Fastenal Co
A distributor of industrial and construction supplies, Fastenal stocks nuts, bolts, safety gear, and thousands of other products for manufacturers, with signature blue vending machines (FASTVend and FASTBin cousins) restocking customers' shelves automatically. Founded in 1967 in Winona, Minnesota, its name comes from its original staple: fasteners. The founders' first plan—selling via vending machines—flopped, so they opened a storefront beside Bob Kierlin's father's auto shop; decades later vending became central.