Download Satelite no. 23 (June 2003) - Satair.com

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SHG and Linread Northbridge
By John Atkinson, Waterson Communications
Linread Northbridge has been a supplier to Satair Hardware
Group since the late 1980s, but since the implementation of
SHG’s DLF contract with Westland Helicopters, the
relationship between the two companies has matured even
further in line with the dramatic increase in the levels of
shared business.
Linread Northbridge has been evolving within the aerospace
industry for over 75 years since its foundation in 1925 for
the production of automotive and aircraft fasteners. The
Aircraft Products Division was split off in 1972, acquired by
McKechnie in 1994, and merged with Northbridge Fasteners
in 1995. Linread Northbridge has an operating unit in
Redditch and employs up to 102 staff.
At Redditch, Linread has developed the most modern
manufacturing and inventory management systems to
provide parts for both aircraft OEMs and the airframe aftermarket.
It specializes in aluminium, steel, stainless steel,
titanium and high-temperature alloy fasteners in lengths
from 2mm to 250mm, diameters from 1.5mm to 25mm,
and quantities from one to one million. It supplies these
parts into major global OEMs, and UK and foreign
distributors.
SHG (France) starts five-year
DLF contract with Eads Socata
By Rod Scott, CEO, Satair Hardware Ltd.
On 1 April, Satair Hardware started supplying parts to the
775,000 sq ft EADS Socata production facility situated at
Tarbes, France under a five-year single-source direct linefeed
(DLF) contract awarded in November last year. This is
the first such contract awarded by an EADS company, and
the first DLF system for SHG outside the UK. The
agreement will eventually cover the supply of over 5,000
part numbers to around 8,000 production line bins, and
annual sales are expected to reach US$ 5 million within two
years.
Socata manufactures a range of light single-engine touring
and training aircraft for military and civil use, from the TB
GT series of 4/5 seat high-performance piston-engined
machines to the 6/7 seat TBM 700 turboprop business
aircraft. Today, there are more than 5,700 Socata aircraft
flying in 65 countries worldwide, continuing the tradition of
quality-built aircraft started by Morane-Saulnier at its
factory near Paris 102 years ago. In addition, EADS Socata
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Linread Northbridge has an advantage over the main US
suppliers in that it can set up its production lines to do shorter
runs, particularly of UK and European bolt specifications
which are predominantly required by European markets. It
can also manufacture niche-type products. This fact, plus its
ability to constantly come up with new supply ideas and ways
of cutting costs, again sets it apart from its rivals.
Both SHG and Linread Northbridge are committed to
constantly improving customer service and supply chain
efficiency, and first-class communications between the two
companies are the basis of an extremely good working
relationship. Jonathan Medhurst is the purchasing manager
for Satair Hardware Limited, and he reviews the business
with major customers like Westland at least once a month
with his opposite numbers at Linread Northbridge. ‘We’re in
contact with the Linread team on a daily basis,’ says
Jonathan, ‘and this means that any issues can be resolved
very quickly. The relationship is open and honest, and we’re
always looking at new ways to improve efficiency. We will
always view Linread as a supplier of choice, as its products
are high quality, and it is reliable, responsive and
competitive.’
This relationship was undoubtedly a key factor in SHG
winning the Westland DLF business last November and in
routinely teams up with other OEMs such as Airbus,
Dassault, Embraer, and Eurocopter to participate in their
existing and new (such as A380) aircraft programmes.
There is no central store under this arrangement, as all the
stock is held at SHG’s facility at Senlis, north of Paris. A
dedicated SHG employee uses a hand-held data scanner to
check the stock of parts in the lineside bins at Tarbes, before
downloading the data onto the DLF management system
developed in conjunction with SHG’s partner Waer Systems.
The data is then electronically transferred to Senlis where
the replacement bag labels are printed and the stock picked
and bagged. This stock is then delivered to Socata, where
the lineside bins are replenished. The management system
maintains full traceability of all parts to the production lines.
‘Wining this contract against stiff competition is a
tremendous achievement for the Group, and it is one of the
first major DLF contracts of its kind in mainland Europe,’
says Rod Scott, CEO of Satair Hardware Group. ‘It has been
a real team effort to get this project up and running, and
my thanks go to all those involved including Daniel Poiret,
Jean-Michel Brothier, Laurence Dubuis, Valérie Moreaux,
and Christelle Lebeaupin. Thanks must also go to the UK’s
DLF manager, Kim Noyce, who has been a tremendous
support during the implementation process’.
Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier was based at Puteaux, near
Paris from its formation in 1911, then moved to Tarbes in
1941. In 1966 it was bought by Group Sud-Aviation and
renamed Socata (Societé de Construction d’Avions de
Tourisme et d’Affaires). In 1970 the head office merged
with Sereb and Nord-Aviation to form Group Aerospatiale,
and in 2000 Aerospatiale merged with EADS.
Linread Northbridge becoming a major supplier (it will
source about 20% of the total contract). The two
companies worked closely together during the tender
process and then continued to refine the details to ensure
continuity of supply to Westland. The overall objective is to
put together long-term agreements, with just-in-time
delivery developed to a fine art with neither SHG nor
Linread Northbridge holding stock.
Summing up, Kayren Randles, Sales Manager at Linread
Northbridge Redditch says: ‘Linread Northbridge is proud to
work in alliance with Satair Hardware Group in the global
aerospace marketplace. As we share common strategies and
goals aiming to benefit both our customers and ourselves, it
has made our collaboration a successful one.’
New faces in
Satair Hardware Group
Nathalie Martens joined
Satair Hardware SAS as a
buyer to support the Socata
DLF contract and comes with
several years of experience as
buyer within the industry.
Florence Noll comes with a
background in sales and
marketing and joined Satair
Hardware SAS as Business
Administration Secretary late
February 2003.
In late February 2003, Jean-
Michel Fontaine joined Satair
Hardware SAS. Jean-Michel
has been assigned a position
in the Logistics Department
and takes care of the delivery
preparation.
SHG’S super-salesman: Ton Eichelsheim
By John Atkinson,
Waterson Communications
Are brilliant sales people born for the job or do they just
evolve into it? That’s a question of Darwinian proportions,
but in the case of 43-year old Ton Eichelsheim, SHG’s
international Sales Director, it seems that he was born for
it. From a very early age he used to help his father out in
the family wholesale trade business, and accompanied him
as he sold his wares to the small shops in the Rotterdam
area.
Today, ‘Big’ Ton travels the world representing SHG and is
equally at home in China, India, the Pacific Rim, Eastern
Europe or Holland. Why ‘Big’ Ton? Well, if you don’t believe
that sheer physical presence is a major benefit for any
successful sales person, then Ton Eichelsheim will soon
change your mind. At 1.82 metres in height, weighing in at
120 kgs, and with a personality to match, Ton isn’t the sort
of person that potential customers can ignore!
After studying mechanical engineering at college, Ton joined
the sales department of Dutch hydraulics and rubber seals
manufacturer Doedijns-Dimag. Dimag had several Benelux
aerospace OEM customers, including Fokker in Holland and
Ton was transferred to this division of the business in 1985.
In April 1994, Satair A/S took over Dimag. At that time
Satair’s exposure to the OEM side of the aerospace business
was limited, so it was interested in Dimag’s portfolio of
OEM customers in Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
and the Eastern Bloc that would compliment its existing
after-market business. As a result, Ton found himself
working as the Benelux sales representative for Satair’s new
hardware division, with Fokker his biggest customer. Asked
what difference the take-over made to his working life, Ton
replies that the Danes at first found it difficult to understand
his ‘Monty Python’(a rather surreal 1970s English TV
comedy series) type of humor, but he adds that over the
years they’ve almost come to enjoy it.
In the latter part of 1994, Ton was asked to turn his
attention to expanding Satair’s influence within the Eastern
Bloc, unusually being responsible for both aftermarket
customers as well as OEMs, a unique position that still
persists today. ‘It has been suggested from time to time that
I should cease my involvement with the airlines and just
concentrate on OEMs,’ explains Ton, ‘as that is Satair
Hardware’s core business. However, the experience and the
contacts I’ve built up in both disciplines are extremely
useful, especially in some of the expanding markets where
there’s less differentiation between OEM business and airline
business.’
Over the years, Ton has built up a reputation for taking over
territories that others have been less keen to cover, spurred
on by his love of travel and his interest in different cultures.
‘Ever since I was first sent to the USA in 1993 to attend a
training meeting, I’ve loved traveling,’ he says. ‘Traveling is
part of nature, and I’ve always liked to be independent.’ As
a result, he’s worked in Turkey, Portugal, South Africa,
Yugoslavia, China, India and the Pacific Rim, but he’s always
retained Fokker (now Stork) and some Eastern Bloc airlines
as his customers.
