Why Shopping for Building Fasteners is an Ongoing Job

Purchasing managers for contractors in any industry have an ongoing, ever changing task. Not only will they need to stay on top of the materials used in their projects (like lumber, steel or plastics), they'll also need to keep an eye on the fluctuating cost of building fasteners. Why do these prices change so much and what's the easiest way to stay on top of things? It's important to control costs, after all, and the materials and fasteners used are a major part of the overall cost.

Why the Constant Change In Price?

Fasteners are made from many different materials - including steel, brass, copper and nickel. These raw materials very often experience swings in price as the supply and demand go up and down. When that happens fastener manufacturers need to adjust their prices accordingly. And depending on the time of year that price change may occur on a regular basis.

The supply and demand of the fasteners themselves will make a difference to the price. When a distributor has stocked up on a certain type or size of fastener and demand drops, they will be keen to liquidate their stock. This very often means a good deal for contractors and building supply stores. Once demand picks up however, you can expect that price to change. 

The lesson? Buy early and take advantage of sales when the opportunity presents itself.

How Can Purchasing Managers Stay On Top of Things?

The very best way to keep up with price swings is by building a relationship with your fastener distributor. Talk to them on a regular basis, even if only through email. That way you can keep each other informed on the status of business and be primed to jump when a sale starts or act when the prices are about to shift upward.

Build this relationship with a distributor you can trust, someone who has been in the business for some time. An established professional will know how the market works and will be able to give you insight and direction. You can communicate what's happening in your own industry as well and this exchange of information will actually help you both.

The price of building fasteners can have a major impact on a contractor's or manufacturer's bottom line. Being aware of the patterns in the market and having an established relationship with a leading distributor will help you better weather the shifts in these costs.

Top Building Fasteners Contractors Need In Stock

Building fasteners are an absolute necessity for any contractor. Depending on the industry that you work in, there will be certain fasteners that you always need in stock. Running out is a major catastrophe and results in panic and chaos in the back shop. Have a look through this list of contractors and the building fasteners they can't live without.

Interior Carpenters

Woodworkers who create masterpieces of cabinetry, shelving and furniture need to stock up on small finishing nails, perfect for trim and tacking in pieces with the least amount of mess. It's also handy to have a heavy duty staple gun (or two) on hand as well as a supply of industrial staples. Wood screws are important as well - both in brass for interior applications and stainless steel for exterior applications.

Steel Fabricators

Whether you're a welder in a machine shop or working on the construction of a steel structure, fabricators need to have hex tap bolts and hex nuts on hand. Bolts may be the most common element on the material list, but if they are missing your entire project is only a heap of scrap metal. When steel cables are used, eye bolts are another must have, allowing this part of your project to be incorporated safely.

Renewable Energy Installation

Alternative and renewable energy is a hot market. Solar panel and wind farm installation contractors need to have high quality building fasteners on hand at any time, both for putting the systems in place and servicing any issues that come up. Aluminum brackets are a necessity, including mounting blocks, U channels and clips. Neoprene washers are another must have item. They are specially formulated to create a long lasting and dependable seal.

Exterior Structures

Home builders, decking contractors and roofers need nails. The 3 1/4" galvanized (for corrosion resistance) are incredibly versatile and are used for so many thing from framing to tacking and more. Roofing nails are also handy, and not just for putting on shingles. The large head and small shaft make them ideal for various applications contractors run into daily.

Contractors can probably come up with a list of their own essential fasteners based on their own work habits and typical job profiles. Building fasteners are what holds it all together and contractors are the skilled craftsmen and craftswomen that utilize them.

How to Build Up Credit at Your Preferred Fastener Distributor

Businesses of any size have a very difficult time operating without credit. Good credit will allow a company to take advantage of opportunities and sales, even when cash flow is tight. It also helps to ensure the materials are in stock well before the project is scheduled. When companies are just starting out they need to work hard at establishing good credit. Even established businesses need to jump through a few hoops when dealing with suppliers for the first time. Help your business by building up good credit at your preferred fastener distributor.

Start With a Manageable Order

You may want to put all of your requirements into that first order, but slow down. It’s better to submit a manageable P.O., then get it delivered, invoiced and paid. Do that two or even three times before placing a larger order. This may seem counter-intuitive, why not go for the gold and show this fastener distributor what size of an account you really are? Issues will arise however, if you can’t make that initial payment. Your attempt to build decent credit will flop.  

Start small. Those large orders will come in time.

