The most misunderstood aspect of the FCH Sourcing Network is the SourceFinder RFQ system. To clear up the confusion, SourceFinder Inquiries are RFQs that are sent to all FCH members who are set up to receive them. They are NOT based on a member’s inventory listings. Inventory Inquiries, in contrast, are sent to an individual […]
During a novel edition of fastener talk radio, we hear stories from industry insiders across the operational spectrum. Jun Xu of Brighton Best, Mike Topolewski of Perigee Manufacturing, Joanne Bialas of International Fasteners, and Matt Boyd of Parker Fasteners share their experiences, thoughts and feelings as they face the dramatic impact of COVID-19 with the […]
The Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) in March asked respondents to weigh in with their feelings about operating conditions as the COVID-19 hysteria began to hit North America. With stronger than average survey participation, 62% of respondents said there would be either a minor or major shift of manufacturing back to the U.S. as a result […]
Read More… from Distributors Expect Rise in U.S. Manufacturing
To increase the number of sales inquires from your FCH listings, follow the lead of top performing network members. Here are a few strategies they have in common. 1. List as Much Inventory as Possible Thousands of searches per week take place on FCH Sourcing Network and on any given day there can be over […]
Read More… from Top 3 Tips for FCH Inventory Listing Success
Economic distress in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown suggests deteriorating trade relations between China and the U.S. according to the newest Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) survey, completed April 3, 2020. The survey of North American privately held distributors of industrial fasteners also revealed that respondents feel the turmoil would result in only minor shifting […]
The Spring edition of Link Magazine features a story that underscores the importance of using the web and developing services as a way to insulate your company from increasing competition from marketplaces. The dreaded “Amazon effect” is the most frequently mentioned, but the field of competitors is growing as industry titans such as Grainger expand […]
Read More… from Are You Prepared to Compete Against Marketplaces?
The fastener industry was interviewed at the precipice of dramatic upheaval during the recent Pac-West/NFDA joint conference. None could have foreseen what was actually soon to unfold at the time FTR placed its microphone in front of industry fixtures Frank DeVito, Heidi Volltrauer, Jun Xu, Doug Ruggles, John “Cool Hand” Butler, Jim Howard, Hans Fuller, […]
Are services the critical factor for distributor survival in the new market? What caused the dramatic shift in the FDI reading? Which fastener association is best dressed? MWFA president Paula Evitts along with fellow officer, the debonair George Hunt III of Brighton Best, share their view of the fastener biz as they preview a quasi-milestone […]
Largely unavailable on any social media platform, the latest episode of predominantly fastener-related talk radio radiates fresh digital effluvia into the audio stream of a new decade, as Goebel Fasteners makes its podcast debut with North American VP Christian Reich (22:40). The Fastener Industry Coalition doesn’t have much of an online presence, but is under […]
‘Tis the season for wrapping up gifts and another year of predominantly fastener-related talk radio, as Advance Components CEO and chief gingerbread architect Suzy Cravens shares heartwarming details of her recent experience on Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge (1:21:36). Offsetting all the peace and harmony, digital distribution pundit Ian Heller, of Rapid Results Marketing explains […]
