What Cardinal Components does

Cardinal Components, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned contract manufacturing sourcing company founded in 1983 by Mark Kurey and headquartered in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. The company functions as a "one-stop sourcing shop," consolidating OEM supply chains by providing custom metal components (precision CNC machined parts, fabrication and stamping, custom springs, wire forms, and tubing), specialty fasteners through its wholly owned Rivet Nut USA division (Bollhoff Rivnut, Plusnut, Industrial Rivet, threaded inserts, and installation tools), and value-added contract services including mechanical and electro-mechanical assembly, custom kitting, and 15,000 sq ft heated warehousing with JIT/blanket order fulfillment.

Core operations are executed through a curated network of manufacturing partners across fabrication, machining, stamping, welding, grinding, and finishing, supported by an ISO 9001:2015 certified quality system, a 150-point internal New Product Review (NPR) checklist at revision 61, and inspection capabilities including CMM, Level III PPAP, IMDS, RoHS, and REACH compliance. Cardinal does not perform primary manufacturing in-house at scale; its intellectual property lies in supplier curation, quality systems, engineering design assistance, and supply chain orchestration.

The revenue model is B2B project- and program-based, with quote-driven RFQ pricing, blanket order arrangements for ongoing OEM programs, and managed bill-of-materials assembly/kitting fees. Customers are Fortune 500 OEMs in automotive, agriculture, aerospace, defense, food service, appliance, medical, and construction equipment verticals, acquired through direct enterprise field sales rather than self-serve channels. Recent operational moves include Acumatica ERP implementation in March 2026, a re-engineered RIVNUT tool line in October 2025, and dedicated branding and a separate website for the Rivet Nut USA specialty fastener division.

Name

Cardinal Components

Legal name

Cardinal Components, Inc.

Website

https://cardinalcomponents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cardinal Components is a Wisconsin-based, founder-owned contract manufacturing sourcing company founded in 1983 that consolidates OEM supply chains into a single P.O. for custom metal components, specialty fasteners (via its Rivet Nut USA division), and contract assembly, kitting, and warehousing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Menomonee Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Metal Component Manufacturing: Sourcing and supplying custom machined components, fabrications, stampings, springs, wire forms, and tubing through a network of manufacturing partners. Revenue generated from manufacturing fees and material costs, with pricing based on volume and complexity.
2. Specialty Fastener Distribution: Distribution of rivet nuts (Bollhoff Rivnut fasteners), rivets, electronic fasteners, threaded inserts, and installation tools through Rivet Nut USA division. Stocking the largest selection of specialty fasteners and installation tools in the USA.
3. Contract Product Assembly & Kitting Services: Mechanical assembly, sub-assembly, electro-mechanical assembly, master kits, sub kits, auto-bagging, plastic containers, labeling, and cardboard boxing. Revenue from service fees and managed BOM costs.
4. Warehousing & Storage Services: 15,000 sq ft heated warehouse facility offering long-term and short-term storage, order fulfillment, inventory management, and worldwide distribution capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cardinal Components is a contract manufacturing sourcing company that consolidates OEM supply chains into a single P.O. relationship, providing custom metal components (precision machined parts, fabrication and stamping, springs/wire forms/tubing), specialty fastener distribution through its Rivet Nut USA division, and value-added services including contract product assembly, kitting, and warehousing. The company leverages a 40+ year network of proven manufacturing partners, ISO 9001 certified quality systems, and a 150-point New Product Review process to deliver turnkey solutions to Fortune 500 OEMs.

Product overview

Cardinal Components is a contract manufacturing sourcing company operating as a 'One Stop Sourcing Shop' for 40+ years. The company consolidates supply chains by providing turnkey Custom Metal solutions (Machined Components, Fabrication & Stamping, Springs/Wire Forms/Tubing), Specialty Fasteners through its Rivet Nut USA division, and Product Assembly/Kitting Services. The portfolio includes precision CNC machined components, metal fabrication and stamping, custom springs and wire forms, specialty fasteners (RIVNUT®, Plusnut®, rivets, threaded inserts), contract assembly services, custom kitting, and warehousing/storage—all delivered through a network of proven manufacturing partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rivet Nut USA: A wholly owned distributing division of Cardinal Components, Inc., focused on the distribution of rivet nuts and other specialty fasteners. Formerly operated under Cardinal Components before recent rebranding with dedicated website www.RivetNutUSA.com.

