About Us – Cold Headed Fastener Manufacturer

In the mid-1960s, Stephen Frantz and Arvin Tap started a small company whose purpose was to buy, refurbish, and sell used machine equipment. When the partners purchased cold forming machine, they discovered there was little demand for its resale in West Michigan. Rather than selling the equipment, the two partners changed the focus of the business to manufacturing. Fastco became a cold headed fastener manufacturer, specializing in custom studs, bolts, rivets, pins, and screws.

Under the leadership and hard work of these two entrepreneurs, Fastco (then known as Fast Machine) took off. Fastco was incorporated in 1970. In December of 1973, Fastco outgrew its original location on the south side of Grand Rapids, moving to its present location in Walker, Michigan. From a modest, 30,000-square-foot facility, Fastco has expanded to three buildings and 150,000 square feet on its Walker campus.

Throughout its history, Fastco has responded to the challenges of the marketplace and, in particular, the automotive industry. When automotive quality standards ramped up in the 1990s, Fastco invested in process monitors for all of its cold formers and thread rollers. When automotive customers began to champion the challenge of zero defects, Fastco committed a significant portion of financial resources to the acquisition of various types of electronic inspection systems. Today, the electronic inspection and roller sorting of fasteners has become standard practice at Fastco. Indeed, Fastco’s acquisition of eddy current capability in its inspection process adds a new dimension of capability and provides customers with an additional layer of protection.