FAST vs WMB 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.

Williams operates the Transco pipeline, which connects the Gulf Coast to the Northeast United States. It has additional natural gas transmission pipelines connecting the Rockies to the Pacific Northwest and midcontinent. At the field level, it operates substantial gathering and processing assets in Appalachia and other basins. The company has also struck several power supply agreements.