Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA 5/6/20 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) for April was 40.0, deteriorating further as the full brunt of COVID-19 customer shutdowns was felt. Sales trends on a seasonally adjusted basis were again much weaker. The six-month outlook encouragingly showed some signs of stabilization, […]
As the U.S. continues the battle against COVID-19, much has been made about the country’s over-reliance on personal protective equipment, medicine and other medical products manufactured abroad. During the April 2020 edition of Fully Threaded Radio – the voice of fastenersclearinghouse.com – Harry Moser from the Reshoring Initiative drew a parallel between the lack of […]
The first months of 2020 were great for precision fastener manufacturer Richard Manno based in West Babylon, New York. With the rest of the country, however, executive vice president Jason Wagner and general manager Ilian Dimitrov watched business take a turn as news of a global novel coronavirus outbreak turned into actual confirmed cases in […]
Read More… from Managing through COVID-19 in the Fastener Industry
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
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 […]
Fastener Fair USA 2020 Moved to July 13-15 Originally scheduled for May, Fastener Fair USA 2020 has been postponed to July 13-15, 2020, at the Charlotte Convention Center. In a press release, Randy Field, Group Vice Presnt, Reed Exhibitions states, “Our number one priority is the health and safety of our exhibitors, attendees, industry partners […]
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?