Empire Bolt & Screw

What Empire Bolt & Screw does

Empire Bolt & Screw Inc. is a family-owned industrial distributor founded in 1972 and headquartered in Spokane, Washington, with a secondary location in Summerville, South Carolina. The company distributes threaded fasteners, custom machined components, electronic hardware, cutting tools, abrasives, industrial chemicals, paints and coatings, and hand tools to customers across the United States and Canada. Its product catalog spans standard and semi-standard fasteners, electronic and manufacturing hardware (jack screws, standoffs, captive fasteners, threaded inserts, cable management), construction fasteners, and proprietary private-label hand tool brands (Proferred and USA Hand Tools).

The company's core differentiators beyond catalog breadth include made-to-print custom machining, special finishes and coatings, custom kitting and packaging, and an in-house Quality Assurance Inspection Laboratory staffed by certified technicians that certifies dimensional accuracy for both stock and custom parts. An in-house Mechanical Engineer is available to assist customers with design and application problems, and a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program is offered to manage replenishment at customer sites. Distribution is handled via the company's own e-commerce catalog with Request for Quote (RFQ) functionality and direct phone sales, supported by toll-free US/Canada lines. The company is also an authorized distributor for Simpson Strong-Tie construction fastening products.

Empire Bolt & Screw serves ten distinct industry verticals, with Electronic Hardware identified as the primary focus alongside general industrial applications, and additional verticals including Telecommunications, Knife Hardware, Concealed Weapon Holster, Marine Equipment, Construction, Industrial Machinery, Door & Window, Power Protection/Distribution/Fault Detection, and Commercial Lighting. The business is privately held by its founding family with no external equity capital, no disclosed subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no publicly disclosed revenue. Marketing is primarily catalog-driven via the company website, supplemented by phone sales and organic social presence on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Name

Empire Bolt & Screw

Legal name

Empire Bolt & Screw Inc.

Website

https://empirebolt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empire Bolt & Screw is a family-owned industrial distributor founded in 1972 in Spokane, WA, selling standard and custom fasteners, electronic hardware, cutting tools, and hand tools across the US and Canada to construction, electronics, telecom, marine, and machinery customers via catalog and RFQ sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fastener Distribution: Distribution of standard and semi-standard fasteners including machine screws, hex bolts, carriage bolts, flange bolts, socket screws, construction fasteners, nuts, washers, anchors, rivets, and threaded inserts.
2. Custom Machined Parts: Made-to-print custom machined parts and fasteners, custom kitting and packaging services.
3. Industrial Goods Distribution: Distribution of abrasives, tapes, industrial chemicals, specialty products, paints, coatings, hand tools, cutting tools, and inspection tools & gages.
4. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Services: Managed inventory services to improve product availability for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empire Bolt & Screw is a family-owned distributor of threaded products, fasteners, and industrial goods, founded in 1972. They distribute standard and semi-standard fasteners, electronic and manufacturing hardware, cutting tools, abrasives, tapes, industrial chemicals, paints and coatings, and hand tools under proprietary sub-brands (Proferred Hand Tools, USA Hand Tools). They also offer made-to-print custom machined fasteners, custom kitting and packaging, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs, and in-house Quality Assurance Inspection Laboratory services.

Product overview

Empire Bolt & Screw is a family-owned fastener and industrial hardware distributor (since 1972) offering a comprehensive portfolio of products across multiple categories. The core offerings include Custom Fasteners & Components (made-to-print machined parts with special finishes and coatings) alongside Custom Kitting & Packaging services. The company distributes Standard & Semi-Standard Fasteners (machine screws, hex bolts, nuts, washers, anchors, rivets, socket screws, construction fasteners), Electronic & Manufacturing Hardware (standoffs, captive fasteners, threaded inserts, cable management), and Cutting Tools (drill bits, end mills, hole saws, taps & dies). Additional product lines include Abrasives, Tapes, Industrial Chemicals, Paints & Coatings, and Hand Tools under the Proferred and USA Hand Tools sub-brands. The company also provides VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) Solutions and in-house Quality Assurance Inspection Laboratory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empire Bolt: Shortened brand name used alongside Empire Bolt & Screw for company branding purposes.
• Proferred Hand Tools
• USA Hand Tools

Products and services

• Custom Fasteners & Components

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminates costly line-down incidents due to product failure through dimensional inspection

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Simpson Strong-TiecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmpire Bolt & Screw distributes Simpson Strong-Tie products including Titen Anchors. They are an authorized distributor of Simpson Strong-Tie fastening and anchoring solutions for construction applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hillman Solutions: Hillman Solutions is a major North American distributor of hardware, fasteners, and personal protection products serving retail, OEM, and industrial channels. Comparable in product breadth and end-market reach to Empire, but at public-company scale with a much broader retail channel footprint.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is one of the largest U.S. metalworking and MRO industrial distributors, offering fasteners alongside a much broader cutting tools, abrasives, and supplies portfolio. Overlaps with Empire on fastener and cutting tool distribution but at substantially larger scale and breadth.
• W.W. Grainger: Grainger is the largest U.S. industrial MRO distributor with a comprehensive fastener, hand tool, and consumables offering sold through a digital-first catalog. Operates in the same broad end markets as Empire but at vastly greater scale and with much more advanced digital procurement capabilities.

Direct peers

• Bisco Industries: Bisco Industries is a specialized distributor of fasteners, electronic hardware, and components serving OEM manufacturers, with deep SKUs in standoffs, jack screws, captive fasteners, and threaded inserts. This is the closest direct peer to Empire's primary Electronic Hardware segment and custom kitting/value-add model.
• Lawson Products: Lawson Products is an industrial MRO and fastener distributor serving maintenance, repair, and OEM customers through a sales-led catalog model. Comparable to Empire in sales-led GTM, breadth across fastener and industrial categories, and small-business/industrial customer base.
• Fastenal: Fastenal is the largest U.S. fastener and industrial supply distributor with on-site vending, VMI, and FMI programs. Empire Bolt & Screw operates the same core fastener-distribution-plus-VMI model at a regional scale, making Fastenal the most direct comparable for GTM, SKU breadth, and end-market exposure.
• Porteous Fastener: Porteous Fastener is a regional West Coast fastener and industrial hardware distributor offering custom packaging, kitting, and inventory management programs. Comparable to Empire in regional-distributor positioning and value-added service model.
• Mutual Screw & Supply: Mutual Screw & Supply is a regional U.S. fastener and threaded products distributor serving industrial, construction, and OEM customers with both standard fasteners and custom parts. Comparable in size, family-owned character, and product mix to Empire Bolt & Screw.
• Würth Industry North America: Würth Industry is the industrial division of the Würth Group, supplying fastening solutions, VMI/CPS programs, and custom-engineered components to OEMs. Highly comparable to Empire on VMI, custom kitting, and OEM-focused fastener supply, but with significantly more scale and parent-group backing.
• Earnest Machine: Earnest Machine is a regional industrial fastener and component distributor with custom manufacturing capabilities serving OEMs across the Midwest. Closely comparable to Empire in scale, made-to-print machined parts offering, and customer segment mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Empire.Bolt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-bolt-&-screw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Empire Bolt & Screw