May 11, 2021
Founded by Bob Kierlin back in 1967, the US-based company that started as a small business selling fasteners has exploded into a 20,000 worldwide workforce with 10 manufacturing facilities, as well as thousands of branches offering more than 750,000 available manufacturing items. Despite an unfathomable product range, with unsurpassed availability, it is the 10 manufacturing sites with more than 500 staff that sets Fastenal apart from its competitors. With more than 200 staff, the largest manufacturing site is located at the company’s headquarters in Winona, Minnesota, which is also home to two Vollmer circular saw blade sharpening machines. The story behind Fastenal’s decision to buy two Vollmer machines starts back in the 1980s when the company first started manufacturing and modifying fasteners for its customer base. With tens of thousands of fasteners being modified each month in all shapes and…