Save the Date for the 50th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Anaheim
You do not want to miss STAFDA’s 50th Anniversary celebration in Anaheim, November 15-17! It will be a celebration of our members, the relationships built over the past five decades, and a look forward to the future of the construction and industrial channels. The co-headquarter hotels are the Anaheim Marriott and Hilton Anaheim with meetings and Trade Show in the Anaheim Convention Center.
 |
Mark your calendar now: Check [stafda.org](http://stafda.org) beginning in March for updates!
STAFDA ELECTS 2026 OFFICER TEAM
Members of the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) elected its 2026 leadership team during the association’s 49th Annual Convention & Trade Show, November 9-11, in Phoenix.
Matt Kitchens, vice president of sales for California Service Tool, Inc. in Hayward, California, became STAFDA president following the event’s General Session. California Service Tool, a STAFDA member since 1977, serves Northern California as a tool, safety, and equipment distributor for commercial trade contractors.
Erika Scherman, president and owner of MC Tool & Safety Sales, Blaine, Minnesota, was elected vice president. MC Tool & Safety has been a STAFDA member since 2002.
In addition, Blake Larsen, C.F.C. Supply of West Haven, Utah, and Bill Gottmeier, Denali Industrial Supply of Fairbanks, Alaska were elected to three-year terms on STAFDA’s Board of Directors.
Chad Carney, Pyramex Safety, and Kirk Strebin, American General Tool Group joined STAFDA’s Manufacturer Liaison Committee.
New members of the Rep Liaison Committee include Chris Morris, Morris Marketing Group; Eric Stone, Lawless Group; and Craig Yuhas, NACH Marketing Inc.
Elections are held each fall with results announced at the annual convention.
WHO DO STAFDA DISTRIBUTORS SELL TO?
After completing their 2026 STAFDA Directory update questionnaires, STAFDA distributors shared a quick snapshot of the types of customers they serve. Here are the results:
Distributors chose from a list of customers provided and could choose more than one answer. Unsurprisingly, 86% of STAFDA distributors indicate they sell to general construction contractors. The next highest customer type is concrete contractors with 71%, and then industrial/ MRO comes in at third with 67% of participating members indicating they sell to that audience.
Compared to last year’s survey results, distributors report reducing their focus on HVAC contractors with 14% fewer respondents indicating they focus on that area, while focus on consumers/DIY, electrical contractors, plumbing/mechanical contractors, and utilities were all down by 10%. Rental had the largest jump, going from 20% to 27% of reporting distributors.
 |
For more information on these programs and STAFDA membership, please contact Catherine Usher, member services director, at (800) 352-2981 or email cusher@stafda.org.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2026 issue of Contractor Supply magazine. Copyright, 2026 Direct Business Media.
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The December 2025/January 2026 issue of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
Our cover story, Rising to the Challenge, Industrial Ladder & Supply in Villa Park, Ill. uses a classic service model to keep climbing the ladder of success.
Learn what happened at the 2025 STAFDA Convention and Trade Show, get a preview of World of Concrete 2026. Also in this issue are Industry Updates.
This digital edition, sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc., is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!
| Read the Articles Read the Digital Edition |
