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Author Archives: Dan McCloskey

1. Need a problem solved now? That And Other Ways We Love Working with People

   August 2, 2021 5:01 pm Leave a Comment

   Fab Supply Inc. Founder John Wold passed away on July 6, 2021. The following is the last article he worked on for our company. As we move forward, we echo his sentiment and follow his vision, developing new product lines and growing into a true “one stop shop.”

   Deadlines require a clear focus, especially ones with quick turnaround. At Fab Supply, tight deadlines are almost a specialty. Our large inventory and customer-oriented team make same-day shipping  the norm.

   What does this look like? Here’s a true story:

   Fab Supply had a customer that had a job on a critical time frame. The company needed a Rolla-V to get the job done, but in half the time of the standard delivery.

   Fab Supply contacted Rolla-V to speed up production, and the tool was shipped in three weeks instead of six. FAB Supply President John Wold waited at the O’Hare airport in the middle of the night for the Rolla-V to arrive via plane. At 1:30 a.m. he was on the road to western Ohio to deliver it. He arrived at 7:30 a.m., production started by 8 a.m., and the customer’s parts shipped out the same day.

   Talk about dedicated teamwork!

   “We always support the customer fully – start to finish,” President John Wold.

   A Business About People

   Fab Supply believes in a people-forward approach to doing business. This means an actual human will always answer the phone during business hours, and oftentimes sales people provide their personal cells outside of business hours to provide availability to customers in critical situations.

   Communication is critical to providing the correct tooling to get the job done.

   “We listen carefully to our customers and, by listening carefully, we can pick up on subtle nuances or offer advice that would take them in a different direction,” said John. “We’ve got over 85 years of industry experience amongst our staff in office; in addition to that, we’ve got designers both domestically and abroad that we work with on a regular basis. So, we’re very confident that the advice we’re giving our customers is the correct advice and it’s going to lead them to the most productive and cost-effective solutions.”

   Sometimes this means providing advice on solutions a customer wasn’t aware of or re-routing the customer from a potentially dangerous or ineffective approach they had previously considered.

   Fab Supply takes tremendous care to ensure that the billing and receivable collection is accurate. The relationship with the customer is extremely import. And continues long after the sale. Our values such as honesty and work ethic ensure it.

   “We’re always very available and supportive, we’ll do facetime calls and sometimes involve the designers and engineers,” said John. “We always stand behind the quality of our products.  If there ever is a manufacturing defect or someone is unhappy with the quality of their products, we will work with those customers to find a satisfactory solution. We also stand behind the quality of our advice.”

   Here are just a few words from customers:

   • “You guys are great – thank you so much.” — Becca, Fox Machinery
   • “Thank you for the assist! … You guys rock!” — Erik Fredmonsky, P2P Manufacturing
   • “I greatly appreciate your help through this process. I can say hands down the RVM100-2.5’s are phenomenal. Thanks again, John, I will keep in touch as we may need some more of your tooling in the near future.” — Colton Redmon, Loflin Fabrication

2. Saying Goodbye: Fab Supply President John Wold Passes Unexpectedly

   July 14, 2021 5:19 pm 4 Comments

   It is with heartfelt sadness we announce that John Wold, Founder and President of Fab Supply, passed away suddenly on July 6, 2021.

   For the past 28 years John offered exemplary service to his customers and was well known in the metal forming industry as an intelligent and helpful source of information. John will be remembered as a hard worker with a sense of humor, an excellent leader, and his legacy will live on. His unmatched dedication and loyalty to his customers, vendors, and employees will be held as the standard to the team at Fab Supply.

   We are deeply saddened by John’s departure. As we continue moving forward, we will focus on seeing his vision through.

   “We always support the customer fully – start to finish.” -John Wold

   Please keep John and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

   He will be deeply missed.

3. Innovative Fab OTR Sheet Following System Fixes All Your Problems

   July 9, 2021 10:46 pm Leave a Comment

   Ok – maybe not all manufacturing problems, but some important ones! Learn how our one-of-a-kind sheet following system increases productivity, addresses safety issues, and reduces operator fatigue.

   In the fabricating industry, many of us have seen this before.

   Large parts that are very difficult to process. Inadequate equipment to get the job done. Worker fatigue that leads to burnout or injury, increased manufacturing costs and missed ship dates.

   There should be a better way. Well, we were tired of it – and we did something about it.

   Introducing, the Fab OTR. This is our state-of-the-art sheet following system for press brakes from 90 to 1,000 tons, which provides a solution for companies struggling to bend those large sheets and heavy parts.

   The Fab OTR addresses safety issues, poor efficiency and operator fatigue associated with current methods for bending large sheets and heavy parts while increasing productivity. With several options available, each Fab OTR can be customized by adding additional arms, programmable height adjustment, wider work surfaces or friction reducing surfaces.

   “There has been a need in the marketplace for a retrofittable system that can handle large sheet and/or heavy parts efficiently,” says Ron Laws, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Our systems meet these needs with a system that is specifically customized to a fabricators application. Whether it is our standard capacity rated at 500 lbs/arm, heavy duty system at 700lbs/arm or the maximum duty system at 1,200 lbs/arm, we have a solution available.”

   Our new line offers features that have not been available in the past, including:

   • Programmable height adjustment from bend to bend
   • The ability to support a part bent to an included angle of 40 degrees
   • Overload protection
   • 8 foot extension arms
   • Additional arms for large machines

   Find out more about how the Fab OTR can fit your needs. Contact us today.

