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| 2007
EPDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE HAS HIGHEST ATTENDANCE
EVER Keynote speaker Michael Moeller, of Beratergruppe Neuwaldegg, a consulting group in Vienna, Austria, presented “Strategic Innovation: Building New Growth Businesses.” He also moderated a dynamic discussion on the strategic direction of the association during the Distributor-Manufacturer Relations meeting. The results of the discussion will be shared on the EPDA web site at www.epda.com this summer. Also during the conference, George Southard, CPMR, of G S Sales, Inc., shared a custom version of the IAPD Plastics Applications Seminar, an in-depth look at a wide variety of plastics applications. The seminar introduced and reintroduced materials in a variety of applications to help attendees grow the plastics marketplace and expand their businesses. Highlighted at the conference were 16 exhibitors who displayed their products at the annual tabletop showcase. During the gala dinner at Combal.Zero, one of the best restaurants in Italy and the world, EPDA Past President Lida Arageorgis, of ARacryl S.A. in Athens, Greece, was presented with the Pacesetter Award in recognition of her leadership and commitment to the association. The dinner also included a charitable auction, where delegates bid on 20 items to raise 3.560 Euros for UNICEF. During the annual general meeting, members approved the association’s bylaws to complete its registration in Germany. They also voted on new leadership for the association. Giovanni Vesco, Angst + Pfister Group, was elected vice president and Fred Arnulf Busen, Polytron Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG, was elected to join the EPDA Board of Directors. Bryan Heath, Robert Horne Sign & Display, will continue his term as president. Photos from the conference in Torino are available online at www.epda.com. The 2008 EPDA Annual Conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, 15 to 18 May 2008. Watch www.epda.com for details.A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS
COMMITTEE Many thanks for playing an active and engaged role at EPDA. It was nice to meet so many of you in Torino. As we want to increase the group of members and also to distribute our ideas, we want to encourage you again to send contact names and e-mail addresses of those you think should receive this e-newsletter to our Secretary Mrs. Sabine Reinhold at sreinhold@epda.com. Please be informed that no member of the Board, EPDA or IAPD is allowed to see this information so you can be sure that your contacts are in the best hands. Many thanks for your assistance in increasing the recipients of this newsletter. Yours sincerely, Hans Winterleitner
MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT MATERIALS AVAILABLE
ONLINE The EPDA needs to attract new members to remain strong, vibrant and relevant. It is important that recruitment efforts are aimed at European distributors; manufacturer members are uniquely positioned to speak to distributors and carry this through. The association is particularly interested in new members from underrepresented countries. For more information, visit www.epda.com. |
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EPDA members are invited to submit news on their company and products for publication in EPDA’s E-Update newsletter. News may be submitted in any language, to be translated by EPDA staff, and may include photographs. Please e-mail news (in a Microsoft Word document or as text in an e-mail) to epda@epda.com. Please note that submissions may be edited for length and clarity. FLUOROTECH OY LTD.
OPENS NEW FABRICATIONCENTER, ANNOUNCES
NEW MANAGERS The center is located at: Mahliankatu 10, 37600 Valkeakoski, Finland,
phone: +358.400.601.081, kp@mhmuovitekniikka.fi, www.industrialpp.fi.
