Constructionshows
- 323 exhibitors from 23 countries
- Growing mood of optimism
- International demand gathers pace
- Buyers expected from over 100 countries
- Real world and year-round virtual marketplace
USETEC 2014 will take place this year in Cologne from 5 – 7 May. The organisers, Hess and Koelnmesse, once again expect buyers from over 100 countries to attend the world trade fair for used technology. 323 exhibitors from 23 countries will present their used machinery, equipment and services for virtually every branch of industry each day from 9:00 – 17:00. “We sense a growing mood of optimism among these suppliers,” emphasise Katharina C. Hamma, Managing Director of Koelnmesse, and Florian Hess, Managing Director of Hess GmbH from Weingarten/Baden, Germany. “There is strong and growing demand for second-hand technology in various regions around the world.”
USETEC’s partners confirm this assertion. The Federation of the German Export Trade (BDEx) in Berlin predicts export growth of three percent in 2014. Used machinery exports are expected to outperform the overall market and grow by up to six percent. “Above all, we base these optimistic forecasts on the recovering demand we are observing in Southern Europe and the continuing demand from industrialising countries around the world,” explains Jens Nagel, Managing Director of BDEx. “In Southern European countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece, we see a growing number of signs that the downturn caused by the financial crisis is coming to an end.” Nagel believes that reforms are slowly but surely gaining traction. “This is leading to an increase in the demand for used machinery and equipment – for example, in the food processing and metalworking industries,” he adds. BDEx expects further growth to come primarily from emerging markets in Asia, South America and Africa. “The nations of West and East Africa are currently profiting from the boom in commodities and are investing heavily in transport infrastructure,” concludes Nagel referring to road building projects and the construction or development of ports and airports in these regions. “Exports of construction machinery also profit from these programmes.”
Year-round online services perfectly complement the trade fair
Kurt Radermacher, Managing Director of the Trade Association for Machine Tools + Tooling (FDM) in Bonn is interested in the longer view. “In the long term, only companies that address the highly international nature of the used machinery market and have an active sales and marketing policy will be able to compete successfully.” Two key elements in such a strategy include, on the one hand, a reputable internet platform “like MachineStock.com – the website created 14 years ago by the dealers within the FDM who maintain their own stocks of used machinery.” And on the other hand, the used machinery trade fair USETEC, as Radermacher adds emphatically. “Nothing can replace meeting people face-to-face and exchanging ideas in person. We understood this when we produced a new and unique concept together with our trade fair partners Hess and Koelnmesse.” The USETEC brand is now synonymous with the whole world of used technology. “Our two allied websites USETEC.com + MachineStock.com give the event a year-round virtual presence and the trade fair in Cologne provides an opportunity to meet and touch the technology,” he continues describing the advantages of this approach. At USETEC 2014, the FDM has put the spotlight on the legal aspects of the used machinery business. Visitors to the FDM trade fair stand will be able to put their questions to an expert in customs law – especially regarding customs clearance in electronic customs administration (ATLAS and EMCS).
The leading international used machinery association – European Association of Machine Tool Merchants (EAMTM) – will also be at USETEC 2014 publicising its brand new internet service. “We will be presenting machinedeal.com in public for the first time in Cologne,” says André Skenazi, General Secretary of the EAMTM. “The new online database went live last year. It is a high-speed platform that gives buyers access to over 20,000 machines currently stored in dealers’ warehouses.” Skenazi also highlights the strong presence of EAMTM members at the trade fair. “More than 40 of our members from 12 countries will be participating at this year’s USETEC,” he says with satisfaction. “As in previous years, this makes us the largest international group of organised used machinery dealers at the event.” The stand of the Brussels-based association will once again be the central point of contact for all its members – with multilingual support for discussions with trade fair visitors from all over the world.
Working hard for strong trade fair business
The most important foreign exhibitor countries at USETEC are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy and France. In fifth place, just ahead of the USA, is Switzerland. The Alpine republic is home to the long-established company Netstal, which aims to find yet more new customers and refresh its existing network of contacts at USETEC 2014. Fritz Beglinger, Sales Manager Used Machinery, remembers one deal he completed at a previous edition of the trade fair in Cologne. “At USETEC 2011, we were able to sell a second-hand PET machine to a customer in North Africa.” Netstal has been one of the world’s leading suppliers of high precision, high speed plastic injection moulding machines for the past 60 years. In 2009, the company began actively marketing second-hand machines, which it has to accept in part exchange deals. “Our target groups are existing customers and new customers in growth markets,” says Fritz Beglinger. Netstal is enjoying considerable success, especially in Latin America. Five years ago, the company sold only one machine to this region but its sales there have since grown tenfold.
