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Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs

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uuid00055ac

Namestring
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs
Legal namestring
Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International
Websiteurl
nutsandboltsfoundation.org
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
1970
Descriptiontext

SparkForce, The FMA Foundation—formerly known as Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT)—is the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), a U.S. metalworking and manufacturing industry trade association. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, the foundation operates as a nonprofit, 501(c)-style entity with 51–100 employees. Its stated mission is to inspire, attract, and support individuals—primarily young people—in discovering manufacturing as a career and pursuing relevant training.

The foundation delivers three core programs. First, Summer Manufacturing Camps run at hundreds of host locations across the U.S. each summer, providing middle and high school students with hands-on exposure to advanced manufacturing facilities and high-tech career pathways. Second, Inclusion Manufacturing Camps serve transition-aged individuals with special needs, disabilities, or other barriers to employment, providing practical skills training aimed at long-term manufacturing careers. Third, twice-yearly Scholarships are awarded to students enrolled in manufacturing certification, skills training, or degree programs.

Commercially, SparkForce is a donation-funded nonprofit: programs are delivered free of charge to participants, and revenue is generated from corporate and individual donations, foundation grants (notably an ~$838K award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2023 and a $25K Subway Cares Foundation donation in 2024), and three annual fundraising events—the Processors Auction, GOLF4MFG, and the SparkForce Awards Gala. The foundation operates entirely within the United States and has no disclosed technology product, software platform, or AI capability; its competitive position rests on its affiliation with FMA, its distribution footprint across hundreds of camp locations, and its institutional credibility as a long-standing manufacturing-workforce-development brand.

Short descriptiontext

SparkForce, The FMA Foundation (formerly Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs) is a U.S. nonprofit foundation running hundreds of summer manufacturing camps, inclusion camps for individuals with disabilities, and scholarships to grow the manufacturing workforce, funded by donations, grants, and annual fundraising events.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
51–100
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersElgin, United States
HQ citystring
Elgin
HQ countrystring
United States
HQ regionstring
North America
Markets served

Serves global market

Offices1 record

Each record includes

City, Country, Type, Description, Source

Keyword5 values
manufacturing workforce development, manufacturing summer camps, manufacturing scholarship programs, inclusive manufacturing training, charitable foundation programs
Industry1 code
1Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps
CodeEDAMALAEPrimaryNo
NAICS code2 codes
  • Grantmaking and Giving Services81321
  • Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations813
Product category
Manufacturing Workforce Development
No data
GTM motion1 record

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Donations and Fundraising
TypeProfessional Services
Description

As a charitable foundation, SparkForce operates primarily through donations from individuals, companies, and organizations supporting manufacturing workforce development. The foundation conducts fundraising events including the annual Processors Auction, GOLF4MFG golf event, and SparkForce Awards Gala.

fmamfg.org
Marketing channels5 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels4 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

GTM typeB2C
B2C
Offering typeServices
Services
Core offering1 text field

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (now operating as SparkForce, The FMA Foundation) is the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. It delivers free manufacturing workforce development programs, including summer manufacturing camps for middle and high school students at hundreds of U.S. locations, inclusion camps for transition-aged individuals with disabilities, and twice-yearly scholarships for students pursuing manufacturing certifications, skills training, or degrees. The foundation is funded through donations and annual fundraising events.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Quantifiable outcome1 value
  • Thousands of students exposed to manufacturing careers annually through hundreds of camps across the U.S.
Product overview1 text field

SparkForce (formerly Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs) is a charitable foundation that operates as a unified platform for manufacturing workforce development. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Summer Manufacturing Camps providing hands-on learning for middle and high school students, Inclusion Manufacturing Camps serving individuals with disabilities or barriers to employment, and Scholarships awarded twice yearly for students in manufacturing certification, skills training, or degree programs. The foundation also organizes fundraising events including the SparkForce Awards Gala, GOLF4MFG, and Processors Auction to support its mission of inspiring and supporting individuals in pursuing manufacturing careers.

Product and service1 record
1Summer Manufacturing Camps
Scale indicator2 records

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Partnership3 partners
1Manufacturing Companies (Host Facilities)
Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Manufacturing companies host Summer Manufacturing Camps at their facilities, providing hands-on learning environments and exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies for middle school and high school students.

