Fastener Makers Retooling Global Operations To Stay Competitive
FEATURE
(Left to right) Phil Matten, editor of the European-based Fastener + Fixing Magazine; Onaya Yoshiteru, president of Fastening Journal Co. Ltd. of Japan; John Wolz, editor of U.S.-based GlobalFastenerNews.com; Mamoru Kashiwagi, executive director of the industrial fasteners edition of Metal Industry News of Japan; and Alexander Ostashov, editor of Fasteners, Adhesives, Tool & magazine of Russia.
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It was unanimous among fastener journalists touring Taiwan: Fastener sales plummeted in 2009, but distributors and manufacturers are reporting numbers are up thus far for 2010.
Onaya Yoshiteru, president of Fastening Journal Co. Ltd. of Japan, reported multiple manufacturers 2009 sales were down as much as 50%. The worst case he knows of was a company whose sales fell 90%.
Construction fasteners were down 60%.
“Since 2009 we have started to recover,” and sales are back up to 80% of previous levels, Yoshiteru added.
Rather than sales, Japanese manufacturers are now concerned about how to raise prices, Yoshiteru said.
Just before the recession optimism prevailed because month after month sales were running 20% over previous year.****************************************************************
7/10/2010
NEWS BRIEFS
Berner Launches Kuwait Operations
Fastener and C-class parts supplier Berner Group is expanding into Kuwait.
Berner of Kuwait W.L.L. will market more than 25,000 SKUs of items such as DIN parts, chemical products, tools, storage systems, drilling technology and electrical installations to the Middle East. The operations will be led by general manager Stefan Moench.
“This large catalogue backed by high response times, a solid logistics system, and the surety that 98% of items are kept in stock locally in order to arrive to clients’ doors as fast as possible, indicates that just as BERNER has done in the past elsewhere in the world, they will do the same with their impending launch in Kuwait: Leading the market.”
The German company said its Kuwait operations will offer the same commitment and skill that has allowed Berner to establish operations throughout Europe and Asia, including Japan, China and Taiwan.
Berner started as a automotive fastener supplier in the 1950s. During 2009 Berner achieved sales of EUR 856 million (US$1.08 billion), which included domestic revenue of EUR 306 million and sales of EUR 550 million abroad. ©2010 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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