WINTER 2025

26THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

26THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINKEric Dudas Fully Threaded RadioEric Dudas co-founded FCH Sourcing Network in 2006 and launched the industryrenowned Fully Threaded Radio podcast in 2010. With business partner and co-hostBrian Musker, FCH operates its widely used digital inventory marketing platform,and provides data cleansing and formatting services for fastener distributors acrossthe industry. FCH also produces the monthly Fastener Distributor Index. Apart fromindustry punditry, Eric ponders the deeper existential aspects of life driving a tractoraround his small farm in semi-rural northeast Ohio. eric@fastenersclearinghouse.comUNTHREADED: AI REALITY CATCHES UP WITH THEHYPE - PRACTICAL FASTENER INDUSTRY APPLICATIONSIf there’s a third rail in the world of predominantlyfastener-related media, it must be the subject of artificialintelligence.Make no mistake, since AI first began appearing inheadlines, interest shot up as fast as the hype curvecould be fueled by breathless pronouncements on everywebsite, podcast and social media platform.Yet, as widespread as the appeal of this magicalnew technology seemed to be, the topic could kill aconversation faster than a cross-threaded bolt assemblyon a Monday morning production line.I realized this after publishing several podcastinterviews and a couple articles that resulted mostly inproverbial crickets chirping. Comparing notes with othercontent creators, I wasn’t alone.Run a feature story on AI automation? Offer awebinar for using AI in the office? Discuss the possibleimpact of AI for eliminating hydrogen embrittlement inour time? OK, that last one might have received a fewfacetious remarks, but otherwise you could count onplenty of crickets as far as discussion or feedback onyour production.But that changed for us recently after we ran acouple of conversations that touched deeply on AIissues on recent episodes of the Fully Threaded Radiopodcast (fullythreaded.com). The segments generatedmore discussion and commentary than we’ve seen ina long while, probably even more than the last CharlieKerr episode, to give you an idea. So there was a decentamount of buzz.CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLEJR PRAHL OF ONE MONROE KNOWS THAT THE AI POWERED FCHSCRUBBER WILL MAKE HIS FASTENER DATA CHALLENGE A MUCHMORE MANAGEABLE PROJECTDuring our October special report episode featuringWürth North America EVP Larry Stevens, we got on thesubject of supply chain technology. This lead us rightto AI. Larry imagines an AI powered future with end toend data transparency, from raw material producers toend users. He sees a world of improved efficiencies andgreatly reduced waste. As a result, the enhanced supplychain will be streamlined, vastly more powerful, and trulyglobal.CONTINUED ON PAGE 96