Nationwide Industrial Supply marks 45 years in business

June 4, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

BOARDMAN

From selling nuts and bolts out of a 14-foot-long van to selling 40,000 products out of a 35,000-square-foot warehouse, Nationwide Industrial Supply has come a long way in its 45 years.

What hasn’t changed is the company’s dedication to its customers.

“Our customers have really dictated our inventory,” said Leo Majernik, president of the company. “We listen to what customers want. We keep our ears open. We are still adding on.”

Nationwide Industrial Supply, located on South Avenue, is a source for industrial companies to buy their fasteners and hardware supplies.

“We have depth in our inventory,” Leo said.

Leo walks with pep through the Nationwide warehouse with his brother, Len Majernik, vice president of the company. He shows off row after row of supplies. Seemingly everything a company could need, from rags to speciality-sized wrenches, can be found in the Nationwide warehouse.

And if it’s not there, the Majerniks will get it.

It’s hard to believe Leo had no knowledge of the industrial supply world when he first opened his business. He was a high school English teacher who decided to take his interest in manufacturing and turn it into a career. He worked at the General Motors plant for a short time and then saw a new opportunity.

“There was an ad in The Vindicator in the business opportunities,” Leo said.

Nationwide Fastener Systems was in search of franchisees back in the 1970s and Leo decided to go all in on the business. The job was to sell nuts and bolts out of a van. He had to develop the customer base and the knowledge of his inventory.

“I knew nothing about nuts and bolts,” he said. “I was just thrown into the ocean.”

He would manage the inventory for a variety of manufacturers.

“People didn’t care about nuts and bolts because [they were] too small of a commodity,” Leo said. “I would fill that void, that need for them.”

The beginning wasn’t easy, but with the help of his wife, Gwen, Leo kept on.

“It took four or five years before it started getting to the point where we could make a living,” Leo said.

In 1977, Leo bought a storage area to keep his supplies as his customer base was growing. In 1979, Len bought into the business.

“It sounded intriguing to me and I took the leap,” Len said.

“As we evolved over the years, we both took different roles,” he said.

Leo is the salesman, and Len is in the background working on the operations. Gwen is the secretary and treasurer.

In the 1980s, Nationwide Fastener Systems filed bankruptcy. The Majerniks were still going strong and changed the business name to Nationwide Industrial Supply.

Eventually, they needed more space and moved to their current location on South Avenue off McClurg Road in 1985.

“We just kept growing and growing,” Leo said.

Youngstown Service Shop on Indianola Avenue is one of the first long-standing customers of Nationwide Industrial Supply. The shop does electrical and mechanical repairs of electric motors and generators and also repairs transformers.

“They pretty much provide us [everything] from cutting fluid to rags to safety equipment,” said Eric Rapp, vice president of Youngstown Service Shop. “They provide a pretty big variety of items for us that help us serve our customers.”

Today, there are 400 to 500 customers and 14 employees working at Nationwide.

Leo still goes out on a route to see customers and fill their inventory needs.

“It’s been quite a ride,” he said. “I am one of the fortunate few who fell into a job that I truly, truly love and it’s worked out.”