Empire's History: 

Founded by Larry Stanley in 1972, Empire's roots run deep in the Inland Northwest.  Larry began his journey into the fastenings industry in 1946 with Jensen-Byrd Hardware, now called Jensen Distribution.  After 5 years with Jensen, Larry joined the Air Force and served during the Korean War.  Following his enlistment, Mr. Stanley worked in retail hardware for three years, then worked as a full-time musician before rejoining Jensen-Byrd for an additional 5 years.   In 1962, Larry partnered to form Fasteners Inc. of Spokane.  In 1972, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own business, Empire Bolt & Screw Inc.  Larry remained active in the business into the 1990's and currently serves as our Board Chairman, a key advisor and manages the Empire Bolt retirement program.

 

RON STANLEY - President/CEO

The second generation of Stanley management began in 1985 with Larry's eldest son Ron.  Prior to rejoining Empire, Ron achieved his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University and spent 10 years with IBM Corporation as a Manufacturing Engineer and Manager in San Francisco, CA and Tucson, AZ.  Ron Stanley is currently our President and CEO.  Ron is also active on the boards of The Spokane Symphony, Boy Scouts of America, Spokane Rotary South, Spokane Civil Service Commission, Spokane Good Roads Committee and Washington State University Board of Governors.

 

Ron Stanley 2008

 

JENNIFER HARDER - General Manager

Jennifer joined  Empire Bolt in 1997 after completing her B.A. in Vocal Performance at Whitworth College.  She had previously worked in the wholesale building industry, selling computer networking technology and served as a wildland firefighter for the State of Washington. 

Jennifer Harder 

 

Empire Today:

Our team  has a level of commitment to our customers and quality service that is unequaled in the Inland Northwest.  Our average experience level for employees is 14 years , not just in the Industry, but specifically with Empire Bolt.  We value our employees as our best asset and it shows!

 

Scott Sturm, Empire's Manufacturing Division Team Leader, began his career with us as a Material Handler in our warehouse in 1992.   He has been continually promoted through VMI, purchasing and the Quality departments.  Scott is highly knowledgeable and excels at effectively managing and anticipating his customers' needs.

 

Sean Scully, Empire's Warehouse Supervisor began his career with Empire in 1998 and progressed through material handling and sales to his current position as Materials and VMI Team Leader.  Sean's experience in developing and implementing customized VMI programs for our customers has become a valuable asset to Empire Bolt.

 

Dennis Fox has been with Empire since 1990.  He started with Empire as our mechanical plater and then moved to counter sales for the remainder of the 90's.  In the 2000's, Dennis moved to inside sales.  Beginning in February 2010, Dennis is moving out into the field to coordinate our VMI efforts and be on the "front lines" of helping our customers face to face on a daily basis.