2Educational Institutions (Schools, Community Colleges)
Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Schools and community colleges serve as camp hosts and program partners, providing facilities and student access for manufacturing education programs and scholarship opportunities.

3Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA)
Strategic tierCoreTypeOthers
Description

SparkForce is the official charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, receiving organizational support, cross-promotion through FMA channels including The Fabricator, FABTECH events, and FMA membership network.

Recent move5 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Market position
Weaknesses4 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Named customers3 records

Each record includes

Name, Industry, Type, Use case, Source, UUID

Segment3 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile4 records

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
No
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds2 records

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors2 records

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs

Manufacturing Workforce Developmentnutsandboltsfoundation.org

SparkForce, The FMA Foundation (formerly Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs) is a U.S. nonprofit foundation running hundreds of summer manufacturing camps, inclusion camps for individuals with disabilities, and scholarships to grow the manufacturing workforce, funded by donations, grants, and annual fundraising events.

What Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs does

SparkForce, The FMA Foundation—formerly known as Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT)—is the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA), a U.S. metalworking and manufacturing industry trade association. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, the foundation operates as a nonprofit, 501(c)-style entity with 51–100 employees. Its stated mission is to inspire, attract, and support individuals—primarily young people—in discovering manufacturing as a career and pursuing relevant training.

The foundation delivers three core programs. First, Summer Manufacturing Camps run at hundreds of host locations across the U.S. each summer, providing middle and high school students with hands-on exposure to advanced manufacturing facilities and high-tech career pathways. Second, Inclusion Manufacturing Camps serve transition-aged individuals with special needs, disabilities, or other barriers to employment, providing practical skills training aimed at long-term manufacturing careers. Third, twice-yearly Scholarships are awarded to students enrolled in manufacturing certification, skills training, or degree programs.

Commercially, SparkForce is a donation-funded nonprofit: programs are delivered free of charge to participants, and revenue is generated from corporate and individual donations, foundation grants (notably an ~$838K award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2023 and a $25K Subway Cares Foundation donation in 2024), and three annual fundraising events—the Processors Auction, GOLF4MFG, and the SparkForce Awards Gala. The foundation operates entirely within the United States and has no disclosed technology product, software platform, or AI capability; its competitive position rests on its affiliation with FMA, its distribution footprint across hundreds of camp locations, and its institutional credibility as a long-standing manufacturing-workforce-development brand.

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs
Legal name
Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International
Website
https://nutsandboltsfoundation.org
Company type
Private
Founded year
1970
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
51–100 employees
Short description
SparkForce, The FMA Foundation (formerly Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs) is a U.S. nonprofit foundation running hundreds of summer manufacturing camps, inclusion camps for individuals with disabilities, and scholarships to grow the manufacturing workforce, funded by donations, grants, and annual fundraising events.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Elgin
HQ country
United States
HQ region
North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs business model

Business model
GTM type
B2C
Offering type
Services

Revenue model

  1. Donations and Fundraising: As a charitable foundation, SparkForce operates primarily through donations from individuals, companies, and organizations supporting manufacturing workforce development. The foundation conducts fundraising events including the annual Processors Auction, GOLF4MFG golf event, and SparkForce Awards Gala.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (now operating as SparkForce, The FMA Foundation) is the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. It delivers free manufacturing workforce development programs, including summer manufacturing camps for middle and high school students at hundreds of U.S. locations, inclusion camps for transition-aged individuals with disabilities, and twice-yearly scholarships for students pursuing manufacturing certifications, skills training, or degrees. The foundation is funded through donations and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

SparkForce (formerly Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs) is a charitable foundation that operates as a unified platform for manufacturing workforce development. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Summer Manufacturing Camps providing hands-on learning for middle and high school students, Inclusion Manufacturing Camps serving individuals with disabilities or barriers to employment, and Scholarships awarded twice yearly for students in manufacturing certification, skills training, or degree programs. The foundation also organizes fundraising events including the SparkForce Awards Gala, GOLF4MFG, and Processors Auction to support its mission of inspiring and supporting individuals in pursuing manufacturing careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

  • Summer Manufacturing Camps

Quantifiable outcome

  • Thousands of students exposed to manufacturing careers annually through hundreds of camps across the U.S.

