When do the AI job losses hit? Distribution Strategy Group chief strategy officer Ian Heller describes the advance of new tech impacting every level of the thread game (1:46:33). Meanwhile, the fastener industry faces a raft of other pressures, including tariff uncertainty and global conflict. The affable Jason Baines of J. Lanfranco offers perspective (23:38). […]
Is there more than hot air behind the CBAM regulations now in full effect in the EU? How should the North American fastener industry view these new mandates? Braving conditions created by inevitable climate change, the gas loving Charlie Kerr of Kerr Lakeside offers his views from the ski slopes of Lake Tahoe (1:42:54). Würth […]
Real estate advisor Marco Rodriguez has deep roots in the fastener industry. He reveals strategies for getting the upper hand in commercial leasing negotiations, showing why he has become the go to voice for advice on commercial real estate in the fastener industry. He also shares his thoughts on the impact of AI data centers […]
WIFI Woman of the Year and world traveler Darlene Collis of LSG talks shop and shows why she is the Fastener Ninja (1:05:51). On the Fastener News Report, Birmingham Fastener VP Anthony Crawl joins thread newsman Mike McNulty to marvel at the latest FDI numbers (19:18). Volt Industrial Plastics maven Heidi Volltrauer announces a voyage of her own (10:05). Carmen Vertullo presents his takeaways from the recent bolted […]
Tariff news: Just ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court major announcement on tariffs, Canadian fastener men Jason Baines, of J. Lanfranco and Hans Fuller, of Fuller Metric, discuss bewildering new changes to Canada’s steel tariffs that could cause serious disruptions. Run time: 23:61 […]
Fastener Distributor Index – Report #168 December 2025 Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 1/9/26 Key Takeaway: This month, the seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) jumped to 56.4 (vs. November 50.01), reflecting improvement across most components of the FDI (sales, supplier deliveries, and customer inventories), aided by a favorable […]
