  Clyde Roberts Jr.

1982-1984  Richard Belford

1984-1995  Dick Scofield

1995-2017  Rob Harris

2017  Kenneth McCreight