May 22 & 23, 2024
Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland | Cleveland, OH

Four New Members Join Fastener Fair USA

Tom Buddenbohn at EFC International; Marty Nolan at RL English; and Robbie Gilchrist, with Capital Marketing join, while George Hunt III at Brighton Best succeeds Rosa Hearn as board member.

Three new members have joined the Fastener Fair USA Advisory Board: Tom Buddenbohn, a business development manager at EFC International; Marty Nolan at RL English; and Robbie Gilchrist, Sales & Marketing Consultant with Capital Marketing. In addition, George Hunt III at Brighton Best succeeds his colleague Rosa Hearn as board member.

The FF USA Advisory Board provides advice and direction to Fastener Fair USA on programming and strategies. Members help guide planning for the 2020 Fastener Fair USA, running May 18-20 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. www.fastenerfairusa.com

Tom Buddenbohn, based at EFC International [https://www.efc-intl.com/] in Arlington, TX, received his Bachelor Degree in Economics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham/Madison, NJ. Specializing in Rivetnuts and Blind Riveting Business Development, Buddenbohn joined EFC following its acquisition of Technology Components Southwest (TCS). He also operated Budd Sales Co., and before that was Senior Sales Manager for Central Industrial and Avdel Fasteners.  EFC International is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified, premier global provider of specialty engineered fasteners including plastic injection molded parts, spring steel stamped fasteners, hose clamps, panel fasteners, routing components and a vast breadth of numerous other engineered components.

Robbie Gilchrist, based in Charlotte, NC, has specialized in fastener and industrial distribution for approximately 48 years. He began his career as a warehouse employee for a local distributor in 1972 and worked his way to General Manager before leaving in 1985 to form Capital Fasteners, sold in 1999 to Questron Distribution Logistics. Under his direction Questron grew to $10 million, 70-employee operation with four locations before being sold, when he left to form Capital Consulting and Capital Marketing. After Questron was sold to General Electric in 2002, Gilchrist consulted with GE for 12 months to bring GE management into the fastener business. He is Past President of the Southeastern Fastener Association; past board member and committee chair of the National Fastener Distributors Association. 

Marti Nolan is President of R.L. English Co. [https://rlenglish.com/], a manufacturer's rep agency based near Cleveland, covering Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia. R.L. English was founded in 1956, and Nolan joined the company in 1985. In 1992, he was named President of the organization and now run the agency. R.L. English specialties include fasteners and cutting tools, its primary lines. “We pride ourselves on being a blue-collar agency and our best days are when we are face to face with our customers,” Nolan says. He is an active member of the North Coast Fastener Association (NCFA) board and has served as president for several years. Nolan is currently the NCFA representative on the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC) board where he serves as chairman.

George Hunt III is the Regional Manager at Brighton-Best International, for the Cleveland/Akron area. He has been with Brighton-Best since October 2004, when he became a territory sales manager, before being named Regional Manager in May 2009. . Prior to that, for eight years he was with Brighton-Best Socket Screw Manufacturing Inc. He has a BS in Business Manager and MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.  Brighton-Best International [http://www.brightonbest .com/] is the largest supplier of wholesale fasteners in North America, providing servicing and distribution since 1925. With 20 U.S. locations and 31 locations globally, Brighton-Best provides fasteners to all aspects of industry including construction, electrical, industrial and OEM applications.

Other members on the FF USA Advisory Board include:

  • Sam Underwood, Western Regional Sales Manager for AVK Industrial Supply
  • Lori Coar, President, Aluminum Fastener Supply Company
  • Michael Armbruster, Midwest Sales& Marketing Manager, Easy Link Industrial Co.
  • Larry Kelley, Business Development Manager, Buckeye Fasteners Company
  • Baron Wayne Yarbrough, Director of Sales, Spring Bolt & Nut Manufacturing
  • Laura Vath, Controller, Solutions Industries
  • Bob Chiricosta, Event Director, Fastener Fair USA 
  • Randy Field, Group Vice President, Reed Exhibitions

About Fastener Fair USA
Fastener Fair USA is North America’s fastest-growing trade show and conference event for the fastener industry and the manufacturing sectors it serves. Under new management by Reed Exhibitions, this dynamic and productive, this two-day event serves as an important marketplace drawing fastener professionals from every segment and all around the world.

Close to 2,200 fastener professionals participated in Fastener Fair USA 2019 in Detroit, surpassing the 2018 inaugural show in Cleveland. More than 270 exhibitors from 15 countries connected with customers in the aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, construction, energy, and machinery and other industries.

About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is a leading global events organizer, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2018, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions’ events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. With 38 fully staffed offices, Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com.

For information about Fastener Fair USA or to propose a presentation, please contact Bob Chiricosta at [email protected]

For information about exhibiting, please contact Raymond Filbert at [email protected]

Visit www.FastenerFairUSA.com for the latest information on Fastener Fair USA.