Cari Bailey

The Southwestern Fastener Association board has been struggling with direction, as most of the eight regional fastener associations have.  

Consolidation has left fewer distributorships and manufacturers to be members and participate.  The major consolidating corporations frequently don’t participate in the regional associations.

But SFA president Neal Gordon of Dallas Fastener said at the SFA meeting on Galveston Island that directors are “focusing on new tools.” The first question: “What can we do to help our members?”

The board is “willing to change” and encouraging suggestions from its 125 members, Gordon declared.

SFA chair Mike Bailey of Nucor Fastener said the board is changing direction to avoid “stagnation.”

Southwestern has the funds to grow, treasurer Suzanne Cravens of Advance Components pointed out. Recently retired executive director John Elsner “left us in a good financial position” with $192,969.60 in the bank, she reported.

Board member Brad Clark of All Size Supply cited the scholarship committee’s changes as an example of serving the members. The number of applicants for college scholarships has been dropping, so the committee is switching half the scholarship money to education of existing employees about fasteners through the Fastener Training Institute.

The new membership chair, Baron Yarborough of Spring Bolt & Nut Mfg., announced board members are committed to recruiting distributor members. He promised to personally invite every one of Spring Bolt’s distributor customers.

After drawing new members, the board will encourage their participation at SFA events – especially the spring 2020 show and conference in Houston.

Bailey vowed SFA would have more members at the October 21-24, 2020, joint conference in San Antonio than Pacific-West Fastener Association brings.

SFA started the year with a new executive director – Cari Bailey.

The 2019 conference drew 45 registrants. “This is it. We’ve set our floor for the future,” Mike Bailey declared. Web: SouthwesternFastener.org