Pivot Point
Pivot Point, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned U.S. manufacturer of non-threaded fastener solutions (clevis pins, quick-release pins, locking cotters, lanyards, and custom engineered fastening products) sold to industrial OEMs across military, aerospace, agricultural, outdoor power equipment, and medical customers via direct sales, e-commerce, and international distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1929
- HeadquartersHustisford, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pivot Point does
Pivot Point, Inc. is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer of non-threaded fastener solutions headquartered in Hustisford, Wisconsin. The business traces its roots to 1929, when Rein Leitzke founded Leitzke Specialties to manufacture clevises, clevis pins, cotter pins, keystock, and washers primarily for agricultural and machine-building industries; the current entity was re-established under the Pivot Point name in 1982 by Rue Leitzke. The company operates a nearly 100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility with automated equipment for cold heading, screw machining, high-speed drilling, CNC and Swiss turning, ball detenting, milling, bending, and assembly, expanded by 30,000 sq ft in October 2022.
The product portfolio spans stock and custom non-threaded fasteners organized into core families: patented quick-release pins (including SLIC Pins with spring-loaded plungers, detent pins, ball lock pins, pull pins), clevis and headless pins in hole and groove configurations, patented self-locking cotters (Bow-Tie and Rue Ring designs), wire rope and Nylon lanyards, retriever rings (split key, basic), S-hooks (including the Infinity S-hook), lynch/hitch pins, carabiners, and crimp ring retainers. Custom engineered fastening solutions are designed to customer specifications with no minimum or maximum quantity. The company holds multiple U.S. and foreign patents covering the SLIC Pin family, the Auto-Lock Safety Pull Pin, Nylon Lanyards, and proprietary cotter-pin designs.
Pivot Point monetizes through direct B2B sales (phone, email, fax), an e-commerce storefront for stock items, exclusive international distribution partnerships covering the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Brazil, and a custom-engineered solutions channel supported by in-house application engineering. Customer verticals include Military & Defense, Aerospace, Agricultural, Construction Equipment, Transportation, Material Handling, Medical, Sporting & Recreation, Outdoor Power Equipment (with named customers including John Deere, Husqvarna, Ariens, Cub Cadet, and Toro), Food Service Equipment, and niche consumer applications. The largest customer represents only a small fraction of sales across thousands of accounts, indicating a diversified revenue base. The business is ISO 9001:2015 certified under certificate effective January 30, 2024 through January 29, 2027.
Pivot Point firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pivot Point
- Legal name
- Pivot Point, Inc.
- Website
- https://pivotpins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1929
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pivot Point, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned U.S. manufacturer of non-threaded fastener solutions (clevis pins, quick-release pins, locking cotters, lanyards, and custom engineered fastening products) sold to industrial OEMs across military, aerospace, agricultural, outdoor power equipment, and medical customers via direct sales, e-commerce, and international distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pivot Point industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Fasteners
- NAICS
- Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing (332722), Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (33272)
- SIC
- Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets & Washers (3452), Screw Machine Products (3451)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fasteners, Anchors & Connectors (Bolts, Weld Studs, Plates) (IMADACAJ)
Keywords
Where Pivot Point is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hustisford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pivot Point business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Standard Fastener Products: Sale of stock non-threaded fasteners including clevis pins, quick-release pins, cotter pins, rings, hooks, and clips. Products sold in bulk quantities at unit pricing. Available for immediate purchase via e-commerce and distribution partners.
- Custom Engineered Solutions: Specialized fastening solutions designed and manufactured to customer specifications. Personalized engineered solutions for specific applications with preliminary prints and samples provided. No quantity too small or too large.
- Wire Rope Lanyard Assemblies: Steel aircraft cable assemblies and lanyard solutions available as stock or custom products in various sizes, materials, coatings, and configurations. Sold with various end fittings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Stock Items |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Engineered Products |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Pivot Point product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pivot Point manufactures non-threaded fastener solutions including clevis pins, quick-release pins, cotter pins, lanyards, rings, hooks, and clips, sold as stock items and custom engineered products. Operations are housed in a nearly 100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Hustisford, WI, supporting in-house cold heading, screw machining, CNC/Swiss-turning, ball detenting, milling, bending, and assembly. The company also delivers custom engineered fastening solutions tailored to specific customer applications with no quantity restrictions.
Product overview
Pivot Point is a manufacturer of Non-Threaded Fastener Solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of stock and custom industrial fasteners. The product line centers on pins (including SLIC Pins®, clevis pins, quick-release pins, detent pins, and pull pins), cotter pins (hair pins, Bow-Tie Locking Cotters™, Rue Ring Locking Cotters™), lanyards and tethering solutions (wire rope lanyards, Nylon Lanyards™), rings, hooks, and clips (Infinity S-Hooks™, carabiners, split key rings), and heavy-duty fasteners (lynch pins, wire lock pins, hitch pins). The company also provides custom engineered fastening solutions and operates under ISO 9001:2015 quality standards. Manufacturing capabilities include cold heading, screw machining, high-speed drilling, CNC/Swiss-turning, ball detenting, milling, bending, and assembly operations. Pivot Point holds multiple patents including SLIC Pins® (US Patent No. 6,872,039, 7,147,420), Unitary Plunger Design (US Patent No. 11,542,977), and Auto-Lock Safety Pull Pins (US Patent No. 8,821,061).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clevis Pins Clevis pins in multiple configurations including SLIC Pins, with holes (cotter pin hole), with grooves (retaining clip groove), detent clevis pins, headless pins with holes or grooves, bent arm/hitch pins, and ring pins in various collar styles. Manufactured in-house from carbon, alloy, stainless steel and aluminum with multiple finishes; available in stock and custom designs for OEM and industrial applications.
