World News
compiled by Fastener World

Industry Development
China’s Hardware Components Export
Maintains Steady Growth in First 3
Quarters of 2022

五金零組件全球新聞

Jack Lai Now Heads Taiwan Hand Tool
Manufacturers’ Association
賴亮孜執掌台灣手工具公會龍頭

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

2022年前三季中國五金零件行業出口保持平穩增長066

China’s hardware & parts industrial import and export statistics
for the first three quarters of 2022 is out. The data show that the
total export value was at US$ 127.25 billion, an increase of 8.55%,
among which construction hardware parts increased by 22.82%
year-on-year, tool hardware decreased by 1.23%. The total importvalue was US$19.45 million, a decrease of 11.12% year-on-year.
The export value of construction hardware parts was US$41.81
billion, accounting for 32.85% of the total export value of all industries, while the export value of tool hardware parts was US$19.12
billion, accounting for 15.02%. In terms of import, the construction
hardware parts were US$10.88 billion, accounting for 55.93%; thetool hardware parts were US$5.82 billion, accounting for 29.95%.
From a global perspective, the world’s economy seems to benearing stagnation, while prices are rising rapidly. In addition, theincome gap between different economies further widened, resulting
in a lack of international investment momentum. The global economic growth slowdown is obvious, China is facing considerablepressure in the hardware parts industry where it has to maintainstability and increase quality and trade.

On September 2, 2022, Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers’
Association (THTMA) held the 16th member assembly, where
the members reelected new directors, supervisors and president.
General manager Jack Lai (on the right in the image) from Jaco
International Corporation (a hex wrench manufacturer) was
elected the 16th president of the Association.
Taiwan is the world’s second largest hand tool exporting
country with its export value second to China. Hand tools
are one of Taiwan’s critical export industries with over 1,000
domestic hand tool companies and close to 14,000 employees.
Central Taiwan takes up over 70% of the total production value
as Taiwan’s largest hand tool cluster.

Thailand Becomes the Latest EV
Competing Ground
泰國成為電動車競爭最新戰場As t he Sout h Korea n Hy u ndai Motor is en ha nci ng
deployment in Southeast Asia, its opponent BYD from China
is making its way into Thailand to build a new factory, making
Thailand a new ground for the face-off between South Korean
and Chinese EV makers.

HCF World News >>BYD, the second largest EV maker in the world, islocked on the rapid growth of EV market in Southeast
Asia and has decided to invest USD 491 million in its
first overseas plant in Thailand. The plant is expected tolaunch in 2024 and manufacture 150 thousand units per
year. Thailand has set the target to raise the proportionof new EV car sales to 30% by 2030.
In Ma rch 2022, Hyundai launched a pla nt inDeltamas Industrial park in Bekasi. It is Hyundai’s firstmanufacturing plant in ASEAN and manufactures the
new BEV called IONIQ 5.

Optimus Denotes Humanoid
Robots Will be Able to Handle
Screw Fastening
Optimus揭示人型機器人可代勞鎖螺絲Companies Development
Eclatorq Technolgy(Taiwan) Goes Public in
October 2022
數位工具研發製造商數泓科2022十月上櫃Eclatorq Technolgy, the first digital tool maker in Taiwan, grossed NTD
286 million in the first 8 months of 2022, up 8.48% from the same period of
2021. It has been publicly traded on the OTC market since October 6, 2022.
The company’s net profit after tax in the first half of 2022 was NTD
61.04 million, up 1.24 times from the same period of 2021, with the EPS at
NTD 3.18. Eclatorq Technolgy said it would perform better in the second
half of 2022 and could return to a gross profit margin of 50%. The full-yearsales of 2022 could set a new record.
Eclatorq Technolgy has set its target further ahead, crossing over tothe dental and orthopedic industries. They hope to succeed in developinga smart fastening system that can be planted accurately into medical
materials, reduce medical damages, and digitally integrate with the medical
industry, and lead Taiwanese tool industry onto a digitalized and diverse
path as an advanced player.

