Positive signs among celebrating suppliers

For 40 years Elmia Subcontractor has been a marketplace host, shining the spotlight on trends and creating value for the manufacturing industry. Future trends and positive signs for the industry through new business deals were also at the heart of this year’s fair.

Many voices at the fair confirmed that Elmia Subcontractor is the right place for both doing business and following trends.

“It is a really big fair with a good mix of different suppliers from basically the entire world,” commented Bo-Inge Stensson, Senior Vice President, Group Purchasing SKF. “There is a good representation of various technologies and the different products and services they can offer. The fair has developed into northern Europe’s biggest subcontractors’ fair and I believe it is important to have a platform where the leading companies can meet. You not only see the products, you can also make a lot of contacts at a fair like this one.”

“Elmia Subcontractor is the only natural gathering place for subcontractors,” said Henrik Berner, Strategic Sales, Lesjöfors AB. “This is quite simply the place to come to, and we get new customers every year.”

Subcontractor Connect, the fair’s matchmaking programme, is well known for its high level of effectiveness and was held for the eleventh year in a row. On the first day of the fair alone, 500 tailor-made meetings were booked between suppliers and purchasers.

“This is the third year we’re here,” said Ingvar Nilsson, purchaser at the Landskrona-based company BorgWarner TTS AB. “Of the companies we met at previous matchmaking sessions, quite a few have become important suppliers to us. We are growing strongly so we have a great need for new suppliers.”

Additive and innovative

This year’s conference on additive manufacturing attracted participants from the entire industry. They were given a picture of both the global state of additive manufacturing and how companies can become winners via more understanding and knowledge. The expert panel sent a clear message that both expertise in the technology and business strategies are decisive to achieve success.

“It is quite clear that this fair can contribute to spreading and increasing knowledge and improving Sweden’s competitiveness in additive manufacturing,” said Marcus Olsson, Purchasing Manager, Atlas Copco Construction Tools. “I will come here next year if there is a follow-up to the conference. I believe that the fair is educating many people this way. Hearing discussions at the conference, seeing the latest in 3D in the exhibition, and meeting the manufacturers who are leading the field – you get new ideas, that’s what’s happening here.”

The fair’s special knowledge and inspiration arena, Subcontractor InnoDex, again offered an exciting and innovative presentation of globally unique products, new materials and production techniques, which were shown for the first time in Sweden.

“This is where you always find the very latest, and what is exhibited here opens up incredible opportunities,” said Christofer Sjöberg, Key Account, Rudhäll Industri AB in Gnosjö. “It’s absolutely terrific, high tech and almost a little science fiction.”

Strong belief in the future

The latest statistics were also presented at Elmia Subcontractor. By tradition both the Scandinavian Automotive Supplier Association (FKG), and the Swedish Industry Association(Sinf) presented their barometers for the future. And despite a relatively weak current year, both groups pointed to a strong belief in the future and positive signs as soon as next year.

More than half, 54 percent, of Swedish automotive suppliers believe that revenues will increase in 2016 according to FKG’s barometer, and no less than 71 percent of subcontractors believe in higher revenues in 2016, Sinf’s barometer shows.

“Our driving force and strength is to create business benefit now and in the future, to be an engine for the manufacturing industry, and be a host for new business deals and contacts,” said Karla Eklund, fair manager of Elmia Subcontractor.

This years vistitor number: 14 289

For more information about Elmia Subcontractor contact Karla Eklund, fair manager, tel: +46 (0)36-15 22 61