Fasteners Are Still Everywhere!
Almost three years ago, Beth Van Zandt of Desert Distribution wrote a post titled "Fasteners Are Everywhere" during her time on the WIFI Board of Directors as the Scholarship Chair. In this post, Beth talks about how she notices screws, nuts and bolts in everyday life, outside of work, how she arrived in the fastener industry, as well as the scholarships available for women in the fastener industry.
Let me work in reverse. I don't think anyone wakes up and says I want to be in the fastener industry, no matter what capacity you're in. I may be wrong because I'm not an Engineer, but to me it seems like fasteners kind of hide themselves in everyday life. So, even an Engineer might not say this.
I landed in the fastener industry after relocating for family reasons. My Mom was working at Lawson Products, one of the Industrial Distribution's Big 50. I tried everything to ensure I did not have to work with my Mom, but the market was working against me. I landed at Lawson Products and spent six years there.
It wasn't until the late 2000's, when I started working for Wurth Service Supply, that I realized that fasteners are everywhere . I continue to realize it more and more every day. I believe that each of us have our own "fastener reality". It has a lot to do with the industry segment you're in, and there are so many, as well as your exposure in the real world.
I believe my son was 9 or 10 years old when he first brought me a socket head cap screw with a nylon patch from his desk chair. He said "Mom, I need one of these to fix my chair". I thought "Ooh, LAWD! I know what that is." At the time, I was working for Brighton-Best International, during my eight year tenure.
After that, I became fascinated with fasteners. I started watching shows like "Ultimate Factories" (highly recommended) and "How It's Made". Even if fasteners aren't "in" things, they're used in the manufacture of things. Fasteners are literally everywhere from your smartphone to your kitchen sink, your automobile to poultry processing plants.
As the trite old saying goes "the only thing that ever stays the same is change"; the same applies to the fastener industry, but it's not that fasteners aren't being used. Instead, it's that different fasteners are used when the design of a product changes.
The fastener industry, in my opinion, is a very stable industry. That's why we're here! We want to welcome new women to the fastener industry, educate new and existing members, connect and offer mentoring.
Whether you're a current member of the fastener industry or a job seeker, I hope this post sheds some light on the industry. Throughout the year, you can look forward to our WIFI@work feature that offers a peak at the day in the life of a WIFI member.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at admin@fastenerwomen.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