(Japan) Tange Products Rolls out High Grip
Insert Nut 日本Tange製作所推出高抓力埋入式螺帽

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

September 30, 2022, Elon Musk revealed hishumanoid robot Optimus at Tesla AI Day 2022. He
said humanoid robots so far don’t have a brain, thatthey can’t handle problems on their own and are very
expensive with extremely low value creation. Optimus
in contrast will be extremely powerful and massproduced up to millions of units at a cost below $20,000,
much less than a car. Production is likely to launch in
2023.

068

He said Optimus will initially perform boring or
dangerous tasks including moving materials and partsin Tesla factories or fastening screws to a car with awrench. He predicts the future robots could be used athomes, cook dinners, cut lawns and care for the elderly,
even becoming a mate to humans.
As some of the modern factories are using automatedequipment to counter shortage of labor, humanoid
robots in the future could be the latest option forbusiness owners.

Insert nuts are used
to fastenscrewsand bolts
into resin
product s.
The High
Grip Insert
Nut by Tange
Products increases the area of contact with resin
and therefore doesn’t easily come off from resin.
A major feature is that the company makes the surfaceof High Grip Insert Nuts uneven only by means of stamping, which makes
it easier to mass-produce High Grip Insert Nuts than machined insert nuts.
The Nut has 200% to 300% more pull-out strength and greatly improves
rotational torque. It is made of cod-rolled steel plates and it is toxinfree, cheap and can be used in the automotive and electrical engineering
industries. Currently the company offers M4, M5 and M6 sizes and expects
to sell 500 thousand pieces per month a year later.

Hilti Combines Adhesive Anchor Performancewith Screw Anchor Speed and Simplicity in
Kwik-X Hilti發表Kwik-X錨固系統 整合黏著型
壁虎效能和螺絲壁虎的速度與簡便性
Hilti North America, a global leader providing innovative
tools, technology, software, and services to the commercial
construction industry, introduces the Kwik-X Dual Action
Anchor system, the first of its kind on the market, combining thehigh performance of adhesive anchors and installation speed andsimplicity of screw anchors.

HCF World News >>Reducing multiple steps in the traditional adhesive anchor installation process, Kwik-X reduces costly man hours
and jobsite expenses. Kwik-X can reduce installation time by up to 70% and save up to 20% in total cost of installation
when compared to traditional adhesive anchoring systems.
“Contractors can save time and money by reducing the complexity of installation with the Kwik-X. Leading up to a
4x faster installation over traditional adhesive anchors and combined with Hilti’s industry-leading expertise, thereby
reducing labor costs and helping deliver peace of mind to a jobsite,” said Rafael Santos, Senior Director of the Hilti
North America Fastening and Protection Business.
Comprised of the convenient Kwik-X pre-portioned adhesive capsule and Kwik HUSEZ screw anchor, the system provides the necessary performance for safety-criticalapplications. It reduces the number of steps in the installation process, such as hole cleaning,
curing time, and dispensing – eliminating adhesive waste and the need for accessories likebrushes, air compressors, and dispensers. This simplicity results in increased productivity
by reducing the risk of human error. Additional features such as high performance in realjobsite conditions and the capability to remove and reinstall the anchor in the same borehole
help cater to the needs of the installer. These factors help save contractors time and money.

