We recently spoke with Vic LaPoma, Marketing Manager for Oakland-N.J. based Kanebridge Corp. about the company’s history, capabilities and outlook.
LaPoma said that that company was incorporated 1975 and has two owners. Kanebridge, a master distributor, sells to distributors only and has three locations in the United States: New Jersey, Illinois, and California.
“We carry 43,000 items and maintain a fill rate of approximately 98%, 99% consistently,” he said. “Any order placed today, we’ll ship today. Everything we carry is a standard product. We have a no-fault return policy and we have a website where you can place orders. If you do place orders on our website, you get a 2% discount.”
Kanebridge carries an amazing 3.83 billion pieces in inventory. But LaPoma said that the one issue that keeps his customers up at night is simple. “Price, price, price.”
He also explained that, because the company is subject to price increases like every other supplier, that is another main concern.
“The majority of our product, it’s either USA or Taiwanese. So, it’s not as affected by the Chinese tariffs.” LaPoma said.
We asked him how the industry has changed the most in the past decade, and he said that technology factors are what is causing the most changes.
“I think technology has a lot to do with the changes,” he said. “The majority of our orders now come in on the website. Whereas, before they were phoned in orders — customers were using a catalog — now they’re online. So that’s definitely a changing area, probably one of the biggest that we’ve seen.
LaPoma said that one thing separates Kanebridge Corp. from its competitors.
“What sets us apart is our fill rate, our service package, and also the fact that we have the longer lengths. We carry not only the import sizes to standards but we go a step further. If the import sizes go to five inches long, we’ll go to eight inches long. So, we have some of the … what I like to call the oddball standards. These items are not like a special made-to-order, but they are a size you’re not going to find most of the time at any of the importers.”
Filed Under: Fastener company profiles
