Max W. Hillman Sr. started a fastener company serving independently-owned hardware stores. His emphasis on customer service, quality products, and an innovative spirit still shape the way we operate today.
Max’s two sons, Mick Hillman and Rick Hillman, joined their father’s company in 1969, as Hillman’s customer base and distribution network continued to grow. In 1982, Hillman Bolt & Screw was purchased by Sun Distributors followed by Max’s retirement shortly thereafter. Mick and Rick took over the day-to-day operations of the business in 1984.
During the early 1990s, the Company developed its National Field Service Group, which today includes 1,100 field service and sales representatives, to manage the complex assortment of Hillman products on its customers’ shelves. Over the next three decades Hillman continued to win new business, expanding from traditional hardware stores to big box and home improvement retailers, and into adjacent product categories through multiple strategic acquisitions.
During the 2000s, Hillman was purchased three separate times by private equity firms (2001, 2004 and 2010). During 2012 and 2013, Rick and Mick Hillman retired, respectively, after more than 40 years of actively managing the Company. Thereafter in 2014, CCMP Capital Advisors acquired the majority interest in Hillman. In 2021, Hillman became a publicly traded company, listing its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “HLMN” by virtue of a merger with a special purpose acquisition company ("SPAC").
Hillman’s legacy of service has remained unchanged throughout its history, and it continues to take care of its customers first.