Fastener Solutions – Top People – Big Growth

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A Few Good People
Christopher George, President of Fastener Solutions, Inc. is looking for a few good people. The company, which he started in a garage in 1996, has experienced nearly 35% compounded annual growth. When asked what he attributes this remarkable growth to, he said, “We have always searched for and hired the very best people. If I find someone who can prove their performance in our company, their reward can easily be the opportunity to open a branch for us. Effectively, they can operate like they are running their own business, but still have the infrastructure and support offered by being part of a larger company. We are always looking for the best people to join us. Although we are headquartered in New Jersey, geography is no obstacle. We are constantly searching for new markets.”

Sense Of Urgency
Since their inception they focused on taking care of customers with intensity that is unmatched. Chris stated, “We try to approach every order like it’s an opportunity to win or lose a customer. If everyone shares that sense of urgency, we know that even if things don’t go perfectly, the customer will know they can count on us.”

Managing Growth With A Strong Foundation
Chris stated, “Managing our growth has been a challenge, especially before we had strong foundation for operations. When we started we were hand writing purchase orders, typing up invoices and tracking our inventory by eye. We moved to Quickbooks after a year or 2, but quickly learned it could not support the kind of inventory control we needed. In 1999 with Y2K looming we invested what we considered to be a significant amount of money in a vertical market fastener system. We selected that system because it was just $4,000 less than the The Business Edge, which we were also considering… Our launch with the other system in 2000 was so bad that we had to start over with them in 2002.We struggled along for another couple of years before admitting we had made a mistake. Even though it was supposed to be a “fastener system” it was sorely lacking in the areas of inventory, accounting and operations. We should have invested in the better system first and gone with Computer Insights.”

The Business Edge Made a Huge Difference
Chris continued, “Finally, we did. In 2006 we installed The Business Edge. It finally gave us the strong foundation for operations that we needed. In depth training, data importing and the same kind of intense support that we offer, helped us off to quick start. We quickly found that the system is superior in every way. Beyond that, the people at computer insights were real fastener specialists themselves. They were willing and able to help us to customize the system to the way we did business.”

Streamlining Operations
Chris said, “Creating Purchase Orders directly from inside a Sales Order allowed us to shorten the time needed to create a Purchase Order, as well as eliminate 100% of the mistakes created when a buyer bought the wrong item. We also worked with computer insights to get Vendor Purchase Order information to print on a Customer’s Pick Ticket. This allows our warehouse to get a jump start on an order and pick all stock. When goods come in from a vendor they are more easily routed to those Sales Orders. Those already started orders are then ready to move out more quickly. In the first year of using The Business Edge, our procedures and processes became so focused and streamlined that were able to open our 2nd branch, something that we had wanted to do for years.”

Branches Based On Market Opportunities
Chris is excited about the ease of replicating his company’s processes wherever the market looks ripe. He explained, “The Business Edge allows us to easily add a branch to our system. Because we are duplicating what we are already doing it is much easier. The Business Edge allows a user in New Jersey to service customers in Louisiana, by seeing their inventory and entering orders. This gives a small new branch with limited resources the help that it needs to grow into a thriving company.”

Second, Third And Fourth Branches
Chris said, “Our next branch in Ohio took just 4 years to open, and our most recent in Houston just 3 years. We’ve been able to shorten the time needed to open new branches because The Business Edge has helped us mirror the procedures across multiple offices. In addition, our salespeople can help customers supported by any branch. This gives each company a larger sales force. Also the support from experienced people in more mature branches has helped us spread knowledge and training to the newer branches.”

Secondary Processes
Many of Fastener Solutions customers require secondary processing to be performed on their parts. When asked about this, Chris said, “The Business Edge, handles all of these with ease. The system has a complete Processing Purchasing module to enable us to manage all these details. The PPO’s are integral to keeping our inventory accurate.”

“It just goes on and on, the Automatic Replenishment System allows us to send off multiple Requests for Quote from a Sales Order with a few clicks on the keyboard. The transfer system allows us to move material from branch to branch effortlessly.”

Consignment Inventory
Chris said, “The Consignment branches allow us to manage our inventory at our customers’ facilities. This offers our customers more product on hand and lower inventory costs. We are able to free up very valuable shelf space in our warehouse. We have to hold inventory to support a customer somewhere. Why keep it in our warehouse when we can keep it with the customer and free up shelf space in house? Since we have an air-tight system, we always know the exact status of the remote inventory and we can offer the customer premier service; that’s what we are all about.”

This article appeared in Distributor’s Link Magazine, Winter 2015

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