Henssgen Hardware, a woman owned and operated business established in 1978, has received a national certification through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Henssgen Hardware celebrates 40 years in business in 2018.
“The Department’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is designed to remedy ongoing discrimination and the continuing effects of past discrimination in federally-assisted highway, transit, airport, and highway safety financial assistance transportation contracting markets nationwide,” says the DOT website. “The primary remedial goal and objective of the DBE program is to level the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts.”
A small business may be determined ‘disadvantaged’ due to minority status, business size and net worth, and the amount of independence over business operations among other eligibility criteria. A business receiving DBE certification will have a greater chance of receiving Request for Proposals and being selected for federally funded contracts.
Henssgen Hardware, located at 43 Everts Avenue in Glens Falls, New York, stocks over 100 different styles of the most popular snap hooks, pulleys, quick links and assorted hardware in all sizes for Farm, Home, and Sport, and have many more items available.
In 2000, Ron & Nancy Shaw purchased Henssgen Hardware Corporation from Mittelman Overseas. They successfully carried on the Henssgen Brand distributing the rigging hardware throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean. In late 2013, the third generation of the Shaw family, Rachel Shaw Novak, purchased the business from her parents.
Since the acquisition, Mrs. Novak has obtained Women’s Business Enterprise/Woman Owned Small Business certification for Henssgen Hardware Corporation and continues to carry on the tradition of providing high quality rigging hardware to the company’s customer base. Mrs. Novak has a strong background in the service industry and providing exceptional customer service to her customers is a core value within the organization. She maintains excellent relationships with the long term suppliers of Henssgen Hardware and will not sacrifice on quality for price.
Henssgen Hardware, a woman owned and operated business established in 1978, has received a national certification through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. Henssgen Hardware celebrates 40 years in business in 2018.
“The Department’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is designed to remedy ongoing discrimination and the continuing effects of past discrimination in federally-assisted highway, transit, airport, and highway safety financial assistance transportation contracting markets nationwide,” says the DOT website. “The primary remedial goal and objective of the DBE program is to level the playing field by providing small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts.”
A small business may be determined ‘disadvantaged’ due to minority status, business size and net worth, and the amount of independence over business operations among other eligibility criteria. A business receiving DBE certification will have a greater chance of receiving Request for Proposals and being selected for federally funded contracts.
Henssgen Hardware, located at 43 Everts Avenue in Glens Falls, New York, stocks over 100 different styles of the most popular snap hooks, pulleys, quick links and assorted hardware in all sizes for Farm, Home, and Sport, and have many more items available.
In 2000, Ron & Nancy Shaw purchased Henssgen Hardware Corporation from Mittelman Overseas. They successfully carried on the Henssgen Brand distributing the rigging hardware throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean. In late 2013, the third generation of the Shaw family, Rachel Shaw Novak, purchased the business from her parents.
Since the acquisition, Mrs. Novak has obtained Women’s Business Enterprise/Woman Owned Small Business certification for Henssgen Hardware Corporation and continues to carry on the tradition of providing high quality rigging hardware to the company’s customer base. Mrs. Novak has a strong background in the service industry and providing exceptional customer service to her customers is a core value within the organization. She maintains excellent relationships with the long term suppliers of Henssgen Hardware and will not sacrifice on quality for price.
Although we’ve been around for nearly 40 years, we’re not the best retail and wholesale hardware distributor because we’re one of the oldest. We’re one of the oldest because we are the best.
We got that way by not resting on our laurels and always partnering with the highest quality manufacturers of rigging hardware in the world. We’ve also kept up with the times, when it comes to online technology and customer service.
Our easy to access online catalog and our pain-free online membership enrollment page make becoming a customer, establishing a line of credit, and placing orders easier than ever. And, because we know that customers are increasingly turning to online procurement, we have just added Paypal to our list of services, and we are planning on adding other payment options – such as Venmo – in the very near future.
Why online ordering helps your bottom line
When you become an online customer and begin placing orders electronically, you will quickly discover that you are saving your company money by cutting down on administrative costs, unnecessary additional paperwork and red tape.
Remember all those checks you used to write at the end of the month? Just think about the printing costs, the costs of the checks themselves, and the labor costs associated with accounts payable. Now, you can quickly place your order, review it, confirm it and pay for it – all in a few easy steps.
Services like PayPal and Venmo are convenient, secure and cost-effective. You know that your order has been placed and paid for and is on its way to your shipping dock.
