B&F Fastener Supply

What B&F Fastener Supply does

B&F Fastener Supply, operating under the unified brand BFirst Industrial Supplies, is a private, family-owned industrial and construction supply distributor headquartered in Ramsey, Minnesota. The company distributes a broad MRO product catalog across eleven categories, including its foundational Fasteners and Anchors line, abrasives, aerosols and chemicals, chain and cable, cutting tools, hand and power tools, janitorial and maintenance supplies, pipe fittings and valves, safety equipment, and strut and suspension systems. The product offering is supplemented by four value-added service modules: BFirst Inventory Management, a Custom Machining Division for sourcing or fabricating hard-to-find parts, Custom Packaging, and industrial Vending solutions supported by an in-house delivery capability.

The company operates a regional, direct-to-customer distribution model built on 21 physical branch locations across the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota) and a fleet of over 120 vehicles. Sales are executed by branch-based relationship managers and an inside-sales team, with pricing determined through quote-based engagements rather than published tiered pricing; this reflects a relationship-driven approach to industrial buyers who value continuity, on-site consultation, and rapid fulfillment over lowest-bid procurement. Following its June 2023 acquisition of Northern States Supply (Willmar, MN), the company operates with a combined workforce of nearly 300 employees and has retained the Northern States Supply brand alongside the BFirst Industrial Supplies identity.

Revenue is generated predominantly through hardware sales of the MRO catalog, complemented by higher-margin professional service revenue from the inventory management, custom machining, packaging, and vending modules. The company is family-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent entity, and no public listing. Its customer base targets manufacturing, construction, and other industrial operations requiring reliable supply of consumable and replacement parts, with particular emphasis on solving the pain points of multi-vendor coordination and difficult-to-source items.

Name

B&F Fastener Supply

Legal name

BFirst Industrial

Website

https://bffastenersupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

B&F Fastener Supply (dba BFirst Industrial Supplies) is a private, family-owned regional industrial and construction supply distributor serving manufacturing and construction customers across the Upper Midwest through 21 branches and a 120-vehicle fleet, with an MRO catalog and value-added services including custom machining, inventory management, vending, and custom packaging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial and Construction Supply Distribution

NAICS

Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing (332722)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial MRO Supplies for Vehicle/Equipment Workshops (Bearings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Fasteners) (TLAKAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Industrial supply distribution
• Fasteners and anchors
• MRO supplies
• Construction supplies wholesale
• Custom machining services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Industrial and Construction Supply Distribution: Revenue generated from distributing a wide range of industrial and construction supplies including fasteners, tools, safety equipment, abrasives, chemicals, and other MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) products. Both companies continue operating under their respective names post-acquisition.
2. Value-Added Services: Additional revenue streams from services including inventory management, custom machining, custom packaging, and vending solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

B&F Fastener Supply is a regional wholesale distributor of industrial and construction MRO supplies, including fasteners, anchors, cutting tools, abrasives, chemicals, hand and power tools, safety equipment, chain and cable, pipe fittings, and janitorial/maintenance products. The company operates 21 branch locations and a fleet of over 120 delivery vehicles across the Midwest, complemented by value-added services: BFirst Inventory Management, a Custom Machining Division for hard-to-source parts, custom packaging, and industrial vending solutions.

Product overview

BFirst Industrial Supplies operates as a regional industrial and construction supply distributor offering a unified platform combining hardware products with value-added services. The core product portfolio includes 11 product categories spanning fasteners and anchors (the company's foundational offering), abrasives, aerosols/chemicals/adhesives, chain and cable, cutting tools, hand tools, janitorial/maintenance supplies, power tools, pipe fittings/valves, safety equipment, and strut/suspension systems. These products are complemented by four service modules: Inventory Management (providing supply chain control), Custom Machining (for bespoke parts fabrication), Custom Packaging, and Vending solutions. The company distributes through a fleet of over 120 vehicles and maintains 21 locations across the Midwest, serving customers throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First in Class C Components®: Quality product commitment under the First in Industrial Supplies® brand promise.
• First in Construction Supplies®

Products and services

• Fasteners and Anchors Core fastener and anchor products including bolts, nuts, screws, and anchoring systems. The company's foundational product line sold to industrial and construction customers.
• Cutting Tools
• Abrasives
• Aerosols, Chemicals, and Adhesives
• Chain and Cable
• Hand Tools
• Power Tools
• Pipe Fittings and Valves
• Safety Products
• Strut and Suspension
• Janitorial and Maintenance
• Inventory Management (BFirst)
• Custom Machining
• Custom Packaging
• Vending Solutions

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Northern States SupplycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2023B&F Fastener Supply acquired Northern States Supply, a competitor in the industrial and construction supply sector. The acquisition aims to create a regional distributor covering the Midwest, combining operations across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Northern States Supply continues operating under its name with minimal operational changes, maintaining its existing workforce and customer relationships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr is a large direct-mail and online industrial supply distributor covering fasteners, tools, raw materials, and MRO products — represents the digital-direct competitive pressure B&F faces from non-branch-based incumbents.
• W.W. Grainger: Grainger is the largest broad-line industrial distribution incumbent in the U.S., serving MRO customers with a vast product catalog including fasteners, tools, safety, and chemicals — overlapping with essentially all of B&F's catalog.

Direct peers

• Lawson Products: Lawson Products is a direct distributor of industrial supplies including fasteners, tools, and MRO products to the MRO market — very close product overlap with B&F, particularly in the C-class components space.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Applied Industrial Technologies distributes bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and industrial/MRO supplies through a branch network serving maintenance and OEM customers across the Midwest and nationally — closely comparable business model.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial Direct is a large national MRO distributor serving industrial customers with metalworking tools, MRO supplies, and fastener products — a direct comparable to B&F's product breadth and customer segments.
• Fastenal Company: Fastenal is the leading direct peer — a national fastener, tools, and MRO supply distributor with a branch-based, relationship-led model overlapping directly with B&F's core business, and would be the most relevant comparable for valuation.
• Würth Industry North America: Würth Industry is a direct specialist in fastening and assembly materials, including fasteners and Class C components — overlapping with B&F's foundational fastener business at a higher specialization tier.
• DGI Supply: DGI Supply (DoALL Industrial) is a regional industrial supply and MRO distributor serving manufacturing and construction customers — a similar regional distribution model with overlapping product categories.

Emerging players

• Fastco Inc. Fastco is a regional fastener distributor serving industrial customers in the upper Midwest, providing a tighter geographic and product-specific comparable to B&F's fastener and anchor product line.

Regional players

• North American Tool & Die / Regional MRO Distributors: Independent regional MRO and fastener distributors operating in geographies adjacent to B&F's Midwest footprint are direct competitive comparables of similar scale, useful for benchmarking service models and revenue density.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bfirst-1988
• Facebookfacebook.com/rick.sandquist.1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b&f-fastener-supply
• Xx.com/bffastener

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about B&F Fastener Supply