All in the family
At the first Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) Convention and Trade Show I attended in November 2024 in Nashville, CEO Georgia Foley stressed the vital role independent distributors still play in the supply chain.
She also noted that despite the news of numerous mergers and acquisitions within the industry, family businesses continue to serve as the backbone of STAFDA.
Our cover feature shares the story of a company beginning its journey as a family business.
In the pages of this issue, you’ll learn how by all appearances, the Tool Box in Great Falls, Montana, is a classic small-town hardware store. But behind its shelves of specialty tools and bins of industrial-grade bolts lies a story of legacy, grit, and a commitment to community that’s as durable as the steel wrenches lining the walls.
Jill Tranmer and her husband Matt officially took over the business in August 2023. Fittingly, Jill’s journey into the world of tool and parts distribution came by way of her father, Sam Adkins.
As we share in our cover story, she grew up visiting her father at his job at Bearing Sales. At first, she was just coloring and having snacks, but as she got older, he had her putting parts away.
Little did she know that he was teaching her the industry. That hands-on childhood experience laid the groundwork for Jill’s eventual career, which included several years working alongside him at Bearing Sales.
Most recently, Jill revived the Bearing Sales name (the store closed, and Sam retired in 2020), integrating it under the Tool Box umbrella as a symbolic homecoming.
Sam helped stock the shelves the first weekend before the name and location within the Tool Box was unveiled. Sadly, only a month after my interview with Jill, she shared the news of Sam’s untimely passing at 66.
I never had an opportunity to meet Sam in person. However, having spoken with Jill and her mother, there is no question how proud he was of her.
There is no way a photo could have properly captured how she lit up when speaking about how excited he had been to come in and help her stock the shelves with bearings, noting that he never thought he would handle bearings again after the store had closed in 2020.
The last several weeks leading up to his passing, Sam and Jill spent a lot of time together working on ideas on how to ensure Bearing Sales was successful and even bouncing ideas off each other about the perfect stock orders.
A proud husband, father and grandfather, Sam Adkins legacy of family will live on through his daughter Jill and her children at the Tool Box.
I hope you enjoy their story.
Ryan Whisner
rwhisner@directbusinessmedia.com
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The June/July 2025 issue of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
Our cover story,From Dream to Legacy, Jill Tranmer always wanted to have her own business. She never imagined it would be a tool and bearing sales distribution business. Follow her journey at bringing her family together at the Tool Box in Great Falls, Montana.
Also in this issue are Industry Updates on Bulk and Collated Fasteneres; Nailers and Staplers; and Compressors and Accessories.
This digital edition, sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc., is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!
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