So, keep up with the times by shopping for your hardware inventory from Henssgen – where we sell rigging hardware – and offer procurement software – that you can rely on!
Keep track of where we’ll be this Fall
From September 12-14, Henssgen Hardware will be in Atlantic City, NJ for the annual Bradley Caldwell Show. Bradley Caldwell, Inc., is one of the biggest dealers in equipment for farmers, equine and livestock, backyards, pet supplies, barn and veterinary products, and more. From there, we’ll be in Alabama for the HDW tradeshow, followed by a stop in Orlando to attend the “Go for the Greens” conference for women entrepreneurs seeking supplier diversity opportunities through exclusive access to companies, government agencies and non-profits.
So, it’s going to be a busy month for us at Henssgen. But, thanks to our commitment to the highest level of customer service and support, you will have 24-7 access to our product catalog and customer service representatives when you need it.
While it hasn’t been around for quite as long as the wheel, EDI has been and continues to be an important tool for businesses looking to establish and maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Simply defined, EDI – which stands for Electronic Data Interchange – is the capability to send and receive business documents electronically and in a specific format. The ability to send and receive Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Invoices, Shipping Notifications and Receipts, Contracts – the list goes on – gives trading partners the ability to interface rapidly, efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. This is critical in the realm of rapidly flowing commercial transactions.
When it was first introduced, EDI was used mainly by just the very large companies. As EDI has become ubiquitous, the costs of software or hosting platforms is now something that small and mid-sized companies can afford. In fact, not to do so means risking losing the opportunity to grow and expand your company’s reach.
Henssgen Hardware Corporation, which is a family owned and operated business serving customers for more than thirty years, is excited about what this means for our customers. We can now interface in a more rapid, efficient and – above all – a more cost effective manner. We have partnered with True Commerce, which supports and integrates with all of the most popular ERPs, which means that we are probably already compatible with your EDI systems.
EDI also interfaces directly with most Quickbooks programs, which means another step saved for our customers and our own accounts department. In fact, True Commerce is rated as “preferred for Quickbooks,” and it is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.
In other words, our EDI system enables Henssgen Hardware to easily connect with virtually any trading partner.
So, when considering who you want to do business with, consider how Henssgen’s new EDI capabilities can enhance the trading partner relationship, saving time, money and probably also saving some headaches.
Posted by Rachel Novak on | Comments Off on 316 vs. 304 Grade Stainless Steel: Similarities and Differences
Stainless steel hardware comes in a variety of grades and finishes. These different classifications of steel are used to meet differing environmental and physical demands. When selecting stainless steel hardware, it is important to understand the differences between the variety of grades and finishes available so you can choose the products that will work most safely and effectively for your purposes.
Metal hardware products are often composed of either 304 grade or 316 grade stainless steel. It’s difficult to distinguish between these two types of steel visually, but significant differences between the two steel types do exist and are important to understand. Below is a basic guide to the similarities and differences of 304 grade and 316 grade stainless steel.
1. Composition
The first key difference between 304 grade stainless steel and 316 grade stainless steel relates to composition. Steels are classified in part based on chromium and alloy content and crystalline structure. Austenitic steel – also known as 300 series steel – contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This type of steel is incredibly common; about 70% of stainless steel products are composed of austenitic steel. 304 grade stainless steel is considered to be austenitic, while 316 grade stainless steel is considered to be superaustenitic – meaning it contains a higher content of molybdenum, nitrogen and nickel, making it more resistant to corrosion and stress.
2. Resistance to Corrosion
While both 304 and 316 grade stainless steels are resistant to corrosion, 316 grade stainless steel provides a higher degree of corrosion resistance than 304 grade steel because it includes molybdenum in its composition. As a result, 316 grade stainless steel is better suited for resisting extreme environmental conditions like salt water, de-icing salts, brine solutions and exposure to chemicals. Though 304 grade stainless steel will resist corrosion for a time, it will eventually begin to tarnish.
3. Uses
Stainless steel type 304 is used frequently in a variety of contexts. It is often found in household products and appliances, including pots and pans, coffee urns, stoves, refrigerators and sinks. It is also commonly used in dairy equipment and the brewing and food producing industries. 304 grade stainless steel is also used frequently for nuts, bolts, screws and other fasteners.
Stainless steel type 316 is more commonly used in severe environments and for industrial processes that require higher levels of resistance to corrosion than 304 grade stainless steel can offer. This type of metal is often used in chemical processing equipment, to create fasteners and hardware used for industrial purposes, and in surgical implants. It is also frequently used in marine environments because of its higher resistance to tarnish and corrosion.
