Most fastener manufacturers believe OEMs are slow , unresponsive , or overloaded . That assumption is comfortable — and dangerously wrong. OEMs are not ignoring you. They have already decided where you belong . And once that internal label is applied, no follow-up call, price correction, or certification deck can undo it. How OEMs Actually Think (Not What They Say) OEM procurement teams are trained to reduce risk , not to explore possibilities. They do not ask: “Is this suppl