The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Assn. hosted its largest trade show ever last month as part of its 31st Annual Convention & Trade Show. The event was held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Nov. 4-6 and drew more than 5,300 atendees.

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 last year, according to STAFDA's executive director, Georgia Foley.

One such company was industrial tool storage equipment maker Kennedy Manufacturing, a first-time attendee in Nashville and one of several companies that may have been considered outside of STAFDA's focus just a few years ago. Abrasives, chemical tools and systems manufacturer Walter Surface Technologies was another such first-timeexhibitor.

Both companies serve as examples of STAFDA's diverse member base. Long considered solely a construction group, STAFDA is made up of distributors and manufacturers that serve construction and industrial markets.

“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 told ID earlier this fall in the run-up to the convention.

Indeed, this year's STAFDA show included some well-known new distributors from the electrical and industrial side of the business: Sonepar USA, Windsor Factory Supply Ltd. and MSC Industrial Direct have all joined STAFDA since 2006. Power transmission giant Motion Industries joined the association this year, though the company was not represented in Nashville.

Despite the diverse markets served by STAFDA members, officials focused on the construction economy in their state-of-the-industry reports, citing the slowdown in residential housing nationwide and upcoming opportunities in commercial construction and residential remodeling.

STAFDA president Greg Drouillard of Target Building Materials in Windsor, Ontario, pointed to strong renovation, office construction and infrastrucure markets in the United States and Canada. In particular, he said, there are 74,000 U.S. bridges in need of repair.

Columbus McKinnon Corp.'s Tim Tevens delivered the manufacturer state-of-the-industry report, also pointing to worldwide infrastructure building and rebuilding as potential opportunities and noting growth in rental markets. He said the use of rental tools is expected to increase 40 percent by 2015.

Other STAFDA highlights included a keynote speech by Chris Gardner, subject of the recent movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith; the Technology & Consultant's Fair, offering one-on-one consultations with STAFDA consultants and technology vendors; six industry workshops; and a private concert by country music star Martina McBride at the Grand Ole Opry House.

STAFDA heads to Denver next year for its 32nd Annual Convention & Trade Show, Nov. 9-11, 2008.