Reflecting on 40 Years of Fastener Distribution

To our community of customers, vendors, colleagues, and friends,

Hard for me to believe it, but Blue Ribbon Fastener is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year. Today, I’m reflecting on the incredible work our team has done over these past four decades to consistently provide value to North American OEMs.

When I founded this company in 1985, businesses communicated by mail, fax machines, and rotary phones. We operated from a small corner of a warehouse owned by my father, Lionel Nathan, president of Industrial Supply Company. From the start, it was important to me that we establish a few fundamental business principles:
 

• Conduct business with a service-first attitude
• Maintain a meticulous attention to detail
• Prioritize the right decision over the profitable one
• Appreciate how even the tiniest parts can have a tremendous impact in manufacturing success

As we have navigated technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and economic volatility throughout the years, I am proud to say that these core principles have not changed. Though we now use email, the iPhone 16, and artificial intelligence, we have remained unwavering in our mission to provide high-quality products and support to our clients.

But we’ve changed in more ways than simply upgrading our technology. We opened our own building in Skokie, IL in 2003 and have significantly expanded our product lines. We not only distribute standard fasteners like nuts, bolts, and screws; we now offer electronic hardware, cabinet hardware, data center components, and value-added services such as painting, plating, polybagging, and VMI.

We’ve also increased our focus on building strong vendor partnerships. Today, we work with more than 500 suppliers, both domestic and foreign.

And now my son, Robert Nathan, plays a major role in the business. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience in logistics and distribution and has championed an initiative to evolve Blue Ribbon Fastener into a supply chain intelligence company. While we will continue to focus on high-quality order fulfillment, we’ve built a team with the logistics experience and drive to provide so much more measurable value. We now have the capacity to optimize the entire fastener supply chain for our clients, systematically pinpointing areas where they can buy better, move products more efficiently, and continuously improve performance.
 
The past 40 years have taught us a lot, and many of those lessons have come from you. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication and feedback. Without you, we would never have come this far. Thank you for your continued confidence in Blue Ribbon Fastener. It has truly been an honor working with you and I’m looking forward to the future together.

Sincerely,
Wally Nathan
President

---

A Look Back in Time

What else happened in 1985?

• Michael Jordan was named NBA Rookie of the Year
• The Chicago Bears had arguably the greatest NFL team of all time.
• Major technological advancements included the first portable CD player, the first commercially available graphic calculator, the first Internet domain name, and the first version of Microsoft Windows.
• The Super Mario Bros game was introduced by Nintendo.
• Major political events included the beginning of Ronald Reagan's second term, the selection of Mikhail Gorbachev as the new leader of the Soviet Union, and a meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev.
• Queen, U2, Madonna, Led Zeppelin and more artists rocked out at Live Aid, raising over $70 million for famine victims in Ethiopia.
• Back to the Future, The Goonies, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Breakfast Club were all released.