Henkel Consumer
Brands Rewards
Suppliers for
Outstanding
Contributions

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

五金黏著劑大廠Henkel首度頒發傑出供應商貢獻獎

070

For the first time, Henkel’s newly
established business unit Henkel
Consumer Brands recognized its
top suppliers for their industryleading performance in 2022 with
an award ceremony. The event took
place at the American Cleaning
Institute Convention in Orlando,
Florida, on January 30 with morethan 200 registered participants.
The top partners were awardedin three categories: BASF washonored with the “SustainabilityAward”. Novozymes, In nospec
and Firmenich received each a“ Best I n novation Cont r ibutor
Award”. The winner of the “Supply
Resilience Award” was Symrise.
Bertrand Conquéret, President
Global Supply Chain and SeniorVice P resident P u rchasingat Hen kel, welcomed therepresentatives of more than 30
major suppliers together with Frank
Meyer, Sen ior Vice P resident
Global R&D Henkel Consumer
Brands. They opened the ceremony
with a review of 2022 achievements
a n d a n ove r v i ew o f t h e n ew
bu si n e ss a p p r oa ch of He n kel
C o n s u m e r Br a n d s. S e b a s t i a n
Schauten, Vice President Global
P u rchasi ng Hen kel Con su mer
Bra nds, i nt roduce d t he newly
designed Sustainovation Partnering
Program of the business unit.

HCF World News >>Simpson Strong-Tie Wins 2022 Pro Tool Innovation Awards
Simpson Strong-Tie榮獲2022專業工具創新獎
Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, hasreceived two Pro Tool Innovation Awards (PTIA) — the first in the Attachments Drills/Drivers
category for its Quik Drive PROHSD75 Wood-to-Steel solution and the second in the Metal Screws
category for its Strong-Drive TF Wood-to-Steel screws. The awards are judged by a diverse panel ofprofessional tradespeople as well as media sponsor judges (all of whom make up a team with decades of experience handling, operating
and/or testing hundreds of tools, accessories and fasteners each year).
The Quik Drive PROHSD75 Wood-to-Steel solution is a fast, reliable, and ergonomic fastening system for wood-to-steel applications.
It is designed to boost efficiency and performance while providing the perfect combination of speed and ease for many jobs that require
attaching wood to steel — from truck and trailer beds to high-paced manufacturing environments and beyond.
The Strong-Drive TF Wood-to-Steel screws are designed for performance and productivity in high-paced environments and eliminate
the need to predrill, installing 26%
faster than traditional predrill and handdrive methods. Applications include
wood-to-steel attachments such as on
trailer floors, trailer walls, truck beds,
mezzanines, nailers, and trimmers forsteel buildings.

Klein Tools Named an
Energage 2023 Top
Workplace

Klein Tools, a family-owned andma naged ha nd tools ma nu fact u rer,an nounces it is a win ner of a 2023
To p Wo r k p l a c e s U SA awa r d t h a t
focuses solely on feedback captured by
employees. The Top Workplaces USA
program is built on nearly two decadesof su r veyi ng more t ha n 20 million
employees across 54 markets.
“We are committed to maintaining
a strong culture and people-focused
approach at Klein, so we are honored tocontinue to be named a top workplaceby ou r ver y ow n employe es,” sa id
David Klein, Vice President of Human
Resources at Klein Tools. “Everyone
here, from the people on the ground of
our facilities testing and creating ourtools all the way to our senior leadership,
has contributed to our company culture
and pride in ways we never could haveimagined.”

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

Klein Tools
入選2023美國Energage
最佳工作場域獎

071

HCF World News >>Top Work plac es USA of fer s n ation a l re cog n ition for la rge
organizations, those with more than 150 employees, and those that may
have operations in multiple markets. Several thousand organizations
across the country were invited, and more than 1,100 participated in
the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA
list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an
employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. Results are calculated
by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15
Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against
industry benchmarks.

Stanley Black &Decker Appoints
Patrick Hallinan
CFO
Stanley Black &Decker任命Patrick
Hallinan為新財務長

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

Stanley Black & Decker
announced the appointmentof Pat r ick Halli na n to
Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer,
effective April 6. Hallinan,
who succeeds interim CFO
Corbin Walburger, will report to Donald Allan Jr., President and CEO of
Stanley Black & Decker. Walburger will resume his previous role as Vice
President of Business Development.

