SPRING 2025

32THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

32THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINKEric Dudas Fully Threaded RadioEric Dudas co-founded FCH Sourcing Network in 2006 and launched the industry renownedFully Threaded Radio podcast in 2010. With business partner and co-host Brian Musker, FCHoperates its widely used digital inventory marketing platform, and provides data cleansing andformatting services for fastener distributors across the industry. FCH also produces the monthlyFastener Distributor Index. Apart from industry punditry, Eric ponders the deeper existentialaspects of life driving a tractor around his small farm in semi-rural northeast Ohio. eric@fastenersclearinghouse.comUNTHREADED:INTELLIGENTLY REACTING TO NEW TARIFFSWorking through the thought process with anAI bot and a fastener parrot...Like most people working in the fastener industry,I’ve been preoccupied with the tariff story lately.As predicted by many, the mere threat of 60%aggregate tariffs on many product categories coming infrom China triggered buttpuckerment-inducing price hikeseven from suppliers in countries where the threatenedadditional levies will “only” see a 25% increase.I wonder, did the AIs forecast this?No matter, I just finished compiling the latestFastener Distributor Index report, and based on theabundant tariff related commentary we received on thesurvey this month, the price increases really are a thing.My guess is that tariffs will still be all the buzz by thetime this article hits the streets in good old fashionedprint on glossy hard stock, months from now.I still like magazines, by the way. They have a realfeel to them, and also because I can read them with noretina scan required.Speaking of print, I received a tear sheet from theChicago Tribune dated 2/25/25 via snail mail today,courtesy of the lovely and talented Lynn Dempsey. Shewill not give up her subscription to the old daily “news”rag, mostly for sentimental reasons, but also becauseof Harpo the parrot. He makes full use of every issue,putting down on the paper more of what the editorsalready placed there.Another thing about Lynn is that she’s also a littleCONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE“HARPO THE PARROT SITS OVER THE MORNING PAPER, WHEREHE DROPS HIS TIMELY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEWS DAILY.HE WAS FEATURED ON EPISODE 201 OF THE FULLY THREADEDRADIO PODCAST, AND APPEARS RANDOMLY, WHENEVER THERE’SSOMETHING TO SQUAWK ABOUT.”old school, and she doesn’t require her news to arrive attwice the speed of 6G hyper-accelerated light.Lynn sent the front page of the Tribune Businesssection which features a story lamenting the effects thetariffs are having on small business. The story continueson page two, which is the back of the front page that shemarked up for me to review.Speaking of small business, I wonder if this frontand back page is all there is to the newsprint Businesssection these days. If so, at least there’s one place inthe country left with no inflation in sight.CONTINUED ON PAGE 96