FAST vs WCN 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.

Waste Connections is the third-largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste and recycling services in North America, operating 113 active landfills (20 are exploration and production waste landfills and 16 are nonmunicipal waste landfills), 163 transfer stations, and 89 recycling operations. The firm serves residential, commercial, industrial, and energy end markets. Waste Connections entered the Canadian market via its 2016 merger with Progressive Waste. In 2024, 14% of consolidated revenue was generated from the firm's Canadian segment.