072“After a rigorous search, I am pleased to welcome Patrick to the
Stanley Black & Decker team. Patrick is a seasoned executive who has led
global, high performing finance functions across top consumer brands.
He has a deep track record of delivering business performance, growthand value creation in complex, competitive industries,” said Allan. “Ilook forward to partnering with him as we execute our transformation
to streamline and optimize the company around our core businesses andstrong portfolio of global brands. On behalf of the Board and management
team, I want to thank Corbin for his valuable service stewarding thefinance organization through this critical period for our Company.”“I’m honored to be joining Stanley Black & Decker, the worldwide
leader in tools and outdoor, at such a pivotal moment. Having long
followed the Company, I have tremendous respect for this leadership teamand the transformation that is already progressing rapidly,” said Hallinan.
“The Company’s iconic portfolio of brands, as well as its highlyengineered and growing industrial business, provide a strong foundation
for long-term, profitable growth and value generation.”

Hallinan received a bachelor’s degree in Economics
from Northwestern University and an MBA in Financeand Accounting, with honors, from the University of
Chicago.

NORMA Group Receives Major
Order for Joining Solutions
in Electric Cars
美國NORMA集團
取得電動車廠緊固產品大單NORMA Group has won
a new major order for joining
solutions in electric vehicles.
From July 2023 until 2030, NORMA Group will equip
several of the customer’s battery-electric premium
models with hose connectors, hose adapters and quickconnectors. The order has a total volume of around
EUR 34.6 million.
CEO Dr. Michael Schneider: “In our strategic
busi ness u n it ‘Mobi lit y a nd New Energ y’, we
consistently focus on t he requi rements of ou r
customers. With our experience as a development
partner and our certified production standards, weare very well positioned to support our customers intheir technological transition towards emission-freemobility.”
NOR M A G r o u p’s c o n n e c t io n p r o d u c t s a r e
installed in cooling water lines and are used to cool
various units in the vehicle, including the battery.
The hose connectors and quick connectors have beenpart of NORMA Group’s portfolio for many years.
Development engineers at NORMA Group specially
adapted them for this order in cooperation with thecustomer.
The joining products are manufactured at NORMAGroup’s plants in Maintal, Germany, and in Pilica,
Poland. Some of the parts include a temperature sensor
in order to ensure optimal operating temperature. In
order to meet the increased demand, NORMA Groupis investing in injection molding production at theMaintal site, in new assembly machines for quickconnectors and in training employees.

Acme Tools Has Been Awarded Best Online Shops 2023

Acme Tools入選2023美國新聞週刊最佳線上商鋪

Acme Tools, a leading authorized online retailer of tools and equipment, has been
awarded on Newsweek’s list of Best Online Shops 2023. This prestigious award ispresented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry
ranking provider. Acme Tools was recognized as a top place to shop online in the DIY,
Tools and Supplies category. The awards list was recently announced and can currently
be viewed on Newsweek’s website.

HCF World News >>The Best Online Shops 2023 were identified after passing a number of tests based on 51
objective and subjective criteria. Newsweek and Statista performed detailed testing of each
online shop and conducted a nationwide survey of over 6,000 American online shoppers.
Survey participants were asked to evaluate online shops on Trust & Security, Structure& Usability, Payment, Purchase & Delivery, Service & Communication, Technical
Performance and Likelihood of Purchase. From thousands of online retailers evaluated,
only 1,000 have been awarded in eight industries and 39 different categories.

Grainger Named One of the2023 Fortune ‘World’s Most
Admired Companies™’
Grainger獲選2023美國財富雜誌
全球最受尊崇企業之一“I want to congratulate our entire e-commerce team for earning this award and thankour online customers for their business and positive evaluations,” said Shawn Herrick,e-commerce division manager at Acme Tools.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Acme Tools was founded in 1948 in Grand Forks, N.D.,
and today is an omnichannel premier retailer of tools and equipment with 10 retail storesin North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, and a leading authorized online retailer offering
more than 95,000 products online at AcmeTools.com.

G r a i n g e r, t h e l e a d i n g b r o a d l i n e
distributor of maintenance, repair ando p e r a t i n g ( M RO) p r o d u c t s s e r v i n gbusinesses and institutions, announced it
ranked No. 1 among diversified wholesalers
on Fortune magazine’s 2023 list of theWorld’s Most Admired Companies™ for the
10th consecutive year.

