Issue: 117 (May - Jun 2019)

With so many shows around the world, it would be understandable if Fastener Fair Stuttgart lost some of its appeal – with visitors and exhibitors possibly looking at other business avenues. However, after three hectic show days, and record-breaking numbers, there is no doubt that the show is still the must attend event for the industry.

We have a full report on the show including visitor numbers, quotes from exhibitors, photos from the show, and a breakdown of the winners of the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition.

For us, Fastener Fair Stuttgart is the perfect opportunity to speak to exhibitors and visitors about developments at their companies, as well as getting a feel for the market. The only problem is that there isn’t enough time to speak to everyone. For those of you who I didn’t manage to speak to, I hope you had a great show and if there is anything you wanted to talk about please get in touch.

One person we did get to catch up with during the show was Pietro Grandesso, managing director at Rawlplug UK, who spoke about the company’s 100th anniversary and the plans the business has for the future. For more, read the exclusive article in the Construction Fixings section.

Our Cover Story focuses on Bodegraven Metaal, better known as BOMET, and how the company has experienced meteoric growth over recent years to establish itself as a key player in the threaded rod market.

To add to this there are also exclusive insight articles on a trio of Dutch companies: Eurobolt B.V – and its recent warehouse extension; Stafa Group and its aim to guarantee quality and service; as well as the recent rebranding of Eurofast® Group.

For the May edition I also had the pleasure of visiting TR Fastenings headquarters in Uckfield, UK, to speak to Maddy Webb, director of quality, about the importance of quality within the fastener industry and how the Group’s quality strategy is helping it to work closer with customers to find optimal solutions.

Other feature articles include Danny Dandy, market development engineer at Bodycote, focusing on bolted joint consistency with stainless steel fasteners; Sam Rothwell, team lead at HSO, concentrating on how manufactures can efficiently run their operations and manage their supply chains in an uncertain market; plus Örjan Persson, BUMAX business development director, and Anders Söderman, BUMAX technical director, looking at the role of stainless steel fasteners for the most demanding marine applications.

Add to that the latest financial reports, acquisition news, and innovation developments, and you have a complete insight into the fastener industry.