What is weathering Steel and where do we use it? This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published May 16, 2020 as “What are Grade 3 Rivets” during episode 152 of Fully Threaded Radio. As often is the case, my Fastener Training Minute discussion comes from an email question. One […]
FDI – April 2020
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, […]
How Reshoring Impacts the Fastener Industry
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 […]
Managing through COVID-19 in the Fastener Industry
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 […]
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The SourceFinder RFQ Explained
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 […]
FTM 151: Extreme Temperature Limits
Standards aren’t always clear about fastener temperature tolerances This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published April 16, 2020 as “The Heat is On” during episode 151 of Fully Threaded Radio. There are three things that can help inform us about this. The first thing is believe it or not, […]
Episode 151 of Fully Threaded Radio is LIVE!
Fully Threaded Radio episode 151 “The NEW Fully Threaded” was published April 16, 2020. 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 […]
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Distributors Expect Rise in U.S. Manufacturing
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 […]
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Top 3 Tips for FCH Inventory Listing Success
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 […]
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Distributors: Manufacturing Not Returning
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 […]