Sems and Specials

What Sems and Specials does

Sems and Specials Inc. is a Rockford, Illinois-headquartered cold forming manufacturer of fasteners founded in 1990 by Bruce Hayes, operating from a 90,000+ sq.ft. production facility in Illinois. The company produces a portfolio spanning standard commercial fasteners (IFI inch and metric), pre-assembled Sems products with free-spinning washers, thread forming and plastic-specific thread forming screws, and fully custom per-print fasteners produced on a large-capacity 5-die, 6-station parts former. Two proprietary product lines, Swageform (a registered trademark high-performance thread rolling screw with 40 years of applications) and MAThread (a patented anti-cross thread design effective up to 12 degrees of angular misalignment), anchor brand differentiation alongside in-house secondary operations including drilling, broaching, tapping, head painting, electro-polishing, and shot peening.

Revenue is generated through custom quote-based pricing on direct sales to industrial customers across appliance, automotive aftermarket, electronics, computer hardware, telecommunications, military, medical equipment, marine, motorcycle, optical, transportation, lawn and garden, and consumer products industries. The go-to-market combines seven in-house Account Managers handling enterprise accounts with a regional sales representative firm (Wing-Hamlin) covering Midwest and Mid-Northwest U.S. territories, supported by a 30,000 sq.ft. managed inventory warehouse holding 3+ million pounds of raw material for JIT delivery, blanket orders, and kitting. The company holds ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, FQA compliance, and QSLM CAGE Code 5B4N5 Class 2 Land and Sea certification, qualifying it for automotive and defense supply chains. Production capacity reaches 500+ million fasteners annually with multi-shift flexibility and lead times averaging 10-12 weeks domestic versus approximately six months for comparable imports.

Name

Sems and Specials

Legal name

Sems and Specials Inc.

Website

https://semsandspecials.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sems and Specials is a Rockford, Illinois cold forming manufacturer of fasteners producing standard, custom, and proprietary designs (Swageform, MAThread) for industrial customers across appliance, automotive, electronics, military, medical, and logistics end markets, selling via direct account managers and regional sales reps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fastener Product Sales: Manufacturing and sale of standard commercial fasteners, custom specials, and Class II military hardware. Products include Sems screws, machine screws, sheet metal screws, thread forming screws, and specialized custom fasteners. Revenue generated through direct sales to industrial customers across multiple sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sems and Specials is a cold forming manufacturer of fasteners that produces Sems products (pre-assembled screws with free-spinning washers), standard commercial fasteners, proprietary Swageform thread rolling screws, MAThread anti-cross thread fasteners, thread forming screws for metal and plastic, and fully custom per-print cold formed parts up to 0.590 diameter. The company serves industrial manufacturers in appliance, automotive aftermarket, electronics, military, medical, and other sectors, and complements manufacturing with in-house secondary operations, custom packaging, kitting, and managed inventory supply chain programs.

Product overview

Sems and Specials is a cold forming manufacturer of fasteners offering a portfolio of products ranging from standard commercial fasteners to custom specials and Class II military hardware. The core product lineup includes: Sems Products (pre-assembled screws with free-spinning washers), Standard Products (IFI Inch and Metric standards), proprietary Swageform thread rolling screws, Thread Forming Products including plastic-specific forms, MAThread anti-cross threading fasteners, and fully custom per-print fasteners. Value-added services include secondary operations (drilling, broaching, coating), custom packaging, kitting, and supply chain management with managed inventory programs. The company operates a 90,000 sq.ft. production facility and serves industries including appliance, automotive, electronics, medical equipment, and military.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAThread: Proprietary anti-cross thread fastener product that eliminates seizing and jamming of fasteners.
• Swageform