4. Cost
Typically, 316 grade stainless steel costs slightly more than 304 grade steel because of its enhanced chemical and production properties. The extra cost can be justified, however, because hardware made of type 316 stainless steel is extra resistant to tarnish and corrosion, enabling it to last a very long time.
Henssgen Hardware provides high quality, durable hardware products to consumers, distributors and manufacturers. Our products, which include snap hooks, pulleys, rings and chains, are made of high quality materials. Steel products distributed by Henssgen Hardware are manufactured with 316 grade stainless steel to provide enhanced durability and corrosion resistance.
To learn more about our stainless steel hardware and the variety of other products supplied by Henssgen Hardware, please visit our website, call us at 1-800-833-9598 or contact us via email at Rachel@henssgenhardware.com.
Posted by Rachel Novak on | Comments Off on The Value of Service
In November 2012 I was ready for a change and a new challenge. Up to that point my career had been in Human Resources and more specifically in the hospitality industry. Completely changing not only careers but also industries was a bit daunting but also pretty exciting. I consider myself a person who likes a bit of spontaneity in my life and I’m always motivated by a challenge.
So how was I going to handle now working and being immersed in the hardware industry? Well, yes there is a learning curve for the product knowledge but what I soon realized is my business is providing a service to our customers. Now that’s something I know very well, hospitality and customer service!
For many years I had the pleasure of working for a family business in Vermont that excelled at providing personalized customer service to their guests. That extra little attention you can provide to your customers can yield large returns to your bottom line. Happy customers will keep returning and buying more, it’s that simple.
It would be naive of me to think that we’ll never have a situation when a customer has a concern. As with all customer service scenarios, it’s all in how you respond to their concerns. First and foremost listening to the customers, allow them to fully express their wishes or concerns. Recap what you heard them say to avoid any misunderstandings and then move forward with a solution.
The art of excellent customer service does not need to be some complicated series of steps. It’s been my experience that very simple practices can have the best results.
Consistency in the service you provide to each customer large or small
Courtesy to all your customers-respectful & appreciative
Follow up, be attentive.
Providing this type of service to my customers at Henssgen is second nature to me, its fun and rewarding to know that you made someone’s day. Each one of our customers is vital to our business and our reputation in the industry.
Contact us today at 1-800-833-9598 to find out more about our products and how we may help you with your hardware needs.
Posted by Rachel Novak on | Comments Off on Looking Forward to an Exciting 2014
Happy 2014! This year has started out with a lot of new opportunities for Henssgen Hardware Corporation. On December 31, 2013, the company changed ownership and I took over the family business from my parents, Ron & Nancy Shaw. I am the third generation of the Shaw family to own and operate Haber’s Export Agency (www.habers-exports.com) and Henssgen Hardware Corporation.
My goals for the upcoming year are to grow our sales and customer base by working with a great local marketing firm and getting our website as efficient and awesome as it can be. I will also be obtaining my certification as a Woman Owned Business with the Small Business Administration. HHC not only works directly with several government agencies and the military but we also have several customers who are government contractors and who will benefit from doing business with a MWBE.
I am constantly learning more each day about our products and the business and very excited for the opportunities ahead. Luckily my parents and our loyal and experienced staff are a great asset for information and expertise.
Our product line is of the highest quality and material. As a small family owned business our reputation and customer service is most important to us and making sure we keep our customers coming back.
We have long standing relationships with our suppliers overseas both in China, Taiwan and Germany. Those strong relationships are vital to maintaining our excellent product quality. I will be researching additional vendors in Europe in the coming year to possibly expand our product line and continue to offer the best quality to the US Markets.
Looking forward to an exciting 2014!
Rachel S. Novak
President/Owner
Henssgen Hardware Corporation
Posted by Rachel Novak on | Comments Off on As a small family owned business our reputation and customer service
My goals for the upcoming year are to grow our sales and customer base by working with a great local marketing firm and getting our website as efficient and awesome as it can be. I will also be obtaining my certification as a Woman Owned Business with the Small Business Administration. HHC not only works directly with several government agencies and the military but we also have several customers who are government contractors and who will benefit from doing business with a MWBE.
I am constantly learning more each day about our products and the business and very excited for the opportunities ahead. Luckily my parents and our loyal and experienced staff are a great asset for information and expertise.
EDI also interfaces directly with most Quickbooks programs, which means another step saved for our customers and our own accounts department. In fact, True Commerce is rated as “preferred for Quickbooks,” and it is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.