American Elite Molding was named 2017 Florida Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufacturers Association of Florida. The nylon cable tie manufacturer was chosen for the medium (101-250 employees) category.

Thirteen judges evaluated and interviewed several dozen industry nominees and toured facilities.

“We remain committed to producing Made-in-USA, top quality products at our Crestview, Florida plant, which runs 24/7/365 and has the most advanced production processes in the country,” CEO Robert Sires responded. “The dedication of our team has enabled us to achieve double digit growth for the past 12 years. We currently manufacture more than 1.5 billion cable ties annually and are on track to double in size within the next five years, reaching $50 million in sales.”

Florida has more than 20,000 manufacturers.

Founded in 2005 by Sires, American Elite is located in a 75,000 sq ft facility at 5680 John Givens Rd., Crestview, FL 32539. Tel: 888 463-3454 Email: info@aem-ties.com Web: AmericanEliteMolding.com


Autocraft USA LLC promoted fastener industry veteran Gordon Anderson to president. Anderson also retains his role as VP of global sales for parent company Shanghai Autocraft Co. Ltd.

Anderson joined Autocraft in 2012. Prior to that, he was VP of sales for Heads & Threads International from 2009-2011; VP of sales for Brighton Best International from 1994-2009; and national sales manager for Brighton Best Socket Screw Mfg. from 1985-1994.

Autocraft USA distributes imported industrial fasteners, including bolts, screws, nuts and washers, both standard and special, in inch or metric sizes. The company also sells concrete anchors, pins and rivets, made from steel, stainless steel or brass. Autocraft USA is headquartered at 5145 Northview Lake, Cumming, GA 30040. Tel: 404 328-5969 Email: gordon.anderson@autocraftusa.com

Autocraft USA is owned by Shanghai Autocraft Co. Ltd., which manufactures fasteners for the automotive, heavy equipment and construction industries.

Led by CEO Richard Yan, Shanghai Autocraft operates a 1.7 million sq ft vertically-integrated manufacturing facility in Shanghai, and is headquartered at 168 Nanlu Highway, Nanhui Industrial Zone, Shanghai 201300 China. Web: autocraft-global.com

United Performance Metals is adding 10,000 sq ft to its Connecticut facility, bringing its total to 58,000 sq ft.

UPM supplies fastener grade metals, including stainless steel, Prodec, nickel & cobalt alloys and titanium; and has slitting and edging capabilities.

UPM has nine locations worldwide and is headquartered at 3475 Symmes Rd., Hamilton, OH 45015. Tel: 888 292-3292 Web: Upmet.com

Alabama-based UPM is part of O’Neal Industries. a group of metals service centers with estimated 2017 sales of $2.2 billion. ONI has 80 facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. Web: onealind.com