FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAS VEGAS, NV – August 27, 2019 – International Fastener Expo (IFE) has announced the recipients of the 2019 Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional of the Year Awards, which annually honor professionals who have made significant contributions to the fastener industry during the annual awards ceremony at IFE, Sept. 17-19 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Bayside D & E, in Las Vegas, Nev.
Ed McIlhon, Assembled Products, Inc. (API), and Martin “Marty” Nolan, R.L. English Co., were inducted into the 2019 Hall of Fame, and Baron Yarborough, Spring Bolt and Nut Manufacturing, was selected as the 2019 Young Fastener Professional of the Year. The Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional of the Year Awards recognize those who have made lasting inputs to the fastener industry on a national or global scale, and leaders, 40 years old or younger, who already have an unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry, respectively.
McIlhon got his start in the industry at his father’s Iowa Industrial Products (IIP), where he served as president, developing IIP into a $60 million company in 1998. IIP was sold to Bossard International in 1999, and McIlhon served as president until 2005 when he purchased their kitting and bundling unit and created API, a key supplier to John Deere. McIlhon has played an integral role in negotiating the Fastener Quality Act, serving as co-chairman of the Public Law Task Force and testifying before Congress on behalf of the industry.
Nolan has been a manufacturer’s representative with R.L. English Co. in Cleveland, Ohio for 34 years. He is currently the vice president of the North Coast Fastener Association (NCFA), previously serving as president for four years where he was instrumental in the development of many initiatives, including the NCFA annual Distributor Social. He also served as chairman on the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC), and has tirelessly promoted the fastener industry through www.fastenerblog.net and social media.
Yarborough is a third-generation fastener professional holding a BBA degree in management from Texas Wesleyan University. In 2014, Yarborough started a hands-on training program at Spring Bolt and Nut Manufacturing, and currently is director of sales where he leads the sales force, new business development, and marketing functions. He remains active as chairman of the Young Fastener Professionals, previously serving as president, and as a member of the Board of Directors at the Southwestern Fastener Association.
The awards are administered by the FIC, and award recipients will be honored with a commemorative plaque at the IFE Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Sessions Corner on the show floor.
For more information on the award winners and IFE, visit fastenershows.com.
About International Fastener Expo
The International Fastener Expo (IFE) is the largest and most diverse gathering of fastener and industrial professionals in North America. Founded in 1981 it serves all reaches of the supply chain, from manufacturer to distributor to OEMs, and features nearly 70 product categories. With over 850 vendors and more than 5,000 attendees from 30+ nations, the International Fastener Expo delivers industry‐leading content and facilitates vital industry connections at their annual three‐day show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the entertainment and trade show capital of North America.
About Emerald Expositions
International Fastener Expo is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of business‐to‐business trade shows in the United States. The company currently operates more than 55 trade shows, as well as numerous other face‐to‐face events. In 2018, Emerald’s events connected over 500,000 global attendees and exhibitors and occupied more than 6.9 million NSF of exhibition space. Emerald Expositions has been recognized with many awards and accolades that reflect its industry leadership as well as the importance of its shows to the exhibitors and attendees it serves.
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Media Contact:
Gina Lemon
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