4. How Did the Concept of Fab Supply Catch On? Read Where it All Started

   June 3, 2021 7:33 pm Leave a Comment

   In business since 1993, Fab Supply reflects on how it all began while remaining focused on core values essential to its success.

   There’s an ever popular anecdote about a bar napkin business plan, but Fab Supply’s beginnings were a bit more hook, line and sinker.

   On a fishing trip in Canada with a good friend in the manufacturing industry, John Wold was airing frustrations about his current line of work when his friend, Dan Provenzano, presented him with an opportunity.

   Dan had another friend who was making press brake tooling and was looking for someone to start representing the product in the United States; the two inevitably teamed up to kickstart what is now Fab Supply.

   Fairly new to the industry, John knew he needed a bit more knowledge as he launched into this business.

   “The next thing I did was spend a year working on a press brake,” he said, splitting his waking hours between his pre-existing work and this new business dream.

   The company’s first FabTech show was exciting: more than 30 companies approached their table and committed to more than $400,000 in purchases. Unfortunately, due to concern about the dimensional differences with the tooling commonly used in the US at the time, distributors were hesitant to fulfill their end of the commitment.

   “I worked independently state by state with phone calls and direct mail and started to sell the product. That is when the dealers were able to see that we had a viable product line,” John said. “That’s when we were able to engage the dealer network.”

   Fab Supply went into business focused on core values that still hold today, such as superior customer service and quick response times. There’s proof of these values in the many long-term relationships that started from day one and still exist today.

   “We get customers that will call in an absolute panic because they have parts due, and they realize they don’t have the tool to make the part. I personally have gone over to the UPS hub at 7:30 pm at night to drop off tools, if we can help customers, we’ll do it.”

   Dan and John partnered in business for 10 years, launching out of his facility and building on these core values. The company also has many foundational employees who have been key to its growth, working for the company for 15 to 30 years.

   “I think one of the most satisfying parts of this business is when we can come in and develop a solution that increases productivity and decreases production costs. Sometimes it is as simple as coming up with a clever design on an interchangeable set of tools,” John said. “At this point our product lines have expanded to where we can offer the appropriate tooling at a competitive price without overselling customers – it gives us the unique ability to sell to the application as opposed to selling a choice to a customer.”

5. Tooling Only When you Need it: Customized Sales Process for Cost Effective Solutions

   March 19, 2021 6:55 pm Leave a Comment

   You’ve probably had a good haircut and a bad haircut in your lifetime. The best haircuts come from someone who gets your style and has the industry experience to do it right.

   A bad haircut? Well, that barber took it upon themselves to give you something you didn’t need.

   At FAB Supply, you’ll never walk away with a bad haircut. Our team is dedicated to listening to the ins and outs of your “style” before designing the tooling system that’s right for your specific application. No unnecessary tooling, no additional frills – just the straightforward products you need to get the job done right.

   How Does it Work?

   When you’re looking to add tooling to your fab shop, we start with an exploration process to understand the project and the desired end results. Feel free to send us a drawing of an upcoming project, we’ll review and determine your needs to come up with a tooling solution – all without you committing a penny.

   Only by listening carefully to the needs of our customers can we enter into the two-way dialogues that result in us recommending the most cost-effective and productive solution for each specific forming application. At FAB Supply, we always consider the entire picture. Whether it’s operator skill level, machine quality and capacity, production volume or delivery requirements, every factor must be considered.

   We sincerely care more about your project than the profit. We will never sell you precision ground tooling if standard conventional tooling will get the job done right. Our unique ability to provide our customers with virtually any fitting style or quality grade of tooling enables us to recommend and furnish our customers with the best possible solution.

   Our experience working with hundreds of customers on various projects gives us a diverse background and ongoing experience with innovative design needs. Here are just a couple examples of how we actually helped our customers save money while still creating the quality end product desired.

   • By simply incorporating a rotary bender into the manufacturing process of a well-known car wash equipment manufacturer, we enabled the customer to flange all sides of 4’ x 8’ and 4’ x 10’ light gauge panels with only one operator. This resulted in an annual labor savings of over $45K and significantly improved the ergonomics for the remaining operator.
   • We also helped a well-known truck manufacturer save hundreds of thousands by eliminating the need for post-form machine work on their frame rails.

   If you need tooling and you don’t understand the equipment on a level that you need in order to purchase the right products, FAB Supply is the place to go. We offer a plethora of knowledge and a commitment to customer service you can trust to get just what you need.

6. Cost Effective Tooling for Every Application: Get Yours with 0% Financing Today

   March 2, 2021 2:01 am Leave a Comment

   It’s no small investment to maintain top-of-the-line equipment to support the quality machining you promise. As part of our commitment to total customer service and satisfaction, we want to make it easier for you to afford the tooling you need while keeping your ship sailing.

   Now through May 31, 2021, when you purchase tooling equipment for a total value more than $5,000, Fab Supply is providing 0% interest on a 12-month payment plan. (No money down; subject to credit approval.)

   Fab Supply offers complete lines of precision ground European/Amada style, precision ground American style and Wila/Trumpf Style press brake tooling, as well as standard conventional and precision planed tooling. Special configuration profiles are available in a variety of fitting styles and quality grades to suit virtually any forming need.

   Browse our catalog below, and reach out to sales@fabsupplyinc.com or 866-322-8665 with questions.

   ● Precision Ground Press Brake Tooling
   ● Rolla-V Press Brake Dies
   ● Conventional & Precision Planed Press Brake Tooling
   ● Adjustable Press Brake Dies