Fastenal announces CEO transition
Fastenal Company CEO Daniel L. Florness has announced his decision to step out of his current role on July 16, 2026.
On December 19, Fastenal's board appointed Jeffery M. Watts, Fastenal's current president and chief sales officer, to succeed Florness as Fastenal's CEO effective as of July 16, 2026.
"The Board of Directors would like to recognize Dan for his impressive 30 years of service to Fastenal and commend him on the shareholder value he has helped create while CEO over the past 10 years," said Scott Satterlee, Fastenal's board chair. "This transition represents the next step in an orderly succession plan that began in August 2024, when Jeff Watts stepped into the role of president of Fastenal. Since then, Jeff has demonstrated an outstanding ability to align our sales teams around the common goal of delivering industry-leading value and service to Fastenal's customers. There is the complete confidence of Dan and the entire board for Jeff to be Fastenal's next CEO to further lead with the cultural values Robert Kierlin and the Founders established decades ago. We are very excited about this next chapter in Fastenal's history."
Florness, who joined Fastenal in 1996 and became CEO in 2016, expects to continue to serve Fastenal as a strategic advisor to the new CEO until early 2028. This role is designed to ensure a smooth transition of duties and an effective transfer of knowledge. Florness intends to resign from Fastenal's board of directors on the same day he steps out of the CEO role. The board intends to appoint Watts as a director to fill the vacancy.
"Fastenal is blessed with great people, and the opportunity to be a member of this team for 30 years has been an honor," said Florness. "Jeff has a great ability to spot and develop talent, a great ability to align people and resources in the pursuit of a common goal, and 30 years of knowledge serving our customers. I look forward to seeing him lead Fastenal into the future."
"Since joining Fastenal in 1996, I've seen tremendous positive growth and change in our business," said Watts. "I'm excited for what we can achieve in the future, and I'm grateful for Dan's leadership and mentorship. I'm honored and humbled to be the next CEO of this great organization and a part of the Blue Team."
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