- SLIC Pins Self Locking Implanted Cotter Pin — patented one-piece locking clevis pin with spring-loaded plunger that functions as pin and cotter all-in-one; plunger retracts during insertion and springs back to lock the pin in place. Covered by US Patents 6,872,039 and 7,147,420 with the newer Unitary Plunger Design covered by US Patent 11,542,977. Installation is at least 2.5x faster than hair pin cotters and eliminates the need for separate cotters, bolts, nuts and clips. Used in OEM applications across military, exit devices, ski bindings, food service and marine markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- SLIC Pin installation is at least 2.5x faster than Hair Pin Cotters
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pivot Point
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pivot Point technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Pivot Point partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Clarendon Specialty FastenerscoreExclusive distributor for United Kingdom located at Unit D Seymour Wharf, Steamer Quay Road, Totnes, Devon, UK TQ9 5AL. Phone: +44(0) 1803 868 677. Serves UK market with Pivot Point fastener products.
- EPCI EngineeringcoreExclusive distributor for France, Spain, and Belgium located at ZA Les Portes du Vexin, 34.3 rue Ampère, 95300 ENNERY, France. Phone: +33 (0)1 34 48 34 10. Serves France, Spain, and Belgium markets.
- Daniel Gruppe GmbHcoreExclusive distributor for Germany located at Daimlerstrasse 17, 32312 Lübbecke, Germany. Phone: +49 (5741) 3480-55. Contact: Christoph Nieder-Entgelmeier. Serves German market.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pivot Point competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Winzeler Gear: US-based specialty manufacturer of clevis pins, cotter pins, and custom engineered fasteners serving OEMs in agriculture, material handling, and industrial markets. Direct overlap with Pivot Point's core clevis pin and quick-release pin product lines, and a comparable custom-engineering, mid-size private business profile.
- Hayes Manufacturing: Manufacturer of cotter pins, hitch pins, and specialty fasteners with a long operating history serving industrial and agricultural customers. Highly comparable product mix (cotter pins, hitch pins, custom pins) and similar small-to-mid US manufacturer profile to Pivot Point.
- Spirol International: Engineered fastening solutions manufacturer offering coiled pins, spring pins, alignment dowels, and specialty inserts with global operations. Overlaps with Pivot Point in custom-engineered pin solutions and serves the same OEM design-in use cases, though larger and broader in scope.
- Precision Brand Products: Manufacturer of precision pins, shims, and custom metal stampings sold through industrial distribution. Comparable in offering precision pins and shim products alongside fasteners, and serving similar industrial customer base via catalog distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Böllhoff Group: Global manufacturer of fasteners and assembly technology including threaded inserts, rivets, and specialty fastening systems with worldwide operations. Comparable in fastener manufacturing and OEM design-in model but operates at much larger scale and broader product scope than Pivot Point's non-threaded fastener niche.
- Würth Group: Global market leader in fastener distribution and manufacturing with extensive catalog of pins, clips, and specialty fastening products across automotive, construction, and industrial channels. Massive scale incumbent competing for the same OEM fastener spend as Pivot Point but with vastly broader product line and global reach.
- Fastenal Company: Public US industrial distributor with extensive fastener, pin, and clip product lines sold through vending machines, on-site locations, and traditional distribution channels. Competes with Pivot Point in stock pin/cotter/clip categories but as a broad-line distributor rather than a specialized manufacturer.
- McMaster-Carr: Major US industrial supply distributor with deep catalog of pins, clips, retaining rings, and fastener products for OEM and MRO buyers. Competes with Pivot Point's stock product line via same-day e-commerce distribution but does not manufacture specialized non-threaded fasteners or offer custom engineered solutions.
- Bossard Group: Swiss-headquartered global fastener specialist offering engineering services, custom kitting, and Smart Factory logistics to industrial OEMs. Comparable in serving OEM design-in fastening applications but with global footprint and significantly broader product portfolio than Pivot Point.
Emerging players
- Misumi Group: Japan-based configurable components manufacturer and distributor with growing industrial fastener catalog including pins, clips, and custom machined parts. Competes with Pivot Point via low-cost catalog distribution but specializes more in configurable standard parts than engineered specialty fasteners.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pivot Point social profiles
Digital presencePivot Point compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Pivot Point financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pivot Point leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pivot Point funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pivot Point M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pivot Point
What does Pivot Point do?
Pivot Point manufactures non-threaded fastener solutions including clevis pins, quick-release pins, cotter pins, lanyards, rings, hooks, and clips, sold as stock items and custom engineered products. Operations are housed in a nearly 100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Hustisford, WI, supporting in-house cold heading, screw machining, CNC/Swiss-turning, ball detenting, milling, bending, and assembly. The company also delivers custom engineered fastening solutions tailored to specific customer applications with no quantity restrictions.
Is Pivot Point a public or private company?
Pivot Point is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Pivot Point founded?
Pivot Point was founded in 1929. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pivot Point based?
Pivot Point is headquartered in Hustisford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pivot Point make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Standard Fastener Products are the primary driver. The others are custom Engineered Solutions and wire Rope Lanyard Assemblies.
Who are Pivot Point's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Winzeler Gear, Hayes Manufacturing, Spirol International and Precision Brand Products. Broad incumbents are Böllhoff Group, Würth Group, Fastenal Company, McMaster-Carr and Bossard Group. Misumi Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pivot Point have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pivot Point.
What industry is Pivot Point in?
Pivot Point's product category is Industrial Fasteners. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADACAJ, Fasteners, Anchors & Connectors (Bolts, Weld Studs, Plates). Its NAICS code is 332722 and its SIC code is 3452.