Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc

What Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc does

Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc. is a US-based industrial fastener distributor founded in 1982 by R.J. Harris and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company distributes over 200,000 SKUs of commercial and military-grade fasteners — bolts, nuts, screws, washers, and related hardware meeting ASTM, ANSI/ASME, SAE, Aerospace/Military (AN, MS, NASM) and DIN/ISO specifications — from eleven stocking locations across the United States. Its core differentiator is a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) service in which dedicated field technicians visit customer sites on a regular schedule to restock bins, perform usage tracking, maintain organized bin areas, and provide 24/7 emergency response. Auxiliary services include vending-machine installation, custom kitting, packaging, barcoding, and an MRO product line covering cutting tools, electrical equipment, adhesives, and PPE.

The company monetizes primarily through product sales across its fastener portfolio and MRO line, with VMI structured as a managed-services layer over multi-year contracts. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue mix spans one-time product sales and recurring service fees bundled into VMI plans. Customer segments include manufacturing (industrial OEMs), military/defense/government, and broader industrial MRO accounts, with named customers in floor maintenance equipment, energy, chemical manufacturing, tobacco, jet aeration systems, and barrier protection. Distribution is direct via phone-based inside sales (800-642-0921), online quote request, and on-site field service, with EDI integration into SAP Ariba, Taulia, Coupa, and other major procurement systems. Quality assurance is delivered through in-house dimensional inspection (ring/plug gauges, digital calipers, optical comparator accurate to 0.000039 inches) and full traceability from manufacturer to end customer.

Since 2022 the company has operated as a subsidiary of Supply Technologies, a global inventory management and fastener distributor that shares the company's "Never One Size Fits All" service philosophy. The company is ITAR-registered and holds AS9120 with ISO 9001:2015 certification (through NSF-ISR, valid 2024-10-26 to 2027-10-25), and is compliant with DOE O 414.1, MIL-I-45208A, and NIST 800-171. Under private ownership it does not disclose revenue, headcount, or financial performance.

Name

Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc

Legal name

Southern Fasteners & Supply LLC

Website

https://southernfasteners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Southern Fasteners & Supply is a US industrial fastener distributor operating eleven stocking locations coast-to-coast, serving manufacturing, military/defense, and industrial MRO customers with VMI services, 200,000+ SKUs, and certified quality inspection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Fastener Distribution

NAICS

Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (42371), Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (423710), Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42385)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware (5072), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Supplies & MRO Marketplaces (CRAFAHAA), Workshop Services & Support (Tool Calibration/Repair, Equipment Installation/Maintenance, Training) (TLAKAOAN)

Keywords

• Industrial fastener distribution
• Vendor managed inventory
• Military grade fasteners
• MRO supply services
• Commercial hardware distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston-salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fastener Product Sales: Direct sale of commercial and military fasteners from inventory of 200,000+ SKUs. Products include bolts, nuts, screws, washers, and other fastening hardware meeting ASTM, ANSI/ASME, SAE, Aerospace/Military (AN, MS, NASM) and DIN/ISO specifications.
2. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Services: On-site VMI service with regular technician visits, bin restocking, usage monitoring, and reporting. Includes multiple plan types: Just In Time, Stock & Release, Free Issue, and Vending options. Saves customers time and reduces fastener searching costs from $8.25 to 3 cents per instance.
3. MRO Products: Sale of maintenance, repair, and operations products including cutting tools, electrical equipment, adhesives, and personal protective equipment.
4. Custom Services: Kitting, custom packaging, barcoding and labeling services for fasteners. Vending machine installation and maintenance for inventory control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Fasteners & Supply is a B2B fastener distributor that sells commercial and military-grade fasteners (200,000+ SKUs) along with MRO products, with its core offering being a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program in which dedicated service technicians visit customer sites on a regular schedule to restock bins, monitor usage, and maintain inventory. The company supports this with custom services including kitting, packaging, barcoding/labeling, vending machine installation, and custom fabrication from specifications or samples.

Product overview

Southern Fasteners & Supply is a fastener distribution company offering a unified product portfolio centered on VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) as its core service, supported by add-on services including Vending, Kitting, Packaging, and Barcoding/Labeling. The company distributes commercial and military fasteners (200,000+ SKUs) alongside MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Operations) products. These services work together through their VMI platform, where service technicians manage on-site inventory, and complementary services like vending machines, custom kitting, and packaging provide additional inventory control and customer convenience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Core managed service in which Southern Fasteners' service technicians visit customer sites on a regular schedule to restock bins, monitor usage, provide usage reports, and keep bin areas clean and orderly. Multiple plan types are offered: Just In Time, Stock & Release, Free Issue, and Vending. Includes 24/7 emergency service and integration with major EDI systems (ARIBA, Taulia, Coupa).
• Commercial Fasteners
• Military Fasteners
• MRO Products
• Vending Services
• Kitting
• Packaging Services
• Barcoding and Labeling

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastener search cost reduced from $8.25 to 3 cents per instance through VMI service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Supply TechnologiescoreOthers · 1 January 2022Supply Technologies, a global inventory management system and fastener distributor, acquired Southern Fasteners in 2022. Supply Technologies shares Southern Fasteners' 'Never One Size Fits All' philosophy. The acquisition provides Southern Fasteners with resources and support of a large organization, enabling expansion of offerings and services to customers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lawson Products: Distributor of fasteners, parts, and MRO supplies to industrial customers via a direct sales force and VMI programs. Comparable in product breadth, customer concentration in manufacturing, and field-service-led GTM motion.
• MSC Industrial Direct: Large-scale metalworking and MRO distributor serving manufacturers with a comparable product mix (fasteners, cutting tools, MRO supplies) and VMI/inventory management solutions. Overlapping customer types and supplier base.
• Fastenal: The largest US fastener and industrial supplies distributor with a similar VMI/binned inventory model, on-site vending machines, and enterprise field sales. Closest direct competitor to Southern Fasteners in both customer profile and service delivery.
• Bisco Industries: Specialty fastener and component distributor serving aerospace, defense, and electronics with a comparable mix of military-spec fasteners and value-added services. Direct overlap in ITAR-registered aerospace fastener distribution.
• Würth Industry North America: Subsidiary of the global Würth Group, focused on fastener supply and VMI/C-parts management for industrial customers. Highly comparable in service model (vendor-managed inventory, on-site technicians, vending solutions) and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• McMaster-Carr: Iconic industrial supply catalog/e-commerce company with massive SKU breadth including fasteners. Overlaps on commercial fasteners and MRO products, but McMaster competes primarily on self-service digital ordering rather than VMI/on-site service.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Industrial distributor focused on bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and MRO supplies. Overlaps with Southern Fasteners on the MRO side and on industrial customer relationships, though the core product mix is more fluid-power and motion-control oriented.
• W.W. Grainger: Massive North American MRO distributor with a much broader catalog and stronger digital presence. Overlaps with Southern Fasteners on fasteners and MRO consumables, but Grainger sells to a wider customer base and competes primarily on catalog breadth and e-commerce.

Emerging players

• Bolt Depot: Online specialty fastener retailer with strong digital presence. Smaller and less service-intensive than Southern Fasteners, but represents the digital-only model that could pressure traditional fastener distributors on commodity SKUs.
• Accurate Fastener & Hardware: Regional fastener and hardware distributor serving the US Northeast with a similar mix of commercial and specialty fasteners. Significantly smaller scale, but comparable in offering mix and customer base among industrial and manufacturing buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFandS_LLC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmy0WygKO1u82cmNYaOxROQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-fasteners-and-supply-inc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Southern Fasteners & Supply, Inc