Companies that use Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

  • Manufacturing Companies (Host Facilities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing companies host Summer Manufacturing Camps at their facilities, providing hands-on learning environments and exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies for middle school and high school students.
  • Educational Institutions (Schools, Community Colleges)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools and community colleges serve as camp hosts and program partners, providing facilities and student access for manufacturing education programs and scholarship opportunities.
  • Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA)coreOthersSparkForce is the official charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, receiving organizational support, cross-promotion through FMA channels including The Fabricator, FABTECH events, and FMA membership network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs

What does Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs do?

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (now operating as SparkForce, The FMA Foundation) is the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. It delivers free manufacturing workforce development programs, including summer manufacturing camps for middle and high school students at hundreds of U.S. locations, inclusion camps for transition-aged individuals with disabilities, and twice-yearly scholarships for students pursuing manufacturing certifications, skills training, or degrees. The foundation is funded through donations and annual fundraising events.

Is Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs a public or private company?

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs founded?

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs was founded in 1970. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs based?

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs is headquartered in Elgin, United States, in the North America region.

How does Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs make money?

One revenue line is on record: donations and Fundraising.

Does Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs have an API?

No public API is recorded for Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs.

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Live signals
PR NewswireScholarships Make It Possible for Students to Pursue Careers in Making ThingsNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT), the foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, awarded 60 scholarships totaling $120,000 to students enrolled in manufacturing-related certificate and degree programs for the summer/fall 2024 semester. The award amount represents a 105% increase over the previous year, supported by grant funding from Subway Cares and other donors, with a 45% rise in qualified applications also noted. NBT awards scholarships twice annually to help rebuild the domestic manufacturing workforce, with the spring 2025 application period now open through September 30.PR NewswireNavy's Submarine Industrial Base and BlueForge Alliance Partner with Nuts, Bolts & ThingamajigsNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the charitable foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, announced a three-year educational partnership with BlueForge Alliance to support the U.S. Navy's Submarine Industrial Base workforce development. The initiative will reach over 5,000 youth at more than 320 manufacturing camps across 30 states, with the goal of adding over 100,000 skilled workers to the submarine manufacturing workforce over the next decade. The partnership will also develop specialized Submarine Manufacturing Camps with customized curricula to directly address critical workforce shortages in the maritime manufacturing sector.PR NewswireNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Awarded Grant From NIST to Develop Nation's Manufacturing WorkforceNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT), the foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, received an $837,877 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to expand its manufacturing workforce programs. The funding will support a 55% increase in scholarships and growth in summer and inclusion manufacturing camps, aiming to reach an estimated 1,000 additional future manufacturers in the first year.PR NewswireFMA's Foundation, Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, Names 2023 Fall Scholarship RecipientsThe Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT) Foundation, the charitable arm of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), awarded scholarships to 42 students for the Fall 2023 semester through a program that has distributed over $1.3 million to 720 students since its inception over 30 years ago. The scholarships support students pursuing manufacturing-related fields including welding, mechanical engineering, machining, and robotics. The foundation noted a 50% increase in qualified applications year-over-year, indicating growing interest in skilled trades careers among students.PR NewswireNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® Announces 2023 Spring Scholarship WinnersNuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International, announced 30 scholarship winners for the 2023 spring semester, awarding a total of $45,000 to support students pursuing manufacturing careers. The scholarships cover tuition, books, and school fees for recipients studying various manufacturing-related fields at colleges and technical schools across the United States. Since 1990, NBT has distributed more than $1.3 million to over 675 students pursuing careers in manufacturing.PR NewswireInclusion Camps Create Opportunity for Disabled Community to Participate in Manufacturing CareersNuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs (NBT) launched two Inclusion Manufacturing Camps in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide job readiness training and career pathways for young adults with disabilities. The programs were funded by donations from Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and Nestlé USA, aiming to address workforce demands in the manufacturing sector.