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News from the 2008 STAFDA convention
Nearly 4,500 members of the Specialty protect themselves from product liability. "We charges in relation to anti-dumping measures on
Tools & Fastener Distributors Association are the distributor – not the insurer – against nails imported from China.
bucked the economy and attended its 32
nd
all things bad in the universe. No single The current investigation started in May 2007
annual convention in Denver, mid customer is ever so valuable that you should and preliminary determinations stated that nails
November, reports the association’s agree to indemnify them. Ever!" were being dumped from 21.24% to 118%
executive director. below market.
Georgia Foley noted that although But the chilling scenario to Zinman is the
attendance was down this year compared to word "retroactive."
the previous two conventions – Las Vegas (06) "In business and in life we can react to any
and Nashville (07) – those cities historically disaster or any problem as long as we know
always set an attendance record for STAFDA. A what we are dealing with," Zinman said in her
more typical comparison to Denver, she said, STAFDA Associate State of the Industry address.
would be the ’05 Baltimore Convention & In the summer 2009, she explained, the
Trade Show with 4,800 people. To only be Department of Commerce will review nail
down 300 people from Baltimore to Denver, in imports and by the middle of 2010 will
today’s economy, is a more realistic announce preliminary results. Final results
comparison. could be announced as late as 2011 for a
STAFDA elected Hal Look as president for period of January 2008 through July 2009.
2009. He is senior vice-president of marketing "In 2011 we will learn the final duty rate on
& business development for ORCO Construction entries made as far back as three years earlier
Supply, a distributor of building materials, and that dumping duty rate may very well
power tools, and accessories that operates change," Zinman explained. The rate will be
twenty branches throughout California,
Rick Peterson, 2008 STAFDA president
applied retroactively and the process continues
Arizona, and Nevada. Robert Devers, A-Jax annually for at least five years.
Company, Jacksonville, FL, was elected STAFDA Beyond the economic, oil, war and disaster “Nails will already have been sold and in a
vice president. volatilities of the past year, STAFDA faces the roof or drywall or deck and the added cost
The STAFDA Trade Show, open for 12 hours "first nationwide housing crash since the 1930s can't be passed on,” Zinman pointed out.
over two days, featured 881 booths. – and no one knows where it will end," "Just as our industry has experienced the best
John Wolz of
Fastenernews.com, who Peterson observed. STAFDA distributors "will of times we are now struggling through
attended the convention, reports on some of need to shift their sales emphasis to difficult days," Zinman concluded. "But this too
the key issues raised during the event. commercial, industrial and other market shall pass and although its too late to believe
sectors." in fairytale promises that nothing bad will ever
Members need to reinvent themselves "History tells us recessions are frequent and happen it is never too late to believe in the
Today's troubled economy requires short lived before the business cycle self- future and the successes still to come for all of
companies to reinvent themselves, Rick corrects and prosperity returns," Peterson us."
Peterson told delegates in his "Distributor State noted. And, "though weakening," at US$14
of Industry" speech. trillion the U.S. economy "is hardly in a state of
The 2008 STAFDA president, explained how collapse."
his own distributorship has changed since Peterson ended by advocating a "green
All-West Fasteners Inc. opened in 1978 with component to almost every aspect of the
two guys in a sparsely stocked south Seattle business world”. "Going green saves water,
industrial area warehouse. During the 1980s, gas, natural resources and, most importantly,
as “smokestack” customers closed "we re- money," Peterson pointed out.
invented ourselves as a supplier of aircraft
fasteners and military specification hardware,” STAFDA to publish disaster guide
he explained. Later All-West added electronic STAFDA will publish a "What-to-Do-When-a-
hardware as electronics manufacturing Disaster-Strikes-Your-Company" manual,
expanded in the Pacific Northwest. executive director Georgia Foley announced.
Peterson advised distributors to find new From the experiences of Hurricanes Ike and
ways to add value to supply relationships, Katrina STAFDA has recognised a role in acting
citing vendor managed inventory systems as as conduit for supply and buying members to
playing a key role in the company’s growth. maintain contact in the event of a disaster.
He also explained the advantages of non- STAFDA has now asked Mike Foster, disaster
cancellable/nonreturnable agreements. "I planning expert, and Doug Austin of Sentry
originally came from the 'handshake' world Insurance to prepare a manual.
where you could always work out a
compromise if a special order ended up Retroactive anti-dumping duties chilling
gathering dust." But today with so many items to importers
being special, "we learned to protect ourselves Mona Zinman, co-CEO of PrimeSource
by using NCNRs." Peterson advised STAFDA Building Products, told the convention that as the
members to use "terms and conditions" to “importer of record” it could face retroactive
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