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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
PO Box 5, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
TOLL-FREE 1-800-753-8338 TEL 847-438-8338 EMAIL mwfa@mwfa.net WEB www.mwfa.net
FSTNR WEEK DELIVERS WITH
MANY OPPORTUNITIES By Francesca Lewis
The unofficial start of FSTNR week began on
Saturday, August 19th, with the Rugged Maniac 5K
obstacle course race. There were 30 fastener industry
“athletes” that competed and finished together at the
event, followed by a group lunch in downtown Grayslake,
IL. Since beginning in 2021, this popular event has
grown each year, and the Rugged Nuts are already
looking forward to next year.
On Sunday, August 20th, the week was launched
with a Bed Build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. SHP
provides beds and the necessary bedding to children in
need of a bed. Over 100 volunteers gathered at Abbott
Interfast in Wheeling, IL to build 100 beds. The high
temperatures did not stop hardworking volunteers from
spending 6 hours building beds. Plenty of cold water
and Gatorade was on hand to keep these busy workers
hydrated but the highlight was when food trucks from
Cheesies, sponsored by Brighton Best Int’l and Kona
Shaved Ice, sponsored by BTM Mfg. made their way
to the build site. They were a welcome site!! We thank
Abbott Interfast and their crew for their hospitality in
hosting this event where there was plenty of room to
accomplish this great task.
On Monday, August 21st, several companies
including: Allstar Fasteners, DLP Coatings, SWD Inc, and
Three J’s Industries, hosted plant tours. While having
the opportunity to showcase their company they provided
education in allowing guests to observe processes
firsthand. Learning more about our industry through
tours has always been a helpful tool for broadening
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE
one’s fastener education.
The Marriott Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire IL was this
year’s venue for several of the events. The location
provided an all-in-one spot creating less travel and a
central location to meet industry friends after events.
Tuesday, August 22nd was a busy day beginning
with a 4-hour Print Reading Seminar taught by Sean
Collis Quality Lab Manager of Metallurgent Test Lab.
Record attendance and Sean’s teaching made the
class informative as well as fun providing a wealth of
information to the students.
Later that morning, FSTNR Week hosted a panel
discussion on artificial intelligence featuring Brandi
Bertoia- INxSQL Software, Lyndon Lattie-SmartCert, Eric
Dudas-Fully Threaded Radio, and Jason Therrien-Thunder
Tech. With AI being a huge buzz word in most industries
these days it makes sense to make yourself aware of
the pros and cons and where you can best utilize AI.
Attendance was an indicator of everyone’s curiosity
regarding AI.
The show opened at 1:00pm and featured over 100
exhibitors, from across the country, providing various
fastener products, industry services, software, and
more. The show was busy throughout the day with a
great attendance keeping exhibitors busy. Exhibitors
commented on the many decision makers and new
potential customers they were able to visit with throughout
the day. At 5:00pm the Retro 80’s Fastener Bash opened
on the show floor allowing exhibitors to continue meeting
with attendees in a more social environment.
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