Fastenal’s reported first quarter 2025 earnings with revenues above slightly above expectations, growing 3.4% year-over-year to $1.96 billion, and meeting earnings per share expectations. In addition, Fastenal experienced increases from large customer signings, growth in the number of customer sites spending $10K or more per month and growth in the average monthly sales per … [Read more...] about Fastenal Q1 Earnings – Tariffs take Center Stage
Pricing
Part 2 – Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Fastenal Investor Day Slide - March 13, 2025 It is unusual for a large B2B publicly traded distributor to share details at the level Fastenal did on their Customer Segmentation metrics recently. In this analysis of Fastenal's Investor Day presentation, I wanted to focus on the customer segmentation part of the presentation and on the very large end of the distribution … [Read more...] about Part 2 – Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey early returns are eye opening
The impact of tariffs announcements is unsettling the market and the short term and long-term impact and prognostications are dominating the news cycle for the Industrial Channel. The tariff impact on sentiment is clearly having an effect on channel planning and programs. Our Industrial Supply Trends Q1 IST Pulse of Industrial Supply survey early returns are interesting and … [Read more...] about Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey early returns are eye opening
Copper, Steel, China and More About Tariffs
This month has been an interesting one as a content provider for the Industrial Channel and keeping up with the Tariff news has been a daily occurrence. We published a column in our sister ElectricalTrends.com publication this week that we wanted to share with our Industrial Supply Trends Readers. There are some tariffs we know (China, imported steel and aluminum) and then … [Read more...] about Copper, Steel, China and More About Tariffs
Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Fastenal Investor Day Slide - March 13, 2025 One of the biggest stories I have been writing about this past year has been on Business transformation, and on the very large end of the distribution demographic landscape, perhaps no company exemplifies long-term, wholesale change than Fastenal. Yesterday on March 13th Fastenal held a close to 6-hour Investor Day presentation … [Read more...] about Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Now Open
The quarter started with bad weather in many parts of the country. From freezing cold to snow … and yes, snow in Florida, New Orleans, and Texas. While Mother Nature had her way the political winds from Washington, DC are also causing trepidation. Consider: Tariffs on China … Canada and Mexico On, then off, then on, then off / delayed, to now possible early April tariffs … [Read more...] about Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Now Open
Opinion: Industrial Tariff talk – Tips on how to prepare for wherever the market goes
This month has been an interesting one as a content provider for the Industrial Channel. We have been writing, crossing out, rewriting on the impact of tariff battles between the US, Canada, Mexico and China. We had a number of articles ready to publish then had to hit the stop button to react to another announced change. We have tariffs go from the "Let's get ready to … [Read more...] about Opinion: Industrial Tariff talk – Tips on how to prepare for wherever the market goes
What Industrial end customer trends are crucial for 2025?
In 2015 when I was on the HD Supply distribution team, I started some research with the goal of getting feedback to make better pricing decisions with direct surveys for our associates. We were roughly a $2 billion dollar business trying to improve our GM% and profits. Over the past ten years that survey has grown in size and scope to include end customers, distributor … [Read more...] about What Industrial end customer trends are crucial for 2025?
Inventory Positions could be the top growth driver for industrial distribution in 2025
Managing your inventory is the key to drive top-line sales and gross margin performance in 2025 – In a recent discussion with Brent Johnstone from ACTvantage we talked about how industrial distributors can increase gross margin without hurting top-line sales in 2025. When we both started into distribution, the prevailing thought for distributors and manufacturers in the B2B … [Read more...] about Inventory Positions could be the top growth driver for industrial distribution in 2025
Is your experienced associate led pricing model approaching a cliff?
If your winning pricing model is still being led by just your experienced sales team, it is probably time to make changes for the future. I had the opportunity to sit in on an excellent Pricing certification session that kicked off recently with my friends and colleagues leading the session from ACTvantage: Senthil Gunasekaran and Pradip Krishnadevarajan. Senthil and Pradip … [Read more...] about Is your experienced associate led pricing model approaching a cliff?
