Lowell Vonada

The Big Heel Fastener was invented by Lowell Vonada (1937-2013) of Lincoln County, Kansas.

Raised on a farm, Lowell spent such a huge amount of his time in the fields fixing fence that it almost seemed like a way of life. No matter what type of fence post fasteners were used to secure wire to posts, they never held up. No tie wire, nail or staple in the world could withstand the harsh weather in Kansas or the push and pull of heavy livestock.

This problem presented itself to Lowell as an opportunity to come up with something better – a fence post fastener that wouldn’t rust or fall off, or pull out if livestock pressed against the wires. And thus, the Big Heel Fastener was born.

Lowell engineered the Big Heel Fastener from scratch and spent years perfecting its utility. It’s a product he was proud to stand behind and he couldn’t wait to tell others how much time and money they would save by using his ingenious fastener.

When Lowell passed away in August 2013, the Big Heel Fastener carried on through his sons, Randall and Daniel Pickering.

Randy, Dan and their wives manufacture and distribute Big Heel Fasteners out of their shop in small-town Barnard, Kansas.

Randy and Krystal Pickering

Dan and Mindy Pickering