Toledo, OH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/24/2006 --The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) is a not-for-profit educational trade association comprised of distributors, manufacturers, and rep agents of light construction, industrial, and related products. STAFDA membership also includes publishers of industry trade press (affiliates).

History of STAFDA:

Founded
Founded in 1976 by 18 industry leaders who sought to create an organization where manufacturers and distributors of construction/industrial products could interface.

Executive Director
The 18 industry leaders that founded STAFDA contracted with industry veteran Morrie Halvorsen to serve as the first executive director. Upon his retirement in December 1999, Georgia Foley assumed executive director responsibilities on January 1, 2000.

Phenomenal Growth
In the past 28 years, STAFDA has grown from the initial 18 founding members to 2,603 member companies. Membership is comprised of 1,152 distributors, 1,126 associates, 21 publishing affiliates, and 311 manufacturer rep/agents.

Dues and Benefits
Surprisingly, annual membership dues have remained constant at $350 since 1977, while services and programs have continued to expand. STAFDA members enjoy a "buffet" of over 70 different benefits where they can pick and choose what suits their business needs.

Annual Convention
STAFDA holds an annual convention each year in November for members to convene and take part in educational programs, seminars, and an exciting trade show that is always well attended by leading manufacturing, distribution, and rep agencies within the industry.

STAFDA's 30th Annual Convention & Trade Show - Technology & Consultants’ Fair will be held November 13-15, 2006, and represents the 30th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

According to Rebecca Gill, vice president of Technology Group International (TGI) (www.tgiltd.com), "This event provides an excellent opportunity for TGI to connect with STAFDA members, discuss their technology needs, and offer a complete enterprise wide solution. The trade show and technical presentation has been well recommended by TGI's existing customer base and we are very excited to attend this year's conference."

About Technology Group International:

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Technology Group International is a proven technology leader delivering Tier 1 application software functionality at a price performance level that can be readily accepted by organizations of all sizes. Specializing in software solutions for small and mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies, TGI’s integrated Enterprise Series software suite is a complete business process management solution. The product offering includes Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Warehouse Management System (WMS), Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), Decision Support System (DSS), Business Intelligence (BI), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and eCommerce. TGI implements, maintains, enhances, and supports its packaged distribution and manufacturing software solutions directly and via its channel partners.