In October 1998, I purchased shares in a company called Fastenal. As the name indicates, Fastenal sells fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts, washers, etc.). The company was started in 1967 by Robert Kierlin in Winona, Minn. The first month’s sales were $157. Over the next 40 years, Fastenal opened more than 2,500 stores and now sells around 1.1 million different items, from janitorial products and cutting tools to plumbing accessories and abrasives. (…)