Products and services

• Custom Machined Components Precision CNC machined components produced via multi-axis machining, Swiss CNC machines, screw machines, and 5-axis machining with capabilities including +/- .001 bore tolerance, food-grade surface finishes, and 100% quality inspection via CMM. Sourced through Cardinal's network of manufacturing partners for OEMs requiring tight-tolerance precision parts.
• Fabrication and Stamping Metal fabrication and stamping services including 60" x 144" sheet bed laser cutting, stamping presses, MIG/TIG/seam/spot welding, plasma cutting, CNC brake press, and waterjet cutting up to 8" thickness. Delivered for OEMs through Cardinal's manufacturing partner network.
• Spring, Wire & Tube Custom springs, wire forms, and tubing components sourced through Cardinal's network of manufacturers for OEM production needs.
• Rivet Nut USA Specialty Fasteners Distribution of Bollhoff RIVNUT® and Plusnut® rivet nuts, standard blind rivets, electronic fasteners, threaded inserts, and pneumatic, battery-operated, and manual installation tools. Stocked as the largest selection of specialty fasteners and installation tools in the USA, supporting OEMs across industries.
• Contract Product Assembly Mechanical assembly, electro-mechanical assembly, sub-assembly, and master assembly services performed in Cardinal's 15,000 sq ft warehouse facility, managing the full bill of materials and reducing customer costs and supply chain complexity.
• Kitting Services Custom kitting services including master kits, sub kits, auto-bagging, plastic containers, labeling, and cardboard boxing, supported by flexible production cells with quick changeover and dedicated cell capacity for high-volume ongoing programs.
• Warehousing and Storage Long-term and short-term (month-to-month) storage, order fulfillment, inventory management, and worldwide distribution in a brand-new, heated, clean, safe, and secure 15,000 sq ft warehousing facility equipped with dock lifts, forklifts, and shipping/receiving personnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2,400 cost savings achieved by suggesting component material change from 5052 to 6061 aluminum
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bollhoff (Rivnut Brand Owner)coreTechnology or IntegrationCardinal Components is the #1 distributor for Bollhoff Rivnut fasteners, representing a core partnership for their specialty fastener distribution business through Rivet Nut USA division.
• Industrial Rivet (Rivet Brand Owner)coreTechnology or IntegrationCardinal Components distributes Industrial Rivet fasteners as part of their specialty fastener product line through Rivet Nut USA.
• Network of Manufacturing PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep roster of proven, capable manufacturing partners in every manufacturing discipline including Fabrication & Welding, Machined Components, Custom Springs, Stamping, Grinding, Finishing, and others. Cardinal leverages these partners to fill customer needs for custom metal, contract assembly, and kitting services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fastenal Company: Fastenal is the largest US industrial fastener distributor serving OEMs with supply chain solutions including vending, kitting, and assembly. Most directly comparable to Cardinal's Rivet Nut USA division and OEM-focused supply chain consolidation model, though at vastly greater scale (~$7B revenue).
• BBI Fasteners: BBI Fasteners is a specialty fastener distributor serving industrial OEMs with branded fasteners and installation tools. Comparable in size and product mix to Cardinal's Rivet Nut USA division and serves overlapping customer verticals in automotive and industrial manufacturing.
• Dalsin Industries: Dalsin Industries is a Midwest-based metal fabrication and contract manufacturing company offering assembly, kitting, and finishing services to industrial OEMs. Comparable contract assembly and metal fabrication model with similar mid-sized scale and Fortune 500 OEM customer base.
• Allfasteners: Allfasteners is a specialty fastener distributor focused on industrial OEMs, offering installation tooling and supply chain solutions. Closely mirrors Cardinal's specialty fastener distribution model and Bollhoff/industrial rivet product mix.

Emerging players

• Protolabs: Protolabs provides on-demand custom manufacturing services including CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding. Comparable on-demand custom component manufacturing capabilities, though Protolabs operates its own digital manufacturing facilities rather than sourcing through a partner network.
• Xometry: Xometry operates an on-demand manufacturing marketplace connecting customers to custom metal fabrication, machining, and assembly providers. Comparable on-demand sourcing model for custom components, though Xometry is digital/automated rather than relationship-based and serves smaller customers more than Fortune 500 OEMs.

Broad incumbents

• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is a major industrial MRO distributor with broad metalworking, fastener, and assembly offerings serving manufacturers nationwide. Comparable to Cardinal across multiple product categories but operates at much larger scale (~$4B revenue) with catalog-based distribution.
• McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr is a massive industrial supplier catalog including fasteners, metalworking, and assembly components with same-day shipping. Comparable to Cardinal's broad sourcing model and one-stop value proposition but operates at vastly larger scale with primarily standard catalog items rather than custom components.
• Hillman Solutions: Hillman Solutions is a hardware and fastener solutions provider serving both OEM and retail markets with branded products and supply chain services. Overlaps with Cardinal's fastener distribution business through Rivet Nut USA and competes for OEM accounts across multiple verticals.
• Würth Industry: Würth Industry is a global industrial fastener and assembly supplier offering C-parts management for OEMs with integrated supply chain solutions. Comparable to Cardinal's supply chain consolidation value proposition, though Würth operates globally at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cardinalcomponents

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cardinal Components