Fasteners are everywhere
My husband was working on our RV the other day when he brought the crusty water pump into the house to show me how “messed up” the screws holding the unit together were. I saw machine screws with a nylon patch that had been exposed to water for six years and the patch looked great. Way too much thought on my part, when all I needed to say was: “Yes, honey, you’re right.”
That started me thinking about what we do as women in the fastener world and how much impact we have. Even though we don’t often think about, or recognize, the impact, it is there.
I have worked in fasteners for 25 years, so you’ll have to excuse me if I appear a little obsessive. I look at what people use to hold things together and sometimes wonder, “Why did they use that?” I am not an engineer, so maybe they had a good reason.
I notice fasteners everywhere I go. On vacation in Boston, we toured an old Navy ship and I took pictures of the Huck Bolts and emailed them back to the office, after having a long discussion with the tour guide about fasteners. At a western-themed amusement park, I pointed out the 3-in-1 malleable washers and explained them to my kids. You should see all of the stainless turnbuckles used in the shade canopies on a cruise ship. My poor, devoted husband helped me try to count them and calculate the value. There were adult beverages involved, so we were not able to come up with a firm figure. However, we did enjoy the attempt.
Occasionally my phone will ring showing the caller ID of one of my friends. But when I answer, it’s not my friend, but her husband, with a question about a fastener.
I did not wake up one day and decide, “Hey I want to sell bolts!” My baby had just started kindergarten and I needed to get a job and help support the family. I started on the order desk at a distributor and loved the job. Fastener people are pretty amazing. Most are very knowledgeable and devoted to our industry. I took advantage of every training opportunity that came my way and turned an entry level job into a fantastic career.
WIFI has two scholarships available: the Edith Cameron Scholarship, for help with the cost of attending the NIFMS Expo in Las Vegas, and the Ann Bisgyer Wolz Scholarship to the Fastener Training Institute. There are many opportunities to learn about fasteners. Ask questions, learn and share your knowledge and experience; they do make a difference in the fastener world.
Beth Van Zandt
Desert Distribution
WIFI Scholarship Chair
