European Fastener Organizations Prepare for Changes

John Wolz

Editor�s Note: The following is presented by UK-based Fastener & Fixing Europe magazine as part of a news column exchange with FIN .
By Sarah Beaumont, Editor
Fastener & Fixing Europe
To a backcloth of agricultural unrest dominated by the recent outbreak of �foot and mouth� disease, and a large helping of preelection prevarication, the UK, with its ever-strong pound � relative to other European currencies � is still a more than attractive market to sell into. This does not help the UK�s producers who are still battling taxes, inequitable competition and now the introduction of the new Climate Change Levy. Acquisitions and takeovers fuel industry news as always.

Artex-Blue Hawk acquires Rawlplug
Anchor fixings manufacturer Rawlplug has been acquired by BPB and is to be integrated with its interior decorative products business Artex-Blue Hawk. Rawlplug employs over 200 people at its UK base and factory in Glasgow and has two further distribution businesses located in France and Ireland.
Whilst it will be integrated with Artex-Blue Hawk, the fixings business will be known as BPB Rawl and run as a distinct operation from Glasgow. The acquisition of the Rawl and Rawlplug brands and product portfolios are a further development of Artex-Blue Hawk into the UK�s leading supplier of decorative and lightweight building products to the trade. Annual turnover of the combined business is forecast to grow to �70 million (US$99 million) in the next year.

Corus Cutting Jobs
Corus Group (formally British Steel and Dutch firm Koninlijke Hoogovens) has announced a restructure leading to the closure of plants and the loss of 6,000 jobs.
Corus� carbon steel operations lost �301 million (US$427 million) in the nine months preceding July 1, 2000, mainly due to weak UK demand and lack of competitiveness in export markets.
The proposed restructure follows a strategic review of the company�s UK carbon steel activities earlier this year, which seeks to ensure a return to profitability through margin enhancement and cost reduction measures. In contrast, good progress has been made in the aluminum and stainless steel businesses.
Customers of wire rod were not expected to experience any change. Sir Brian Moffact told The Times that �direct and indirect taxes on business, such as high fuel costs, rising energy costs and the climate change levy, have all eroded our competitiveness.�

Textron Streamline UK Operations
On Fastener & Fixing Europe�s own doorstep lies a branch of Textron Fastening Systems UK. TFS recently announced plans to streamline manufacturing operations at the Welwyn Garden City site, affecting some 202 jobs out of a 620 workforce. The site, which supplies fasteners and various types of tooling to a range of industries, will now continue to focus on the manufacturing of commercial blind fasteners and inserts only. Aerospace and consumer businesses will be consolidated into other global operations.

Fastener Groups Prepare for New Standards, Rules
The Automotive Group of the European Industrial Fastener Institute (EIFI) met in Birmingham in February, covering subjects which included the �zero defect� concept, ISO/TS16949 (the new international automotive quality system �standard� which will affect all fastener manufacturers supplying automakers), and Chrome VI. New legislation from Brussels has prohibited the use of lead, mercury or hexavalent chrome in vehicles put onto the market after 1 July 2003. The quest to find a satisfactory replacement for Chrome VI is being addressed.

The European Fastener Distribution Association, founded in May 2000, focused its third meeting on the EIFI European Quality Act initiative and the enhancement program for member companies.
The European distributors will meet with the EIFI in Berlin in June.
Dr. Florian Seidl is president of the new European group and the German fastener association, Fachverband des Deutschen Schrauben Grosshandels e.V. (FDS). Other countries participating were the French �Prisme,� Italian �UDIB� and UK�s �BAFD.�
The statutes for EFDA were agreed to and signed by all member associations.

London Show Growing
To match demand, organizers of The Fastener Fair have reserved 50% more space than that of last year�s event, which took place at Castle Donington. The show will be June 27-28, 2001, at the new exhibition venue, London Excel.
This year�s show will present international fastener and fixing exhibitors together with two dedicated hand and power tool areas and an area for material, forming and processing. Trade visitors will be joined by large OEM�s for the first time.
Fastener Fair Europe will be September 19-20, 2001, in Maastricht, Netherlands. \
�2001 FastenerNews.com