Strong turnout seen at EPTDA Convention in Barcelona

The European Power Transmission Distributors Association (EPTDA) saw a strong turnout at its annual convention 2004, held in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 22-24, 2004. With 304 company representatives from all over Europe, it was the largest attendance for EPTDA members and guest companies since the trade association was founded in 1998.

Glyn Clarke, chairman of BRT Bearings, Wisbech Cambridgeshire, U.K., was elected to succeed Antonio Cammany, chief executive officer of Epidor, Spain, as EPTDA’s president in the coming year.

Malcolm Ormiston, director of international sales of Diamond Chain, Blaydon on Tyne, U.K., assumed the duties of chair of the manufacturer council.

The theme of this year’s meeting, “Changing the way of doing business,” was reflected in the many seminars conducted over the three-day meeting. “The change in the industry has been vast, and that change continues to gather pace,” said Clarke during the convention.

“The future will bring new competitors and fewer manufacturers, resulting in different ways of doing business. We have heard from our excellent speakers about some of the problems our industries face, and of the knowledge we need to survive. The EPTDA is dedicated to bring that information to the membership. Knowledge, as we all know, is power.”

Ormiston, representing the manufacturers within the association, said that “the EPTDA, being a unique platform for productive communication and networking between distributors and manufacturers, will become even more important with the enlargement of the European Union. We are looking forward to welcoming companies from East Europe at the next annual convention in Prague.”

The EPTDA 2005 convention in Prague, Czech Republic, will be held Sept. 28-30, 2005.

Headquartered in Brussels, EPTDA is the largest organization of distributors and manufacturers of power transmission and motion control products on a European level. EPTDA currently represents 191 companies from 17 countries, including the U.S. and Canada, namely 71 manufacturers of power transmission/motion control products, 114 distributors and six associate members that provide services directly related to the industry. The association has a target of 200 members by the end of the year.

For more information, e-mail info@eptda.org or visit www.eptda.org.