By Kris Leonhardt
Editor-in-chief
GREEN BAY – How many stories can you start with “Three men walk into a bar”?
Well, that’s exactly what happened 25 years ago, when Packer Fastener got its start.
“The story that we generally share is that on May 4, 1998, three experienced fastener salesmen walked into a bar… and during those conversations, Packer Fastener was born of grit, determination and drive. After a long day of selling, and over a few brews, the three shared their start-up dream,” said Terry Albrecht, Packer Fastener principal and CEO.
One of those men, Terry Albrecht, grew up working in a small hometown hardware store, which he said “excelled at building relationships with customers and providing the highest level of service possible.”
It was his dream to someday own a hardware store with this type of connection to the local community and with the same dedication to hard work and customer service.
Terry shared this vision with his two coworkers, and they all agreed that there had to be a better way to conduct business. The three dreamed of working for a fastener distributor with the feel and work ethic of a hometown hardware store, and they decided to make that dream a reality.
The trio of salesmen opened Packer Fastener that summer at 1018 S. Broadway, Green Bay.
“Roughly a year after Packer Fastener began, the three owners were contacted by their former boss. He recognized the value of the company culture they were building, wanted to be part of the opportunity, and shortly after became the fourth partner,” Albrecht recalled.
In 2001, the first full-time employee was hired and the company hit $1 million in annual sales.
“Over the years, two of the partners decided to move on to other endeavors and sold their shares in the company in 2001 and 2009. Then a third partner retired and left Packer Fastener in 2016,” he added.
Today, Albrecht continues to lead the company as principal and CEO.
In this role, he has also ushered in the incubation of additional companies under the Packer Fastener umbrella.
Packer Freight, a freight brokerage and logistics company, was formed in 2019 and Albolt Manufacturing, a manufacturer of specialty fasteners, was added in 2022.
“Packer Fastener’s growth plan includes an intentional strategy of expanding throughout the Midwest, throughout Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin,” added Albrecht.
“The geographic expansion will include the addition of one to three new physical branches, per year, for the ongoing and foreseeable future. Growth is also underway in the National Sales department, which serves customers across the United States.”
For more information on the company, visit www.packerfastener.com/about.