FAST vs STM Comparison

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal's branch count and remain the firm's main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.

A merger between Italian firm SGS Microelettronica and the nonmilitary business of Thomson Semiconducteurs in France formed STMicroelectronics in 1987. STMicroelectronics is a leader in a variety of semiconductor products, including analog chips, discrete power semiconductors, microcontrollers, and sensors. It is an especially prominent chip supplier to the industrial and automotive industries.