Daniel Island, SC – Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Michael McGuire is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence for his contributions to the Revival of American Fastener Manufacturing.
Mechanical fasteners are essential components in virtually every manufactured product, from automobiles and appliances to military equipment and infrastructure. Yet today, more than 85% of standard commercial fasteners used in the U.S. are sourced from abroad, predominantly from Asia. This reliance has left American manufacturers, especially small and mid-sized firms, exposed to global supply disruptions.
Mounting Supply Risks for Industry and Defense
The Defense Logistics Agency, which spends over $250 million annually on fasteners, is facing increasing difficulty sourcing key components domestically. Many standard items, including the commonly used ¼-20 finished hex nut, are no longer produced in sufficient volume or quality in the U.S. Even basic fasteners such as drywall screws are entirely imported.
This supply gap poses serious challenges in the event of global instability or disrupted trade routes—conditions that could bring large sectors of U.S. manufacturing to a standstill in a matter of weeks.
Education Gap Compounds the Problem
Beyond production shortfalls, McGuire identifies a lack of engineering education around fastening systems as a major contributor to the issue.Not one engineering school at the college level include formal coursework in fastening or joint design, resulting in new generations of engineers entering the workforce with little to no understanding of this foundational area of product design.
To address this gap, McGuire is partnering with Trident Technical College to establish one of the nation’s first dedicated courses in Fastening Application Engineering. He is also developing a comprehensive resource, The Fastening Application Guide, aimed at improving design knowledge and practical application across industries.
A Diminished Workforce and Eroding Capability
During major 20th-century conflicts, the U.S. was capable of producing hundreds of millions of fasteners daily—a scale of output that proved crucial to wartime success.
Skilled machinists trained to operate headers, threaders, and other specialized equipment are aging out of the industry, and replacements are scarce. This is the number 1 problem with domestic fastener manufacturers. Without a robust labor pipeline, even efforts to re-shore fastener manufacturing face significant headwinds.
Rethinking Fasteners as Critical Components
Despite their importance, fasteners are still categorized by many manufacturers as low-priority, commodity items. McGuire points to industry data indicating that a significant portion of product recalls—particularly in the automotive sector—are fastener-related, highlighting the need for improved standards, materials, and engineering oversight.
Reframing fasteners as critical infrastructure components, rather than cost-driven consumables, is a key step toward re-establishing domestic reliability and resilience.
Building the Foundation for Recovery
With more than four decades of contributions to the fastener industry, McGuire has developed leading platforms for education, sourcing, and innovation through Worldwide Fastener Sources and US Fastener Sources. His work now focuses on bridging the gaps in training, awareness, and supply chain capability to restore American fastener independence.
McGuire urges collaboration among educators, manufacturers, and policymakers to rebuild a secure, domestic fastener ecosystem before future disruptions reveal just how much depends on these often-overlooked components.
About Author
