Jan 21, 2019

Motor City Industrial (“Motor City”), a portfolio company of Kian Capital and Oakland Standard, has acquired Smith Fastener (“Smith”) in partnership with its 3rd generation owner, Brian Smith. The acquisition strengthens the product and service offerings available to customers operating in a diverse set of industries and expands the company’s geographic reach. The combined companies now serve over 20 states from 7 locations with 135 employees.

Brian Smith succeeds his father, Jim Smith, and grandfather, Willie Smith, to lead the organization going forward. “I am proud of what my family has built, and excited to join the Motor City team to begin a new chapter with Smith” said Brian Smith, Executive Vice President and General Manager, “Motor City’s strategic support, while respecting what makes us unique to our customers and associates, was the ideal partnership for the future of Smith Fastener.”

"We are excited to have Brian Smith join the team and look forward to watching him further the Smith family’s legacy” Joe Stephens, CEO of Motor City added, “We hope to bring the combined customer base new opportunities for profitable growth with Motor City.” 

The addition of Smith to the Motor City platform furthers our pursuit of creating a leading regional distributor of fasteners and related industrial products that differentiates itself by providing unique capabilities and exemplary customer service,” said Rick Cravey, Partner and Co-Founder at Kian Capital, “Smith has established a reputation for providing high quality parts and services, which stood out when talking with the company’s key customers. We look forward to deepening those relationships and expanding the products and value-added services we can offer our collective existing and future customers.”

Smith Fastener is a value-added distributor of industrial consumables and ancillary products throughout North America from its three locations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas. Founded in 1965, Smith offers supply chain solutions for over 20,000 SKUs, including corrosion resistant coating services for mission critical parts. Not only does the company offer supply chain engineering and technical support, but Smith also provides in-house emergency fabrication of custom MRO components to minimize downtime for its customer-partners.

I am proud of what my family has built, and excited to join the Motor City team to begin a new chapter with Smith. Motor City’s strategic support, while respecting what makes us unique to our customers and associates, was the ideal partnership for the future of Smith Fastener.

Brian Smith
Executive Vice President & General Manager

About Motor City Industrial

Motor City Industrial (“Motor City”) is a wholesale industrial supplier of fasteners, bearings and consumable products to Automation, Defense, Manufacturing, OEMs and Maintenance & Repair Operations customers across the Midwest and Southeast. The Hazel Park, Michigan-based company operates two additional locations in southeast Michigan in Farmington Hills and Auburn Hills, as well as its EMCO brand in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more than 50 years, Motor City Industrial has offered customers the combined power of smart inventory management systems, supply chain mapping technology and product specialists with extensive experience deeply rooted in fasteners and supply chain management.

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