The National Fastener Distributors Association is pleased to announce the 2018 recipient of its Fastener Professional of the Year award is Jim Ruetz of AIS (Franksville, Wisconsin).

The Fastener Professional of the Year award was created by NFDA to honor individuals and companies that make a substantial positive impact on people’s lives. The inaugural award in 2017 was presented to Robbie Gilchrist of Capital Marketing (High Point, North Carolina).

The National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) has awarded three scholarships for Fastener Training Week, an advanced fastener technical training program produced by the Fastener Training Institute.

• Brian Goolie,inside sales/customer service, Empire Bolt & Nut, Spokane, Washington
• Laura Lamanna, engineering/quoting, Buckeye Fasteners, Cleveland, Ohio
• David Pawletki, senior applications engineer, Shamrock International, Itasca, Illinois

Applicants were evaluated based on the recommendation from their employer, personal achievements, work experience, and an essay. Identifying information was redacted so that the team evaluating the applications did not know the names or employers of those applying.

The National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) has awarded six scholarships for Fastener Training Week, an advanced fastener technical training program produced by the Fastener Training Institute.

• Alexander Broadworth, Mid-States Bolt & Screw (Flint, Michigan)
• Dan Fordham, NSK Industries (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio)
• Danette Gralfs, Empire Bolt & Screw (Spokane, Washington)
• Megan Somers, Mid-States Bolt & Screw (Flint, Michigan)
• Chris Trifari, Fastener Supply Company (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Applicants were evaluated based on the recommendation from their employer, personal achievements, work experience, and an essay. Identifying information was redacted, so that the team evaluating the applications did not know the names or employers of those applying.

National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA) and Caliper, a New Jersey-based firm that helps businesses to select talent and develop their workforces, have announced a business partnership designed to make personnel decisions – from hiring to succession planning – more seamless and precise for association members.

Through the relationship, Caliper will support association members with their hiring and employee-development solutions. Specifically, NFDA members will receive exclusive access to, and discounts on, Caliper’s pre-employment assessment tools and other services that have been shown to align talent with strategy, hire better people faster, and develop leaders, teams and mission-critical employees.