7/13/2011 12:07:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
EIFI Honors Lench With Dicke Award
The European Industrial Fastener Institute presented its Robert Dicke Award to Robert Lench.
Lench was EIFI president from 1992 to 2006. In 2007 he was made honorary life president.
EIFI president Anders Karlsson of Bulten AB said the award is presented annually to an EIFI member for significant contributions to the industry.
Lench started in the industry in 1949. He was the third generation of his family in the TW Lench Ltd. cold forged fastener manufacturing business near Birmingham, England.
More recently Lench has been a consultant to the Darlaston, Birmingham, England-based Caparo plc.
The U.S.-based Industrial Fasteners Institute awarded Lench its Soaring Eagle / Ward Leadership Award in 2007. The IFI cited “significant and dedicated statesmanship which has achieved a lasting bridge of goodwill and understanding between European and North American fastener manufacturers and organizations.
He guided the IFI on U.S. legislation that affected European producers and was instrumental in bringing the European Distribution Federation to work with the manufacturers on both standards and legislative fronts.”
In a 1997 interview with FIN, Lench – then the EIFI chairman – noted, “imports from the Far East and cheap production areas are giving us a certain amount of worry.”
Foreign competition will continue to increase, especially in low-grade products, Lench predicted in the 1997 FIN interview.
Fasteners will originate “wherever in the world manufacturing is cheapest. That will move around.”
He advised European manufacturers to export more. “Lots of companies haven’t spent as much time and effort as they should have,” Lench observed.
For the 1997 FIN interview with Robert Lench, click on Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com and scroll down to 1997 FIN – EIFI’s Lench: Europe Concerned About Dumping of Cheap Imports or click HERE.
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