Words From a Fastener Expert

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Kevin Greschuk is an unassuming sort of guy, but after 28 years in the fastener business, he has become an invaluable asset to his customers. Kevin decided that if he was going to be in this industry, he would learn as much as possible about it. He wanted to help his customers solve their problems. He figured that if he did, they would give him their business. It turns out that he was right. His customers really count on him.

Listen and Learn

Kevin said, “It’s pretty simple really. I just adopted an approach that I call ‘listen and learn.’ Every customer has something to teach you. If you learn enough things from your customers, you can help other customers solve the same problems. Every customer thinks that they have a unique problem. However, I’ve found that the problems are often quite similar to someone else’s. You can never stop learning. That’s the secret. If you rest on your laurels, you lose.”

Serving Customers Since 1987

Kevin started KD Fasteners with his wife Donna in 1987 under the name KD Fasteners & Marine Supplies. In the early years boat manufacturers comprised much of their customer base. In a short time they expanded their horizons and started to serve a much more diverse market. In 1995 they changed the name to KD Fasteners, Inc., Prior to starting KD Fasteners, Kevin had worked for a fastener importer and he served as General Manager of a fastener distribution company.

The company now serves a broad customer base, including a variety of OEMs and wholesalers. This diversity has given them stability in an ever-changing business market. Kevin said, “We are big on customer service and quality. We pride ourselves on meeting all of our customers’ requirements; good service, quality parts in a timely manner at a fair price.”

Member of the Clean Desk Club

“We are a very tightly organized company,” Kevin continued. “As you look around our place, from our office to our warehouse operation, nothing is out of place, everything is neat. Our desks are clean. We do a day’s work in a day’s time. The only time that we have leftover projects from the day is when our vendors or customers haven’t completed their part of the project. We don’t work overtime. We don’t work weekends. We don’t handle anything twice that can be taken care of in one step.”

Early on, Kevin decided that a solid fastener specific computer system was an important part of running a “tight ship.” He purchased one of the popular “old line” fastener systems in 1993. It helped a lot. As their needs expanded, they found that their system was actually hampering their growth. In 2000 they replaced that system with The Business Edge from Computer Insights.

$500,000 Per Employee

In recent years, KD Fasteners has been able to increase sales at a compounded rate of 20% per year without adding people. They are now selling $500,000 worth of fasteners per employee. Kevin stated, The Business Edge has really helped us to streamline our computer operations. When we switched computer companies in 2000, the new system enabled us to access a vast array of information for our customers in a timely manner. The BUSINESS EDGE enables a company to be efficient and competitive at a reasonable cost.”

He added, “We are able to maintain high accuracy in inventory, order processing, shipping and accounting without having to add stuff. This allows us more time to develop new customers. When we installed The Business Edge we were amazed at how easy it was to work with. We are able to train our employees in hours, not months. We see the system as another of our strategic advantages.

Golf is Important

Kevin is an enthusiastic golfer. He said, “We have a home in Florida and during the winter months, Donna and I are able to do all of our work remotely from there. It’s just like we are in the office. The Business Edge allows us to get away from the cold Chicago winters. I can golf all year. Our customers don’t even know we’re not in the office. With The Business Edge, everything is at our fingertips. All we need is a laptop computer and we can answer any question or handle any problem from anywhere in the world.”

This article appeared in Distributor’s Link Magazine

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