CHARLESTON, SC, UNITED STATES, July 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today we’re talking about one of the smallest components in modern manufacturing—and one of the most important. You may not think much about nuts and bolts, but without them, our cars wouldn’t drive, our planes wouldn’t fly, our smartphones wouldn’t exist, and even the chair you’re sitting in might collapse. Joining us today is a man who has spent more than six decades making sure the world stays together…one fastener at a time.

What if one of the most important components in modern society was also one of the most overlooked? Take a moment to look around your home or office. Your desk, chair, computer, cell phone, cabinets, appliances, automobile, and countless other everyday products all have one thing in common—they are held together by fasteners. Nuts, bolts, screws, rivets, and other fastening systems are the unseen components that make modern life possible. Yet despite their importance, few people ever stop to think about them.

No one understands that better than Mike McGuire. Today we’re joined by a man who has spent more than six decades educating the world about these unsung heroes of manufacturing.

Close of Radio is proud to welcome Mike McGuire, President of Worldwide Fastener Sources. Mike is a recognized industry leader, educator, publisher, and lifelong advocate for American manufacturing, and today he’s here to show us why the smallest components often have the biggest impact.

He is a true visionary. And industry leader who has dedicated more than 65 years to advancing the fastener industry through manufacturing, education, innovation, and technical expertise.

“We’re the Rodney Dangerfield of components,” Mike says with a smile. “We get no respect.”

Behind the humor lies an important truth. Although fasteners often represent only a small fraction of a product’s material cost, they play a critical role in manufacturing, product safety, reliability, and performance. Everything from aircraft and automobiles to hospitals, electronics, construction projects, and household appliances depends upon selecting and installing the right fastener.

As Mike often reminds people, “Everything made has a fastener on it—or the machine that made that product does.”

A lifelong advocate for education, Mike believes one of the industry’s greatest challenges is that fastening application engineering is rarely taught in colleges and universities. Many engineering graduates enter the workforce with little formal education on one of the most fundamental aspects of product design, manufacturing, and assembly.

Determined to help change that, Mike has devoted much of his career to educating manufacturers, engineers, students, and industry professionals. He founded the American Fastener Journal to provide valuable industry knowledge and has created one of the world’s most comprehensive online fastener resources through Worldwide Fastener Sources and related sourcing platforms.

Today, his websites connect buyers with suppliers through detailed information covering more than 238 fastener categories and over 13,000 individual fastener types, making them among the most extensive fastener information resources available anywhere in the world. The goal is simple: make sourcing easier, strengthen industry connections, and provide the technical information professionals need to make informed decisions.

Mike also founded the National industrial fastener show in Columbus, Ohio 1981 which today is known as the International Fastener Expo which serves the purpose of expanding product knowledge and fastener sources.

Mike is equally passionate about strengthening American manufacturing and preparing the next generation of skilled workers. Throughout his career, he has witnessed tremendous changes in domestic manufacturing, global sourcing, and workforce development. Concerned about these challenges, he has written to elected officials to encourage greater attention to engineering education, workforce training, and manufacturing capabilities that support critical industries.

For Mike, these conversations are not about politics—they are about ensuring the United States continues to develop the knowledge, skilled workforce, and manufacturing expertise needed to support innovation, infrastructure, and future economic growth.

His vision includes expanding educational opportunities in fastening application engineering, encouraging collaboration between industry and academia, and helping young engineers understand that even the smallest components deserve careful consideration.

Mike’s passion for education extends well beyond the classroom. He believes experience matters just as much as theory, noting that many people sell fasteners without ever having installed one themselves. His mission has always been to bridge that gap by sharing practical knowledge gained through decades of real-world experience.

After more than six decades in the industry, Mike remains as enthusiastic as ever about educating others, solving problems, and inspiring innovation.

His message is both simple and profound: never underestimate the importance of the smallest parts. Behind every successful product, every reliable machine, and every remarkable innovation are countless components working together—often unnoticed—but absolutely essential.

Sometimes the things that hold our world together are the very things we overlook.

And thanks to Mike McGuire, they’re finally getting the attention they deserve.

Close Up Radio recently featured Mike McGuire in an interview with Jim Masters on Wednesday July 15th at 2pm Eastern

Listen to the Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-up-radio-welcomes-back-mike-mcguire-of/id1785721253?i=1000777027427
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-close-up-radio-242020413/episode/close-up-radio-welcomes-back-mike-mcguire-of-worldwide-fasteners-sources-338971602
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4skgzCY7MlmWBBzzBl4i3v

For more information, please visit www.usfastenersources.com

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+ +1 631-850-3314
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