Stay On Top of the Paperwork

It’s important that you track those first few orders carefully. Shipping and receiving should be checking the packing slips and purchase orders. Accounting should be checking them both as well. Look for proper quantities and price figures, as well as other essentials like taxation codes, remit to addresses and any currency information. This is no time to make a mistake, so watch carefully and keep the paper trail solid.

Pay Your Freight Bill

It is just as important to pay your freight bill as it is to pay the supplier. Sometimes this is a non-issue if the supplier includes freight costs on their invoice. Other times you will need to pay the shipping company cash. But if you have credit with the shipping company your fastener distributor prefers, be sure to stay on top of those bills as well. Otherwise you may have trouble placing an order without arranging ahead of time for third party freight.

Building up good credit at your preferred fastener distributor is a wise business decision. It provides the flexibility and savings that your company needs.

Finding a Fastener Distributor You Can Trust

What many people fail to understand is that successful business people work hard at building relationships. They work hard at their craft and are dedicated to the customer, but in their daily business dealings it is the relationships that make the most difference. One of the most important contacts that contractors and manufacturers need to establish and nurture is with their fastener distributor. This relationship is vital to control costs, produce quality products and stay ahead of technology.

What Your Fastener Distributor Knows Is Important

Fasteners are a essential component of almost any product and a wide variety of services. Contractors that install or repair structures, machinery or equipment will have constant need of fasteners in order to properly complete their work. And as that industry changes due to advancing technology, research and even the supply and demand of raw materials, businesses need to have up to date information.

Your fastener distributor will provide the prices and data you need on time, every time. But the best way to ensure this is by building a relationship with a trusted, established firm. If you are randomly contacting distributors in a bid for rock bottom prices your source of information will be unreliable at best. They won't know you and you won't trust them, meaning any knowledge they have to help you make better business decisions will be out of reach.

How to Build Up a Business Relationship

It's based on trust and honesty. Start off by placing a few orders. Check their prices, by all means, and ask plenty of questions during the ordering, delivery and billing stages. Clarify things and establish a primary mode of communication (for example email versus phone calls, or vice versa). Then, pay your bills. When your fastener distributor delivers the product on time and you pay your bills on time the groundwork for a trusting relationship has been laid. 

The next step is to build on that.

It's important to communicate your needs to your distributor. They can't help you if they don't know what you do, what you want and what your issues are. Have them visit the jobsite if possible. Bring any product issues right to them and give them a chance to remedy things. You will be surprised at what results when you work together with the distributor, instead of simply picking off their warehouse shelves.

It is with these steps over time that a solid, beneficial and profitable business relationship can be built. Your fastener distributor can help you in your line of work, but it will take those first steps from you to make that happen.

Disadvantages of Buying Heavy Hex Bolts From a Catalogue

There are situations where buying from a catalogue – whether online or paper – is advantageous. Products or brands that you are familiar with can be purchased from retailers you trust through a catalogue. But most contractors will confirm that there are distinct disadvantages to buying heavy hex bolts from a catalogue without first knowing the level of quality to expect.

Surprises in the Mail

Mail order delivery is convenient, given that you can order from the comfort of the office and have the product delivered to your door. However sometimes these orders can result in a nasty surprise in the mail. When you are ordering from an unknown source the quality is also unknown, and when it comes to fasteners anything less than top quality is substandard.

Heavy hex bolts are, like all other threaded fasteners, precise components. When the machining has not been done well or the galvanization is below par you can anticipate problems. Perhaps these fasteners will be difficult to install or maybe they will fit incorrectly, resulting in a problem with the machinery, structure or equipment you are assembling. 

Because they are used to support a lot of weight, this style of fastener needs to be made well. And catalogue orders from an unknown source are a risky bet. 

Brands You Can Trust

If you find a reputable fastener distributor who has a familiar brand in stock, by all means order through an online or paper catalogue. Just be sure that it is a brand of heavy hex bolts you’ve used, that way you can be confident in the quality behind the order.

There are certain instances where you can order a smaller quantity, as a test so to speak. This will allow you to try new brands from new suppliers without risking too much. The testing process takes time however, since you need to order that smaller quantity, wait for it to come and then reorder the larger amount once you are happy with the quality. You may need to do this numerous times before you are happy with the brand ordered.

Be sure to ask about the return policies of any catalogue retailer. If there is an issue you need to be able to send the unused product back for a full or partial refund. Most of the time a restocking fee applies, but it helps to have this information ahead of time. Make the most of ordering heavy hex bolts through a catalogue by limiting your risk, ordering a trusted brand and getting all of the information about the return policy.