McLean & Beach Lead IFI

John Wolz

Porter McLean of ATF Inc. is the new chairman of the Industrial Fasteners Institute and Steve Beach of Textron Fastening Systems is vice chair.
McLean, currently vice president of sales & marketing, has held senior management roles in engineering and operations during his 19 years with ATF. McLean succeeds Michael Friel of Haydon Bolt and St. Louis Screw & Bolt.
After earning a degree in civil engineering at the University of Kentucky, McLean”s first fastener job came in 1973 with the Shakeproof Division of Illinois Tool Works in his hometown of Russelville, KY. There he met Don Surber who later acquired ATF and has twice been IFI chair.
McLean first joined ATF in 1981. He was with FPM Commercial Heat Treating from 1993-94 and MacLean Fogg Co. from 1994 until returning to ATF in 1999.
His previous IFI roles include vice chair, board member, automotive division chair, liaison to the USCAR fastener committee and chair of the IFI Small Diameter Technical Committee.
McLean sees providing “value for our membership” through speakers and “presence with the government” on issues affecting the fastener industry. The IFI works with other metal trade associations on issues ranging from raw material costs to health care, McLean pointed out.
Beach has been vice president for sales in the Americas region at Textron Fastening since May 2005. His responsibilities include sales initiatives to all automotive, electronics, commercial and industrial markets in North and South America. Previously he was vice president of automotive sales globally for TFS.
Beach joined Textron in 1981 as a sales rep with Camcar Textron. He attended the Textron executive development program at Harvard University and the Textron global leadership forum at the Wharton School of Business.
Beach has served two terms on the IFI board and been chair of the IFI automotive division.
New IFI board members are: Division I/industrial products, Dave Monti, Fall River; Division II/aerospace, Christian Darville, LISI/Hi-Shear and Soheil Eshragi, Textron Aerospace Fasteners; Division III/automotive, Ed Plomer, Illinois Tool Works, and Craig Brown-Borden, Lang Fasteners.
Division I chair: Tony Tumbarello, Brico; vice chair, Jonathan Turner, Turnasure LLC.
Division II chair: Mike Lawler, Precision Castparts/SPS Technologies; vice chair, Owe Carlson, Alcoa Fastening Systems.
Division III chair: Jim VanIngen, ITW; vice chair, Steve Patton, MacLean Vehicle Systems.
Associate/Suppliers: Leo Monroe, National Machinery; vice chair Ed Konecznv, Magni Group.
The IFI, founded in 1931, represents North American manufacturers of industrial aerospace and automotive fasteners and suppliers of raw material and production services. The IFI recently moved its headquarters to (see FIN, February 8, 2006): 6363 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence, OH 44131. Tel: 216 241-1482 Fax 216 241-5901 E-mail: rharris@indfast.com Web: industrial-fasteners.org �2006 FastenerNews.com