The AHMA / USA Pavilion Opens

Participating exhibitors with the AHMA / USA Pavilion cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the 2012 International Hardware Fair Cologne on Sunday morning, March 4, 2012.

Exhibitors include A & E Hand Tools, Atlas Homewares, American Hardware Manufacturers Association, Bigg Lugg / Ningbo Magnetics, DMT® Diamond Machining Technology, Dumond Chemicals, Inc., General Pipe Cleaners, Div. of General Wire Spring Co., Genova Products, Inc., H.D. Hudson Asia LTD, Home Right, Klein Tools, Inc., McKim Group, Midwest Tool and Cutlery Co. – Midwest Snips, Peli Products, Phifer Incorporated, Pinnacle Products International, Inc., Red Devil, Inc., Roebic International, Inc., Seymour of Sycamore, Inc., Thermwell Products Co., Inc., and the U.S. Commercial Service.

German Trade Groups Herald Economic Growth

As the 2012 International Hardware Fair Cologne opens its doors to the world of hardware and home improvement, German trade associations say the economic environment is positive.

According to the Association of the German Tool Industry (FWI), the economic conditions in the financial year 2011 were good. In fact, the association announced that its member companies had increased their total turnover by 11.3 percent to around €3.8 billion. Tools worth approximately €3.4 billion were exported last year. This corresponds to an increase of 11.8 percent. The development in the German labour market was just as encouraging: altogether, the number of people employed in the tools industry rose by nearly 5 percent. Nearly 40 percent of all companies would currently describe the economic conditions as "favourable".

However, the rainy summer temporarily slowed down growth in the home improvement/DIY centres, according to the Federal Association of the German DIY, Building and Garden Specialist Stores (BHB). Although the final industry figures will not be available until the beginning of March, the association expects that total growth in the past year will be between 1 and 1.2 percent. From January to October, home improvement/DIY stores posted turnover of around €15.7 billion. According to the association, items more usually associated with winter were not necessarily responsible for the good turnover in the last few months of the year. However, the relatively mild weather conditions, even at the end of the year, encouraged many people to start a home improvement project.

Although the year has not yet been evaluated, the Central Association of the Hardware Trade (ZHH) expects to paint a similar picture as far as its members are concerned. The hardware and household equipment retail trade with its range of power tools, fastening technology, small electrical appliances, household goods and security technology, expects turnover to have risen by about 4.5 percent in 2011. The turnover of the production-associated trade (PVH), which serves commercial end customers, increased significantly by between 7 and 11 percent in the first half of the year. Due to the slight fall in demand in the second half of the year, the trade couldn't maintain this rate of growth for the whole of 2011. However, it was still able to conclude the year well in the black.

The past year was also a good one for the House & Garden Manufacturers' Association, which expects its 131 member companies to have posted growth of about 3 percent. The final figures are not yet available; but the trend is already clear. In the first half of 2011, the partners' domestic turnover increased by around 4 percent, while international turnover even rose by around 9 percent.

New VP for Fair

Just days prior to the opening of the 2012 International Hardware Fair Cologne, Koelnmesse officials announced that Christoph Werner will be responsible for events in the House, Garden and Leisure sector, including the Hardware Fair.  He will succeed Metin Ergül, who is leaving Koelnmesse effective March 31 2012 to become the managing director of a company in the healthcare market.