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023“Each day, Grai nger’s 26,0 0 0 tea mmembers are resolute in fulfilling our
purpose, We Keep The World Working®,
to make sure our customers have what theyneed to get their jobs done,” said Grainger
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer D.G.
Macpherson. “Earning the top spot as themost-admired company in our categoryfor 10 years in a row demonstrates ourunwavering commitment to focusing on whatmatters, contributing to our communities
and supporting our fellow team members.”

074

The For tune World’s Most Admired
Companies list is based on an annual survey
given to top executives, directors andfinancial analysts. This year, 645 companies
in 52 industries were surveyed. To select andrank the World’s Most Admired Companies,
cor porate reputation and perfor mance
were measured against nine key attributes:
innovation, people management, use of
corporate assets, social responsibility,
quality of management, financial soundness,long-term investment, quality of products
and services, and global competitiveness.

ToughBuilt Announces
Innovative New Line ofPliers and Clamps
ToughBuilt發表創新螺絲鉗

ToughBuilt Industries, Inc. announced thelaunch of its new line of pliers and clamps.
The new line, comprised of more than 40
SKUs, will be made available for purchasethrough leading US home improvement

HCF World News >>retailers and across ToughBuilt’s growing strategic networks of North American and global trade partners and buying groups, servicing
over 18,900 storefronts and online portals worldwide.
ToughBuilt’s new line is designed for a strong global professional hand tools market, projected to grow from US$21.2 billion in 2020 to
US$31.8 billion by 2030, according to a 2022 market research report. The new SKUs include linesman pliers, long nose and slip joint pliers,
end nippers, cutters, wire strippers, locking pliers, C-clamps, tongue and groove and V-Jaw pliers.
Co-Founder and CEO of ToughBuilt, Michael Panosian, commented, “The launch of over 40 new hand tool SKUs in the Pliers andClamps segment is poised to open new revenue opportunities for the company.” Panosian continued, “We are continuing to solidify
ToughBuilt’s position within the hand tools market, and we plan to continue expanding our product offerings throughout 2023 and beyond.”

MSC Industrial Supply Co. Acquires Buckeye Industrial
Supply Co. and Tru-Edge Grinding Inc.
MSC Industrial Supply Co. 併購Buckeye Industrial Supply Co.
和Tru-Edge Grinding Inc.
MSC I N DUST R I A L SU PPLY CO.,a premier distributor of Metalworking
and Maintenance, Repair and Operations
supplies to industrial customers throughout
Nor th America, an nounced that it has
acquired Buckeye Industrial Supply Co., an
independent metalworking distributor basedin Columbus, Ohio, and Tru-Edge GrindingInc., a St. Henry, Ohio-based custom tool
manufacturer.

Founded in 1947, Buckeye primarily
serves the planned metalworking needsof large manufacturers. MSC plans tobuild on Buckeye’s technical, high-touch
relationships and value-added services byoffering customers access to its 2 millionplus product portfolio to support their full
metalworking and MRO needs as well
as d r ive eCom merce revenue t h roughmscdirect.com.
Tr u - E d ge G r i n d i n g b r i n g s n ew
capabilities in tool manufacturing to MSC.
Fou nde d i n 1996, Tr u-E dge op erat es
a manufacturing/regrind facility in St.
Henry, Ohio and an indexable tool repair
shop in Dayton, Ohio. A large part of TruEdge’s business is focused on designingand producing tools from scratch, with astrong focus on the automotive and medical
markets. Tru-Edge will serve as MSC’scenter of excellence for engineering anddesign and will join forces with MSC’s
existing regrinding business to support
manufacturing customers in the Midwest.
Tru-Edge’s highly technical, value-added
services will support MSC’s effort to drive
cost savings for customers.

Hardware & Fastener Components - no.57/2023

Buckeye and Tr u-Edge a re sepa ratecompanies with shared ownership. Under
the purchase agreement, Buckeye and TruEdge will continue to operate under theircurrent names as MSC companies. The twocompanies had combined estimated revenueof US$28 million in 2022 and they have 80
associates.

075