STAFDA hosts record-breaking trade show
by Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 11/14/2007 5:43:00 AM
The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Assn. hosted its largest trade show ever last week as part of its 31st Annual Convention & Trade Show. The event took place Nov. 4-6 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville and drew more than 5,300 attendees.Though turnout fell short of last year’s record-breaking attendance of more than 6,000 in Las Vegas, convention planners focused on the strong trade show, which featured nearly 1,000 booths and many new exhibitors—more than 200 of the 968 booths did not exhibit at last year’s show, according to STAFDA’s executive director, Georgia Foley.
One such company was Kennedy Manufacturing, a maker of industrial tool storage equipment. A longtime member of the Industrial Supply Assn., Kennedy Manufacturing was both a new STAFDA member and first-time exhibitor in Nashville. Walter Surface Technologies was another new exhibitor that fell outside STAFDA’s traditional realm; the company makes abrasives, chemical tools and systems.
The show also included some well-known new distributor members, who years ago may have been considered outside of STAFDA’s focus: Sonepar USA, Windsor Factory Supply Ltd. and MSC Industrial Direct have all joined STAFDA since 2006. Bearings and power transmission house Motion Industries joined STAFDA this year, but was not represented at the meeting.
This year’s attendees were further proof a growing trend in STAFDA membership over the last few years. Though construction remains the focus of most members, 30 percent of STAFDA companies sell to the industrial market as well. The blurring of the lines of trade in STAFDA’s ranks mirrors that of the larger industrial distribution community, as distributors and manufacturers seek to broaden their reach in serving the North American marketplace.
Foley put it plainly when she spoke to ID earlier this fall as the convention planning was underway.
“STAFDA is fortunate, because with manufacturer members serving over 35 different product lines and distributors selling into a variety of markets, our members don’t serve a homogenous channel and can weather economic slowdowns by shifting to a more profitable business sector,” Foley said.
There are no other articles related to this article.Talkback
Related Content
Related Content
Sponsored Links
View All Blogs
