SPRING 2024

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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
7737 Ellington Place, Mentor, OH 44060
TEL 440-975-9503 FAX 440-350-1676 EMAIL lgraham@ncfaonline.com WEB www.ncfaonline.com
OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
by Mike Robinson - NCFA President
As the winter shadows retreat, we bring you news
as bright and promising as Punxsutawney Phil’s weather
forecast: NCFA’s lineup for 2024 is nothing short of
spectacular.
First let me introduce our 2024 Board of Directors:
Mike Robinson (Vertex) – President
John Kovatch (AFC Industries) – Vice President
Ken Graham (OFG) - Treasurer
Kim Arnold (Brighton-Best International) –Secretary
Dave Audia (Huyett)
Jackie Ventura (Ventura Industrial Products)
Kurt Triptow (Endries International)
Marty Nolan (R.L. English)
Laura Vath (Solution Industries)
Gary Graham (OFG)
Krista Osborne (Brighton-Best International)
Joe Shoemaker (Marketing Consultant)
Vince Dimora (Wurth Industries)
Diana Barnes (Earnest Machine)
This already strong board got even better this year with
the addition of Diana Barnes from Earnest Machine. If you
see any of these individuals throughout the year be sure to
thank them for volunteering their time for our association
and helping make all of our events successful ones!
2024 marks the 15th Annual NCFA Distributor Social!
A little over 15 years ago, Marty Nolan and his band of
merry fastener aficionados were on a quest for something
“different.” They brainstormed the essentials…
1) We all like to talk, tell stories, and network. Check
2) We all enjoy a nice cold drink, whether it’s a
coke, beer, or bourbon. Check
3) Everyone enjoys some good food. Check
4) Hmm…other fastener people?
Then it hit him (like the Hall of Fame brick with his
name engraved in it), we should have a Social! Let’s call
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE
it the NCFA Distributors Social. It will be in a big room, no
tabletops, no pop-ups, just fastener people and a bar with
cold drinks! Little did they know that this “Social” would
evolve into a legendary event, growing more successful
and better attended with each passing year..
This year, as you all have heard by now, we are
hosting our 15th Annual NCFA Distributor Social on May
21st, which is the Tuesday before the first day of Fastener
Fair USA. We are changing our venue to celebrate our
15th anniversary and hosting the Distributor Social on the
Goodtime III cruise ship right in downtown Cleveland. This
boat can hold up to 1,000 people, has 4 different levels for
us to network, and of course we will hold true to our roots
and have several bars for you to get that cold drink.
This ship is docked directly behind the Rock-n-Roll
Hall of Fame, and you will have a beautiful Cleveland
Skyline as a backdrop. We are going to begin boarding
the ship promptly at 5:30pm on May 21st and it will be
leaving the dock shortly after that for a two-and-a-halfhour
cruise that will take you out on Lake Erie and up
and down the Cuyahoga River. Stay ahead of the tide—
register early on our website and let the 15th Annual NCFA
Distributor Social be the highlight of your Fastener Fair
USA experience.
This is just the beginning of our NCFA Events in 2024!
Get ready to mark your calendars for the anticipated
return of the Night at the Ballpark on August 1st, Screw
Open on September 5th, the spectacular Holiday Bash
(date TBA), and some new events that we are finalizing
the details on. These gatherings promise to surpass
expectations, offering bigger, bolder, and more engaging
experiences compared to previous years.
For more information on the NCFA, please visit our
website www.ncfaonline.com or contact our office at
440-975-9503.
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION