Fasteners

Fasteners still strong 25 years on

Miro Simikic has been surrounded by mechanical fasteners for more than 40 years, and his own company, LM Fasteners, is celebrating 25 years in business this year.

He is proud of his inventory, which is now between 30,000 and 50,000 lines each year.

“I’ve been in this industry since John Lennon was around and have been researching products all those years; the internet is an unbelievable resource!” says Simikic. “When we started we had … maybe between 2,000 to 5,000 lines.”

“Today there’s many different versions of products … coating, head shape, drill point or tapper, the hardness of the steel - it could be for indoor or outdoor use or be less prone to corrosion, or it could be a steel grade … of a standard to be used in food manufacturing equipment so it doesn’t react so much to water or moisture.”

New versions of mechanical fasteners have made a big difference to builders and other tradies.

For example, the old hex-sleeve anchor has been replaced with a much stronger version which bites at several points and can be put in quickly with a high-powered impact gun, suiting a few types of masonry.

There have also been developments in adhesives and glues as alternatives to fasteners: adhesives can bond with more varied surfaces and have faster curing times but Simikic believes the strength of fasteners is an overwhelming advantage whenever strength is needed.

“Glues have improved and become more flexible, they’re quicker to cure ... But if you need a screw, you need a screw; if you need rivets, you need rivets,” he says.

Customers have changed too, as DIY kits come in and manufacturing firms have decreased, which means dedicated manufacturers’ installers and tradies are now far and few between.

“We used to have so many manufacturers’ employees as customers but now I’ve got many more general tradies and do-it-yourselfers compared with 20 or 30 years ago,” says Simikic.

Independent installers of products such as wardrobes, kitchens or office partitions are frequent customers.

“[They] make automotive and truck components and bodies, windows, engineering and mining manufacturers. One customer specialises in tools and machinery for mining and buys heavy duty items such as high-tensile fasteners.”

The team started with Miro and his wife, and now numbers 10 people - all of whom are knowledgeable about the huge product range. The company has grown steadily over the past twenty-five years.

“The team is always striving to help customers with their fastener needs and problems,” says Simikic, “and I believe we have the best trade counter service in Sydney and New South Wales.

“Our attention to detail has won customers, as have our stock levels, which are one of the best in the industry.

“We work closely with our main suppliers and we keep our focus on innovative products so we can provide the best of the best to our customers.”

LM Fasteners

lmfasteners.com.au