August 2007 - CTMA: The Canadian Tooling and Machining ...

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ISTMA-WORLD CONFERENCE – JOENSUU, FINLAND
By: Les Payne, CTMA Executive Director
Approximately 170 delegates from 20 countries were
present for the triennial ISTMA-World Members
Assembly & Conference that was held June 9 – 14
2007 at the Sokos Hotel Kimmel, Joensuu, Finland.
Representing Canada were CTMA Treasurer, Horst
Just (H.J. Machine & Pattern Ltd.) and CTMA Executive
Director, Les Payne.
The Mayor of Joensuu hosted one of the dinners at the
City Hall and at the end of the two days of first class
speakers, delegates were treated to a Finnish dinner at
Restaurant Huhmari, complete with traditional dancers.
The following companies were visited in Finland (full
reports on them are available from the CTMA office):
• Abloy Oy (www.abloy.com)
• Fodesco Oy (www.fodesco.fi)
• Greenfox Oy (www.greenfox.com)
• Gritech Oy / Gritech-Tools (www.gritech.fi)
• Joensuu Science Park Ltd. / IMTEC
(www.darelian.fi)
• John Deere Forestry Oy / Joensuu Factory
(www.deere.com/fi_FI/)
• Okun Koneistuspalvelu Oy
(www.okunkoneistuspalvelu.fi)
• Toolman Oy (www.toolma.fi)
ISTMA COUNTRY DELEGATES
attend the ISTMA-World Conference in Joensuu, Finland
Several business meetings were held including that of
the ISTMA-World Executive, ISTMA-Americas, and
ISTMA-Europe culminating into the main ISTMA-World
Members’ Assembly. Highlights from these meetings
included:
• New statutes were approved.
• Mr. Joaquim Menezes (Portugal) was elected as
the new ISTMA-World President; Egon Jaeggin
(USA) was elected ISTMA-World Co-Vice President
and a representative from ISTMA-Asia will be
appointed.
• Mr. Harry Moser (USA) of Agie Charmilles was
elected President of ISTMA-Americas
• New members from Turkey, Latvia, Indonesia and
Pakistan were approved.
• New annual membership invoice date of January 1 st
was approved.
• Uddeholm and Sandvik to become the first ISTMA-
World Global Partners.
• Canada was confirmed as the host country for the
2010 ISTMA-World Members Assembly &
Conference
• Technical terminology is now available at
www.istmaterminology.com.
A two-day technical conference was held in the Carelia
Hall at the University of Joensuu. It is worth noting that
university education in Finland is almost free and this
applies to foreign students as well and many studies
are provided in English.
www.istma.org
WORLDWIDE BUSINESS CONDITIONS:
We participated in global trade discussions specific to
the machine, tool, die and mould industry and brought
home international market and business information
critical to the development of foreign trade activities.
Key among the market intelligence gathered was
information compiled by ISTMA Americas president
Harry Moser (Agie Charmilles) on worldwide business
conditions. In South Africa, Moser reported, tool and die
demand was greater than 0.6 billion Euros per year with
20 per cent being supplied locally.
The Asian report included evidence of a booming
industry in India with telecom and automotive markets
leading the way. China reported total tooling, die and
mould production at $7 to $8 billion with exports
representing approximately 44 per cent and imports 7
per cent.
In Europe, the Czech Republic reported all measures up
with Estonia reporting a growth rate of 10 per cent per
year – a country with no corporate income tax. Germany
as well reported an increase in orders of more than 14
per cent with an output of 4.1 billion Euros.
Russia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and
Finland all reported favourable to robust to booming
growth rates. The U.K. reported strong business
conditions in the aerospace, dental and microsurgery
industries, but has a suffering toolmaking sector due to
the strength of its currency.
Switzerland’s outlook was favourable. However exports,
which account for 73 per cent of the country’s die and
mouldmaking production, are down by more than 10 per
cent.
Continued on page 7
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6 CTMA VIEW – August 2007