Crossroad Chronicle – January 2019

By Kendal Leffler on January 24, 2019 in Uncategorized

Dear Valued Customer,

First and foremost, we are hoping that a trade accord is reached between the US and China. The only products we source in China are some kit components and packaging materials. While we continue to investigate alternative sources of supply, there simply are not any viable options. Taiwan is not an option, and most all US ‘manufacturers’ have plants in China now. Eastern European suppliers are possibilities but there are capacity, pricing and currency exchange issues. Our goal of course is to keep our kit prices competitive.
We will be discontinuing the Bordo Screwdriver Bit line except for some SKU’s sold to a few local distributors. This should be complete within Q1 and we will be updating our literature and website accordingly.

E-Z Chamfer® – This is another Bordo product that can be sold in many markets, including construction. There are some Chinese knockoffs floating around on Facebook which we’re told simply do not work. Please follow this link to see the product video and we’d be interested in your thoughts, as we think it’s a good fit for Crossroad.

Fast.Loc – ¼-turn fasteners, locks and hinges – Fast.Loc is an Italian manufacturer who is a competitor and sometimes supplier to Camloc (Arconic) in Europe. The primary competitor in North America would be Southco, a considerable force. However, there are certainly opportunities and we are doing some market research to determine if this would be viable for us. Even a small slice of market share in these product lines would equate to good revenues. We will keep you posted.

Thread inserts and thread repair continue to be our primary focus and what we are known for. Powercoil has grown as a brand thanks to you!
Loksert will continue to be a primary focus in the new year. Our competitive position is strong and will get stronger as we will be adding self-locking parts later in the year. Keep in mind that all stainless Lokserts are manufactured to MS Standards (Inch) and KN/KNH standards in Metric. Also please remember that you can search our website with both MS and KN/KNH part numbers. Sales drawings are also available on the site.
e-zsert continues to grow as a product line. We are well stocked and remember that e-zsert is a direct cross to E-Z Lok®, including the Loctite® adhesive.
AFIXX blind rivets and rivet nuts are stocked at Crossroad. Call us for more information or visit.

The third edition of the Engineers Black Book is now available. Now tab-indexed, this new edition is bigger and better. The updated Electrical Black Book has been delayed but should be available sometime in Q1. This edition will reflect the latest NEC code.