The facility is part of IPP, Industrial Plastics Partners. IPP
provides specialised plastics services and products in a centralized
way. The operations are run in a way that simplifies the buying
process, makes supplier liability more transparent, unifies the
quality and brings cost effectiveness to the customer. Industrial
Plastic Partners guarantee benefits for the customer from simple
plastic parts all the way to plant-wide operations. For more information,
visit www.industrialpp.fi. For more information, visit www.fluorotech.fi. You may also contact Christian Sundberg at cs@masterplast.fi. ONLINE GALLERY AT WWW.GEVACRIL.COM Every picture indicates the material used, its dimension and the
designer’s or fabricator’s name. The gallery, which was completed with the help of distributors and fabricators in more than 45 countries, will be continuously updated and has the aim to inspire designers, sign makers and engineers to create new and functional acrylic and polycarbonate objects. “The new web site gallery has all the visual information that a fabricator or a sign maker might need to make a decision,” said Antonio Villa, national sales manager. Go to www.gevacril.com/gallery.html for more information. |
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Articles reporting on plastic
products are prepared from information furnished by PERSPEX® HELPS CREATE A NEW CONCEPT
IN “FLOATING” FURNITURE
Inplas used 20 mm thick clear Perspex® sheet for the base and 6 mm thick sheet for the arms. The seat of The Lounger is made from 12 mm thick Perspex®, with 40 mm diameter acrylic rods guiding it as it hovers over the base, due to the opposing forces of the magnets. “The Lounger is one of the most exciting bespoke projects we have worked on,” commented Inplas Managing Director Trevor Smith. “Using Perspex® clear sheet allowed us to create virtually seamless joints to give the smooth, fluid contemporary feel that the design demanded.” For more information, visit www.perspexdistribution.com. |
| NEWS from the Industry |
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K 2007 COMPLETELY BOOKED “2007 is still young, but the initial results look very promising,” said Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the K 2007 Exhibitor Council. “The growth has penetrated all industry sectors without exception — from production/distribution through machine building and processing to recycling.” Suppliers of machinery and equipment are traditionally the largest exhibitor contingent at K. This year, they will occupy almost 111.500 square meters of net exhibit space — an increase of some 2.000 square meters compared to 2004 and equivalent to about two thirds of the total exhibition area. Halls 1 to 4 and 9 to 17 are reserved for this exhibitor group. Manufacturers of raw materials, semi-finished products and technical parts will be located in Halls 5 to 8a. Of that area, 36.000 square meters of net exhibit space (an increase of 5.000 square meters) will be occupied by the raw materials suppliers, accounting for a fifth of the total floor space. Covering 13.000 square meters of net exhibit space, the section dedicated to processors will remain at the same size as in 2004. The new Hall 8b will serve as the crossing point between the product segments. The nationalities of the K 2007 exhibitors will provide a complete overview of the global market. About 57 percent of the exhibition space has been booked by companies based outside of Germany. As in the past, Italy will be the leading foreign exhibitor nation, displaying their products on 30.000 square meters. Large exhibitor contingents will also come from Switzerland, Austria and Taiwan, as well as from France, Great Britain and the United States. Divided into continents of origin, K exhibitors from Europe (excluding Germany) have reserved almost 70.000 square meters (about 1.000 square meters more than at K 2004), exhibitors from Asia occupy 19.000 square meters (an additional 5.000 square meters) while North and South America’s share has remained almost constant at 6.500 square meters. Overall, companies from 57 countries will participate in K 2007. A preliminary list of exhibitors can be found online at www.k-online.de.ENERGY-REDUCING RESOURCES AVAILABLE
FROM RECIPE Manufacturers of machinery and equipment quote the cost of delivering their product to the customer, and purchasing decisions are often based on these initial costs. However, due to energy savings throughout the lifetime of a piece of equipment (and other costs), the actual cost of a piece of equipment is very different. The RECIPE “cost of ownership model” will enable processors to calculate the cost of operating a piece of equipment over its projected lifetime, based on energy efficiency and projected usage. The available reports will show comparisons of the lifetime cost of different machines as well as the differences in the cost when producing a specific part. For further information, and to download the free “European Best Practice Guide for Low Energy Plastics Processing,” go to www.eurecipe.com.CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS — GLOBAL
STRATEGIC BUSINESS REPORT NOW AVAILABLE Go to http://www.researchandmarkets.com for more information. |
| Industry Events |
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For a list of all events, please visit www.epda.com/industry.cfm PLASTICOS '07 51st IAPD ANNUAL CONVENTION K 2007 An EPDA member reception will be held on the evening of 30 October 2007. Please mark your calendars. More details will follow at a later date. EPDA Exhibitors:
Add your name to the list by e-mailing epda@epda.com. |
The
European Plastics Distributors Association boasted its highest
attendance ever at the 2007 EPDA Annual Conference in Torino,
Italy, from 17 to 20 May 2007, with 136 delegates from 19 countries. 
Fluorotech
Oy Ltd. has opened MH Muovitekniikka Oy, a 1.300 square meter
fabrication center, and Kaj Packalen will serve as its managing
director. 
The
amazing variety of the applications shows the huge number of possibilities
and the versatility of the material known as GEVACRIL® acrylic
glass and polycarbonate. While most of the applications are in the
visual communications field like P-O-P, P-O-S displays and signs,
others are technical applications in the light and building industry
and food and medical industry.
The
Lounger is the first of a range of revolutionary magnetic “hover” furniture
from British company Hoverit Ltd. Defying gravity, the unique design
uses opposing magnetic forces to create a lounger that floats in
mid air. The Lounger is comfortable, practical and stylish — sitting
on it is said to feel like “floating on a cloud.” |
Copyright 2007 |
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