Products and services

• Sems Products Pre-assembled screws with free-spinning washers locked into place, available in multiple sizes, styles, head types, drives, and materials for improved assembly integrity and strength. Includes variants such as Double Washer Sems for electronics industry applications and the full range of Sems Screw Washers (External Tooth, Internal Tooth, Countersunk, Dished Tooth, Square Conical, Conical, Crest Cup, Saddle Clamp, Finishing, Wave, Split Lock, Flat, Bonded, Neoprene, and Complex Profiles). For industrial customers requiring pre-assembled fastener solutions.
• Standard Products Complete line of IFI Inch and Metric standard fasteners including machine screws, sheet metal screws, carriage bolts, hex cap screws, drill screws, and weld screws. For industrial OEMs and contract manufacturers requiring standard commercial fastener specifications.
• Swageform Registered trademark thread rolling screws featuring 3 sets of forming lobes on tapered lead threads 120 degrees apart, reducing installation drive torque with proven 40-year applications history. Threads are formed (not cut), producing screws that are more work-hardened and stronger with no cutting chips. For industrial customers needing high-performance thread rolling fastening solutions.
• Thread Forming Products Full range of thread forming screws including Full Form Trilobular Thread, TMXS Full Form Trilobular, Type CA Gimlet Point Thread, Tri-Point, BXCA Self Aligning Full Form Thread, and Square Form designs. Also includes plastic thread forming products with 48-2, 45-1, 60-1 thread profiles, H/L Thread Form, HPS Thread Form, Hi Thread Deep Root Particle Board, and Asymmetrical Profiles for toy manufacturing and plastic applications. For manufacturers assembling metal and plastic components.
• MAThread Anti-cross thread fastener with self-correcting design that eliminates seizing and jamming, featuring a unique cam-over design that forces thread alignment through a three-stage process (axis alignment, thread alignment, and thread drive). Patented design effective up to 12 degrees of angular misalignment. Available in P Point, Dog Point, Very Short, Never-Jam, and Custom variants. For manufacturers needing reliable assembly with reduced cross-threading failures.
• Custom Products Custom per-print cold formed fasteners manufactured up to 0.590 diameter cut-off, 7.480 cut-off length, and 6 inch maximum length using a large capacity 5-die 6-station Parts Former for complex specialized parts in smaller run quantities. For industrial customers requiring application-specific fastener designs that are not available as standard catalog items.
• Double Washer Sems Fastener with two free-spinning washers, more cost-effective than conical washers with greater holding strength, available in standard and metric sizes for electronics industry applications. For electronics manufacturers needing pre-assembled washer solutions with improved holding strength.
• Secondary Operations In-house services including drilling, trimming, pinch pointing, grinding, patching, shaving, head painting, broaching, shot peening, electro-polishing, tapping, and slotting to enhance fasteners with protective coatings or functional and cosmetic properties. For industrial customers needing finished or modified fasteners beyond standard cold forming.
• Custom Packaging Packaging solutions including sorting, poly bagging, multiple sized containers, packing in customer-supplied boxes, specialized finishing, custom packaging requests, and kitting for pre-assembly of individual items. For industrial customers requiring customized fastener packaging or pre-assembled kits for their assembly lines.
• Supply Chain Management Managed inventory programs using a 30,000 sq.ft. warehouse for blanket orders, JIT programs, global blending to minimize import risk, and raw material pricing control with over 3 million pounds of on-site raw material inventory. For industrial customers seeking reduced supply chain risk, lower storage costs, and reliable on-time delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average fulfillment time of 10 weeks vs 6 months for imports
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Industrial Fastener InstituteminorOthersIndustry association membership supporting, promoting, and enhancing the fastener industry. Sems and Specials participates to stay connected with industry developments and best practices.
• Mid West Fastener Association (MWFA)minorOthersRegional industry association membership supporting the fastener industry in the Midwest region of the United States.
• National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA)minorOthersNational industry association membership for fastener distributors across the United States.
• Southeastern Fastener Association (SEFA)minorOthersRegional industry association supporting fastener industry in the Southeastern United States.
• Mid Atlantic Fastener Distributors Association (MAFDA)minorOthersRegional industry association membership for fastener distributors in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Metropolitan Fastener Distributors Association (MFDA)minorOthersIndustry association membership for metropolitan area fastener distributors.
• Southwestern Fasteners Association (SFA)minorOthersRegional industry association supporting fastener industry in the Southwestern United States.
• New England Fastener Distributors Association (NEFDA)minorOthersRegional industry association membership for fastener distributors in New England.
• Wing-Hamlin (Sales Representative Firm)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized sales representative firm handling regional sales coverage for the Midwest and Mid-Northwest territories including IA, MN, ND, NE, IL, WI, IN, and MI. Representatives include Mike Hoffman, Cory Wing, Mike Hamlin, Nicole Korb, and Jeff Adams.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Illinois Tool Works (ITW): ITW is a diversified Fortune 200 manufacturer with a substantial fasteners segment (including Shakeproof and other legacy brands) serving automotive and industrial markets. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same industry but at vastly larger scale and across many non-fastener product categories.
• Nedschroef: Nedschroef is a European-headquartered global manufacturer of cold-formed fasteners serving automotive and industrial customers. Significantly larger scale than Sems and Specials but operates with the same core cold forming technology and overlapping automotive and industrial customer segments.
• Bossard Group: Bossard is a Swiss-based global leader in fastening technology and intelligent productivity solutions for industrial OEMs. Significantly larger scale but operates as a fastener manufacturer and supply chain solutions provider, overlapping with Sems and Specials' supply chain management and JIT offerings.
• TR Fastenings (Trifast): TR Fastenings is a UK-based global manufacturer and distributor of industrial fasteners and components. Comparable custom manufacturing and engineered fastening solutions across automotive, electronics, and industrial markets, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Leland Powell Fasteners: Leland Powell is a Texas-based distributor and manufacturer of specialty fasteners, including custom and military-spec products. Comparable custom manufacturing capabilities and customer mix spanning industrial, military, and OEM accounts.
• Midwest Fastener Corp. Midwest Fastener is a Michigan-based manufacturer of standard and specialty fasteners, including SEMS assemblies, thread forming screws, and custom cold-formed parts. Similar Midwest US base, product breadth, and customer mix in industrial and automotive markets.
• Birmingham Fastener: Birmingham Fastener is a US manufacturer and distributor of standard and custom fasteners, including bolts, nuts, screws, and threaded rod. Comparable product breadth and custom manufacturing capabilities with similar industrial customer base.
• Holo-Krome Company: Holo-Krome is a US manufacturer of precision socket head cap screws and specialty fasteners, also producing SEMS and engineered fasteners. Comparable focus on high-strength, precision cold-formed products and similar distribution into industrial OEM channels.
• Semblex Corporation: Semblex is an Illinois-based cold former of specialty fasteners, including SEMS assemblies, thread forming screws, and custom engineered fasteners. Directly comparable product portfolio, manufacturing process, and target customer base make it the closest peer to Sems and Specials.

Regional players

• INFASCO: INFASCO is a Canadian-based manufacturer of cold-formed fasteners and customized engineered fastener solutions serving automotive, heavy truck, construction, and industrial markets. Comparable manufacturing technology and product categories, though primarily serving North American markets from Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/semsandspecials
• Facebookfacebook.com/don.kubkowski.35
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sems-and-specials-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sems and Specials