6
NEWS
Spring 2011 bursting
with more opportunities
Following the extraordinary success of its 2009 event Fastener Fairs has announced
that its next Stuttgart show will take place over three days in Spring 2011.
In October 2009 Fastener Fair Stuttgart broke all records with the biggest fastener and fi xings
dedicated event ever to be staged in Europe. Since then the timing and duration of the next Fastener
Fair Stuttgart has been a hot topic of discussion throughout the industry. Now the organiser has
revealed that the 2011 event will be geared for even bigger and better things – with an additional
exhibition day and a move to the Spring, to kick off the trading season with the most exciting Fastener
Fair yet. There’s much more information on Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2011 on page 50.
The organiser has also confi rmed that Fastener Fair Budapest, expected to see substantial growth
following its successful inauguration eighteen months ago, will be its major event for 2010. Fastener
Fair Coventry, originally scheduled for June this year has been postponed, in order that the Fastener
Fair team can focus on its international events.
“The UK economy is characteristically slower to emerge from recession, and the show has reached
a maturity level where we need to step back and think about exactly what is needed for the UK and
Irish market.”
Trifast returns to half year profi t
In December Trifast PLC reported half-year revenue to 30 September 2009 at
£39.85 million (approximately 44.25 million euros), 32% down on the same
period 2008. Trifast reported a pre-tax profi t on the half year of £0.18milion
(£2.96m in same period 2008) compared with a £13.96m record loss, which
included separately disclosed items, for the six months to end March 2009.
Net debt reduced to £5.57million from £8.4million at the end of March.
The company statement notes: “TR is now moving steadily from recovery to rebuild. As a board we
remain optimistic about our future business outlook and, although challenging, we are still fi rmly of
the opinion that much of our recovery capabilities remain in our own hands.”
Trifast employee numbers were reduced by 20% since September 2008 to 864. The report
refers to a radical overhaul of TR’s purchasing and sales teams and says restructuring of its Asian
and mainland European operations is complete with the UK consolidation well advanced. Some
restructuring costs are included in the half year but Trifast says further signifi cant costs, as well as
benefi ts, will be reported in the full year published accounts.
Looking forward the report says: “Although early days, we have started to see modest increases
in our daily sales run rate. Our Asian and European operations are reporting an improved environment
and, although modest, an increase in operational profi tability. There also seems to be evidence now
of a few green shoots appearing in the UK which encourages us and underpins our confi dence in the
future.”
Full report at www.trifast.com
30% fall in Bossard 2009 sales
Preliminary and unaudited 2009 results announced by Bossard show annual group
sales at CHF 395 million (approximately 268 million euros).
This represents a 30.2% decline against a 2008 fi gure of CHF 565.7 million. Calculated in
local currencies the decline was 28.6%. Group sales for the fi nal quarter 2009 ran at 24.5%
(local currency 20.7%) less than same period 2008.
Analysed regionally 2009 sales for Europe were 32.7% down (30.5% local currency) at
CHF 224.5 million. American sales fell 29.2% to CHF 110.6 million. Asian sales fell by 20.9%
(18.4% local currency) to CHF 59.9 million.
Bossard says that in the fourth quarter 2009 the market environment either stabilised further
or improved noticeably, particularly in Europe and Asia, resulting in the fi rst quarter on quarter
sales growth since the recession started.
‘The positive signs of an upturn in demand continued in the fourth quarter’ in Asia, with sales
almost 14% up quarter on quarter. Quarter 3 demand in America was reported as ‘noticeably weaker’
partially for seasonal reasons but stabilised at a low level in Quarter 4.
Bossard describes prospects as “more favourable given the developments over the past few
months” adding “it would, however, be premature to anticipate an early and broad based recovery
in the industrial sector”.
Fastener + Fixing Magazine • Issue 61 January 2010
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