SUMMER 2021

14 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

14 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK FCH SOURCING NETWORK FASTENER DISTRIBUTOR INDEX www.fdisurvey.com FULLY THREADED RADIO www.fullythreaded.com FCH FASTENER SEARCH www.fastenerscleringouse.com/search FCH SOURCEFINDERMEMBERSHIP www.fastenersclearinghouse.com/join SOURCEFINDER EXPANDS DURING SUPPLY CHAIN CRUNCH by Ellis Wyatt Everyone in the fastener industry knows it’s getting strange out there. Lead times are stretching to unimaginable lengths, costing issues are everywhere, and customer buying patterns never cease to amaze. On top of it all, inventory has become harder to obtain across the board. Still, fastener distributors are strongly optimistic about future business prospects, according to the most recent Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) report. Based heavily on record-setting sales activity, the trend of positive sentiment extended to a 12 month positive streak with the May survey, as the Forward Looking Indicator (FLI) came in at a robust 76.0, only slightly off the all-time high on the measure of expectations for the next six months. Less clear is the picture surrounding the numerous supply chain issues that have begun causing problems for distributors. Raw materials shortages, shipping disruptions, unprecedented customer orders and other influences are impacting fastener companies, who are increasingly finding themselves scrambling to locate inventory. One FDI respondent commented on the apparent conflict in trends, “Distributors are starting to run out of critical stock and domestic lead times continue to rise, but amazingly new orders continue to be higher than last year with no sign of slowing.” Another survey participant alluded to challenges related to the master distributors, “Suppliers are REALLY slow in shipments to distributors, and when they do have inventory, it could be coming from anywhere in the country. Lead times are out of this world!” As the market experiences this mix of brisk sales and increasing supply challenges, FCH Sourcing Network (www.fastenersclearinghouse.com) is reporting an uptick in usage of FCH SourceFinder, its broadcast RFQ system, available to all fastener distributors with no membership required. Supporting thousands of weekly users, and offering BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE over 1.5 million inventory listings, FCH has long been used by fastener professionals across North America to locate hard to find parts. Using SourceFinder, an inquiry can be sent across the network and delivered to the distributors most likely to have the part in question, even when the part is not listed on FCH by a member company. The typical SourceFinder inquiry is sent directly to over 100 fastener distributors, making it a powerful tool for confronting problematic supply disruptions. “FCH has always been a reliable source to find fasteners that seem to be in short supply. These days, that seems like every fastener we come across! With SourceFinder, the far reach across the industry gets you in front of a huge collection of fastener suppliers,” said Allan Weitzman of Jaycee Sales & Rivet (www. RivetsOnline.com). The SourceFinder system was devised to help distributors help each other. There is no charge for distributors to submit a SourceFinder inquiry, and responding companies deal directly with the requester. On top of that, the simple process takes only moments, and there is no obligation. While there is no cost to use FCH, only member companies can receive and respond to SourceFinder inquiries. In response to the rise in demand, an all-new membership package is being offered with SourceFinder as the focus. The new membership level is perfect for distributors interested in receiving product inquiries from companies who are in urgent need of product. No matter how long the positive sales trend continues, everyone in the fastener industry understands that supply challenges are likely to be with us for a while. FCH SourceFinder is a potent tool for handling the resulting inventory gaps. FCH Sourcing Network supports the fastener industry with a variety of digital inventory marketing services. Based in Ravenna, OH, FCH was founded in 2006. Tel: 877- 332-7836 or email eric@fastenersclearinghouse.com. FCH SOURCING NETWORK