Issue: #126 November 2020

Most people within the industry will be happy to see the back of 2020, which has undoubtedly been one of the most difficult years for a lot of businesses – with the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns globally making it almost impossible to plan even a couple of months ahead, never mind for 2021 and beyond.

Whilst the market conditions have been difficult, there are some companies that have been able to make the most of the situation, which is underlined by our special Made in eastern Europe feature.
Including companies from Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Estonia, and Slovakia, there are several manufacturers that have reported increases in sales and attracting new customers during this difficult period. Others talk about how the pandemic has impacted the global supply chain and what opportunities this might bring for the future. Covering a wide variety of products and sectors, it is well worth a read.

For the Cover Story we have an exclusive interview with Italian manufacturer Colombo Special Fasteners. Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge spoke to Sales Director Pietro Colombo about how the company has been investing in a ‘verticalisation’ process to enable it to take control of its supply chain.

Within our Insight section we have an exclusive interview with Annika Grässle, assistant to the executive board at OTTO ROTH GmbH & Co KG, who focuses on how the esteemed German wholesaler meets the needs and demands of the markets. There is also an interview with Marc Strandquist, chief executive officer at Optimas Solutions, who talks about the Group’s renewed strategy for delivering ‘manufacturing solutions’.

To add to this, there is the Testing, Inspection + Packing feature within Manufacturing Technology, which looks at the role testing and inspection plays within the production process and the key machinery available. Plus, there is an excellent Tapes + Adhesives feature within Products + Tools. This includes articles from Dr Keith Berry, technical service manager at Chemique Adhesives, on the pros and cons of polyurethane adhesives; as well as a piece from Dr Detlef Heindl, head of application engineering at Panacol-Elosol GmbH, who concentrates on ‘joining with adhesives’. There are also other articles that focus on the role of tapes and adhesives within multiple applications and installations.

Fastener Talk podcast
Whilst working hard on the magazine we have also finished the first series of Fastener Talk. However, don’t worry we will be back at the start of 2021 with a new series of interviews and podcasts focusing on key topics within the market.
Catch up on all of the first season podcasts by visiting www.fastenerandfixing.com/podcasts and make sure you subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts so that you
do not miss out on Series 2.