China is of particular interest, both to Ton and SHG. Ton’s
been doing business there since 1997, and has seen sales
revenues increase from zero to a much more substantial
figure today. ‘The main market is dominated by Boeing and
Airbus sub-contractors,’ he explains, ‘and, as a result, there’s
a constant battle for business and margins are very low. But
traveling around this vast country I’ve found several local
programs that have been keen to use our products, and
where my knowledge of supplying both OEMs and airlines
has been invaluable in building relationships and business.’
With his recent elevation to international sales director, Ton
has naturally turned his attention to managing and passing
on his considerable experience to his teams. ‘Initially I kept
asking myself: ‘Can I manage?’ but I soon realized that
many of the things I’ve done, including chairing the board
of governors at my son’s school, have prepared me for a
management role. Now, managing seems to be just an
extension of the normal way that I work with people, and
I’m flattered that my colleagues seem to like my
management style.’
Ton has two main priorities. The first is to give SHG an even
stronger position in Europe and Asia, by developing closer
relationships at the highest level within customer companies
and by hiring more sales support if necessary. The second is
using his 20 years of experience and his impressive
personality to manage and stimulate his sales team to
greater things. ‘Sales people are often good at the technical
aspects of selling, but struggle with the human part – like
establishing a good relationship with customers. I never had
that instruction myself, so I want to set up open-minded
meetings where I hope to inspire people and make them
smile. Often sales people are too fixed in their ways and
views. To me, nothing in my relationships with Asian
customers is strange any more, although there are plenty of
cultural differences. I want to make others understand that
sort of thing and train them to use that knowledge to SHG’s
advantage.’
Ton has been living in a small rural village called
Bergambacht, about 25 kilometers east of Rotterdam, since
1972. He’s married to Marjo, and has two children – Linda
(16) and Martijn (11). An obvious question is how does his
constant traveling fit with family life? His son has the
answer. Asked by a teacher at his school if he finds it
difficult that his father is away from home so much, he
replied: ‘But that’s how he makes his money!’ In fact, the
whole family has grown up with his frequent absences, so
they all organize their own lives around them. One benefit
is that Ton works from home, so when he’s not traveling,
he’s able to spend all his time focusing on family matters,
including coaching his son’s school’s junior soccer team. For
total relaxation, he spends one week, each year, hiking in
the high mountains of Austria or Switzerland, and finds the
air at 3000 meters a marvelous stress reliever.
Rod Scott provides a fitting summary of this remarkable
man’s contribution to SHG’s success: ‘If I could create a
whole sales force of Ton Eichelsheims, we would outsell
anyone else in the industry, anywhere!’
Ton Eichelsheim, SHG’s international Sales Director
The new Cherry
lightweight power riveter
By Lars Sverre Rasmussen,
Product Manager, Satair Hardware A/S
The new G902-series lightweight power riveter has been
well received by the aerospace industry.
With its ergonomic design, compact handle and reduced
weight, it greatly reduces operator fatigue, but it can still
install nut-plate rivets up to 1/8” diameter and CherryLock
‘A’ code 3/32”.
The G902 comes in two versions depending on which
pulling head is needed: one series has ejection of stems in
the side of the head through the stem deflector. The other
series has side ejection through the pulling head.
And – best of all – it is sold at a very competitive price.
More details can be obtained from your daily representative
or by contacting Lars Sverre Rasmussen, Product Manager
at lsr@satair.com
Fastening the future
High performance ring locked inserts and studs are now
available from a leading source of fastening solutions
By Louise Phillips, Sales Analyst, Satair Hardware Ltd.
Ring locked inserts and studs were designed for resistance
to high torque-out and pullout loads. Both products utilize a
lockring that prevents the stud or insert from backing out.
These products are ideal for high fatigue and vibration
environments found in gearboxes, turbo machinery, and
vehicles for both aerospace and military markets.
Various materials and finish combinations are available as
well as internal thread-locking feature.
Ring locked inserts and studs are covered by ‘MS’, ‘DOD’,
‘LN’ and ‘DIN’ standards. The range includes:
■ Standard stud
■ Size-on-size stud
■ Hydraulic stud
■ LockRing
■ Standard insert
■ Captive lockring insert
■ Polyimide resin lock insert
■ Hydraulic insert
Shur-Lok – designs and manufactures quality aerospace
fasteners, delivering fitting solutions for the most
challenging applications. With a thorough knowledge of
customers’ exacting requirements, Shur-Lok – has developed
thousands of proprietary designs, many of which have
become industry standards.
For further details on the above and on fastener installation
and removal tooling please refer to Satair Hardware Group.
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