An Interview with...
Federica Capelli
A familiar face at Fasten.it. We speak to Sales Executive, Federica Capelli, discussing 
the history of the platform and what she would like to see in the years to come.
If you have been a member of Fasten.it 
at any point in the past 17 years, chances 
are you would have spoken to or met 
Federica Capelli in person. She is a key 
member of the Fasten.it Sales Team and 
has built some valuable relationships 
with Fasten.it members over the years.
Tell us about your current role at Fasten.it 
and what you do day to day?
This simple question isn’t actually easy to 
answer. I try to keep track of everything 
related to the Fasten.it platform. I oversee 
the sales, but I also work closely with both 
the marketing and technical departments 
to always have a 360-degree view of 
everything related to the platform.
How did the Fasten.it platform 
come about?
The founder of Fasten.it, Carlo Ferri, has 
spent his entire working life in this sector. 
The creation of Fasten.it was driven 
precisely by the need to find the right 
supplier at the right time.
Fasteners may seem like simple products, 
but that’s not the case, and finding the 
right supplier is not always easy. Carlo’s 
initial idea was to facilitate the search for a 
supplier thanks to his in-depth knowledge 
of the sector.
How long have you been working for 
Fasten.it, and how has it changed?
I’ve been working here since 2008, so a 
long time!
I’ve seen several versions of the portal, and 
obviously there have been many changes. 
The underlying idea has always been to 
shorten sourcing times for companies, 
and I’d say the most important change has 
been the addition of the Marketplace, now 
called Inventory, which allows companies 
to receive order requests directly from 
the portal.
What do you enjoy most about your work 
at Fasten.it?
The most satisfying part is seeing a 
request for hard-to-find fasteners fulfilled 
by one of our members.
What is most challenging about working 
in the fastener and fixing industry?
Probably finding the right approach to each 
customer as they are all very different. The 
platform is used by manufacturers, small 
distributors, large stockists, but also by 
buyers from other sectors. It’s therefore 
necessary to understand what a specific 
customer is interested in and guide them 
in using the portal correctly, both as a 
sales and advertising tool.
How did your late brother, Paolo, 
influence Fasten.it?
Well, Paolo is the one who technically 
created it and developed the product, 
based on Carlo’s initial idea. 
He also always made sure to maintain 
direct contact with our customers to 
develop a product that could meet the 
needs of this specific industry.
How are you balancing being a mum and 
working at Fasten.it since welcoming 
baby Diego in 2024?
Having children and working is never easy, 
but I can say I’ve been very lucky here.
I’ll never forget the moment I told my 
managers Nicola Beer and Chris Howard 
that I was pregnant with my second child, 
at 40 years old and just a few months after 
starting to work for them. I have to say, 
they made me feel at ease right away, and 
I’ve always been supported by them and 
the entire team, despite all the unexpected 
things that being a mother entails!
In conversation with...
How are you finding the changes since 
BearingNet acquired Fasten.it in 2023?
It wasn’t easy at first. BearingNet is a very 
well-functioning platform that Fasten.it 
can draw on, but it was crucial to keep 
in mind that fasteners and bearings are 
different products, as are the companies 
that produce and distribute them.
The two platforms therefore require a 
different approach and having such a 
well-prepared and professional technical 
team was certainly a major turning point 
for Fasten.it.
From a communications perspective, a 
larger and more organised marketing team 
also bears fruit, such as the creation of 
our magazine, Let’s Fasten.it, already in its 
5th edition.
What would you like to see for the Fasten.
it platform in the coming years?
I’d like to see more companies put 
their confidence in our User Meeting 
as it enters its second year. It is still a 
Federica enjoying time with her children
Federica with her brother, Paolo Capelli (left) at 
a fastener exhibition
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