# Who does Fastenal Company pay? Who are its key suppliers?
Canonical: https://valuechain.wiki/fastenal · Facet: suppliers · Updated: 2026-09-11T22:22:18.245193+00:00 · Source: ValueChain.wiki (cited money-flow graph)

**Citable summary**: Fastenal Company's confirmed suppliers/cost counterparties include 3M Company, Illinois Tool Works Inc.. Per the valuechain.wiki graph: 2 cost edges, backed by 2 dated sources, 0 of them primary filings (as of 2026-09-11).

### Apex Industrial Technologies (high)
- metric: Amount $125M · Q1 2020 · Amount invested to acquire vending-technology assets from Apex Industrial Technologies
- note: In March 2020, Fastenal paid $125 million for Apex assets including key patents, designs, software, licenses, and direct access to the vending-equipment supply chain. An SEC 8-K, Fastenal's earnings release, and Korean-language market research independently confirm the transaction.
- [confirms] Fortune Business Insights (KO, research, published 2026-08-03) https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/ko/industrial-vending-machines-market-103176: "In March 2020, Fastenal purchased industrial-vending technology assets from Apex Industrial Technologies."
- [confirms] Fastenal Company (EN, ir, published 2020-04-14) https://s23.q4cdn.com/591718779/files/doc_financials/2020/EX_99.1-3.31.2020-Earnings-Release-R35_Final.pdf: "We invested $125.0 in the first quarter of 2020 to acquire certain assets, primarily intangible, of Apex Industrial Technologies LLC."
- [confirms] SEC EDGAR (EN, filing, published 2020-03-30) https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/815556/000081555620000022/fast03302020assetpurch.htm: "On March 30, 2020, Fastenal Company purchased certain assets of Apex Industrial Technologies LLC."

### 3M (mid)  → /3m.md
- note: An official 3M catalog maps 3M global product IDs to Fastenal part numbers, confirming that 3M filtration products move through Fastenal's distribution channel. Fastenal does not disclose its purchases from 3M or their share of total inventory purchases.
- [confirms] 3M (EN, ir, published 2023-07-20) https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1770228O/fastenal-product-catalog.pdf: "Model, Fastenal Part Number, 3M Global ID, UPC, Full Product Description."

### 일리노이 툴 웍스 (mid)  → /illinois-tool-works.md
- note: A GRK product sheet from Illinois Tool Works' construction fastener business maps ITW part numbers to Fastenal part numbers. This documents Fastenal's sourcing of ITW-branded fasteners for distribution, although purchase amounts are not disclosed.
- [confirms] ITW Commercial Construction (EN, ir, published 2017-01-01) https://www.fastenal.com/content/public_notes/EB/GRK-sellsheet-2018.pdf: "ITW Part No, Fastenal Part No, Description, Inner Ctn Qty, Master Qty."

Reverse side: https://valuechain.wiki/fastenal/customers.md · Ripple: https://valuechain.wiki/fastenal/ripple.md

---
Full node: https://valuechain.wiki/fastenal.md · JSON: https://valuechain.wiki/fastenal.json