How has business been lately? We're on a fiscal year ending on June 30th. We have had four consecutive years of record-breaking sales and profits. We are anticipating this year to continue the trend.

What do you expect for the remainder of the year? We anticipate another record fiscal year.

What is the best idea you've implemented in the last six months? We continue to focus our attention on our core customers and prune customers that are not profitable.

What is the biggest issue facing distribution today? We focus on vendor-managed inventory for OEM manufacturers. We [have] the responsibility to provide product as it is required, irrespective of forecasts and estimated usage. Our major challenge is to get our supply base in tune with the needs of our customers.

When interviewing potential employees, what is the best question to ask them? Describe what you have done in the past that qualifies you for our position.

If you had unlimited resources, what change would you make in your business? We would expand our current facility and install an updated information system.

What is the most misunderstood aspect of your industry? The difference between adding value and increasing cost to our customers.

If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be? I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing. My entire career of 36 years has been in industrial distribution.

What's your golf handicap? Your favorite course? I don't golf. It requires too much time. I enjoy playing racquetball.

If you could choose someone, living or dead, to have lunch with, who would it be? What Would you ask them? Abraham Lincoln. I would be very interested in asking him about the tough decisions he had to make regarding the Civil War.

Where did you go on your last vacation? Nashville, Tennessee. My wife and I are not big country music fans but we enjoyed the Grand Ole Opry so much we attended twice.

Name a talent you wish you had. I have absolutely no musical talent. I would love to be able to sing.

Don Nowak is vice president of Falcon Metal Corp., www.falconmetal.com, a distributor of fasteners and related products based in Charlotte, N.C. Contact Don at dnowak@falconmetal.com.