Founded in 1932 by Frederick T. Sahakian as Pilgrim Manufacturing, the company got its start making jewelry findings (the settings for rings and earrings). With the onset of World War II, however, materials became scarce and Mr. Sahakian was forced to make his own screws. Shortly thereafter the company was awarded with contracts to produce screws for the government. Pilgrim prospered and grew after the war, forgoing jewelry for screws, and in 1954, Pilgrim incorporated and became Pilgrim Screw Corporation.
The following decades brought many changes to the screw industry and to Pilgrim Screw Corporation, as designs and materials evolved with the country’s industries. Gary Grove married Fred's daughter Audrey, and joined Pilgrim in 1961, taking over as president in 1967. He led the company through an era when foreign manufacturers began to enter the market and distribution channels began to change, opening branches across the country and expanding its product offering to include other types of fasteners.
In 1986 Geoff Grove joined the company and opened a branch in Arizona to meet the escalating demands of the aerospace and military industries, providing them with the short run, quick turnaround orders they depended on. Within the next decade the company developed the ability to further expand its product offerings, becoming an integral part of the military-industrial complex.
Present day Pilgrim Screw offers even more than Fred Sahakian could have ever dreamed. The company’s ability to design, engineer, and produce the highest quality screws, bolts and fasteners in the industry, while still providing superior customer service, would have truly made Mr. Sahakian proud. Pilgrim Screw is still a privately held corporation owned by the Grove family.
