Russ Doran

Ken Misch is the new managing director at Würth Timberline Fasteners, succeeding Russ Doran.

Doran is retiring from managing Timberline, but will continue with special projects for Würth Industry of North America.

Doran entered the fastener industry as general manager for A&I Bolt and Nut in 1990, after managing a steel-related manufacturing company.

A&I, founded in 1923 by Ralph Kramer and his son Joel Kramer, was acquired by the McCallin family in 1985. It was rebranded as Timberline in 2000 and Doran acquired the company in 2007. Würth acquired Timberline in 2014.

A&I was a founding member of both the National Fastener Distributors Association and the Western Association of Fastener Distributors (now Pacific-West Fastener Association).

Doran was Pac-West president from 2011-2013.

Doran said the biggest change in fastener distribution during his tenure is that the “full line stocking distributor model which was viable in 1990 is difficult to defend today.  You cannot be a ‘jack of all trades.’ You have three options: Get big, get focused or get bought.”

The Internet, Amazon and Grainger have created “a completely different market,” Doran told FIN. Setting up a distributorship by putting a “shingle out at the front door is not focused.”

The 14 companies within WINA have “entrepreneurial independence” and operate under “standardizing, not centralizing,” Doran said.

Würth Timberline is headquartered at 6195 Clemont St., Commerce City, CO 80022. Tel: 303 287-5555 Email: info@TimberlineFasteners.com Web: TimberlineFasteners.com