Klaus Rosenboom Werkzeugmaschinen-Handel is also hoping for “strong trade fair business”, as Jörg Ludewig, Managing Director, puts it. After all, used technology is the core business of this Bremen-based supplier and accounts for 80 percent of its revenues. Jörg Ludewig describes his business in just three words: “All things machining”. Central and Eastern Europe are an important market and Polish customers, for example, are extremely well served as one of Rosenboom’s employees is fluent in the language. The company is a specialist in so-called “turnkey projects”, in which the whole plant is set up and essentially ready to use immediately. “The customer can come to us with a diagram and a blank,” says Jörg Ludewig. “We then supply the machine and take responsibility for the programming and designing the tools.”
Renowned manufacturers exhibit at USETEC
As well as machinery dealers, the used machinery market and USETEC have long attracted significant numbers of manufacturers – such as KUKA Roboter. “As always at USETEC, we expect to have plenty of interesting conversations with new and existing customers,” says Tanja Heimann, Head of Refurbishment & Used Robots at KUKA Roboter in Augsburg, Germany. Selling refurbished used robots to new customers and restoring old machines for existing customers are important areas for the company. In both cases, machinery components are replaced, optimised and repainted in accordance with the specific customer’s wishes. “On the one hand, we serve the needs of customers with smaller budgets,” continues Tanja Heimann. “But we also sell to companies who have to operate integration plants, i.e. expand their existing plants with KUKA robots.”
Bomag, a USETEC exhibitor from Boppard, Germany, has been dealing in used construction machinery for decades. “After buying a new machine, many customers are looking to part with their used machinery,” says Bernd Rieger, Head of Sales Used Machines Germany at Bomag. “The problem is that they do not have enough contacts to sell their old machines effectively,” he explains. “That is why they take the opportunity of selling to us.” The market for second-hand construction machinery has been consistently strong for about the last five years. “Roller traction drive units and tandem rollers are in particular demand,” reports Bernd Rieger. “Demand for light equipment is also growing.” Back in the 1990s, Bomag sold used machines almost exclusively to the German and European markets. “Since then, we have put a greater emphasis on our global activities.” In 2014, Bomag will be participating at USETEC for the second time. “We want to show that there is more to our company than new machines manufactured to an outstanding level of quality,” says Rieger. “We can also fulfil almost any customer wishes with used machines.”
German quality in demand worldwide
fwb-Maschinenhandel is a supplier of used woodworking machines and is once again looking forward to catching up on “lots of international networking” at the upcoming edition of USETEC. The company aims to continue the success of its last participation two years ago when it completed a number of successful deals. “Good, used German brands stand for durability and high production quality. They are in demand everywhere,” says Sabine Budde. “And they are often available more quickly than new machines while being robust and capable of manufacturing products to a consistently high level of quality for many years.” Potential buyers who want to inspect a wider range of machinery than can be exhibited on the stand also have the option of visiting the exhibitor’s premises themselves. It is just a 2.5 hour drive from the halls of Koelnmesse to the company’s headquarters in Barntrup – a short hop compared with the distances travelled by many foreign visitors to Germany and USETEC. “Our warehouse and exhibition area covers over 3,000 m² and is always well-stocked,” says Sabine Budde. “Apart from a few large plants, we display our complete stock of used woodworking machines there.”
Alongside traditional suppliers of used machinery, USETEC also attracts an ever-growing number of exhibitors supplying specialist services. This year, one of these is BVS Industrie-Elektronik from Hanau, Germany. The family run company has been providing an extensive range of maintenance services for over 27 years. “We stock 30,000 replacement components,” says Florian Bätz, authorised officer at BVS Industrie-Elektronik. “These also include many subassemblies which are no longer repaired by the manufacturers,” he explains. Above all, BVS focuses on CNC and SPS controlled electronic subassemblies and systems made by Siemens. However, users of controls and drives from Fanuc, Indramat/Bosch Rexroth, Heller or Heidenhain can also contact the specialists from Hanau – telephone lines are now open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. “If necessary, we can dispatch a courier immediately to deliver replacement components,” says Florian Bätz describing the emergency scenario. The company also offers preventative replacement of components subject to high levels of wear and tear.
Visitors from every corner of the globe
S+B Maschinenhandelsgesellschaft from Karlsbad-Ittersbach is expecting brisk business at its USETEC stand. “We want to make as many new contacts as possible in order to sell machines after the trade fair” says Thomas Spaltenberger, Managing Director. The supplier of CNC controlled machine tools has observed that domestic and international demand are currently more or less in equilibrium. “Demand in Germany is primarily focused on the younger machines,” notes Spaltenberger. “Older models, in contrast, are frequently exported to other countries.” He is pleased that international trade with Iran has resumed after years of political and commercial isolation. “We have already noticed demand from Iran for these goods is returning.”
The relaxation of sanctions also means that greater numbers of Iranian buyers are expected to attend USETEC this year. Large delegations, organised by the trade fair’s long-standing partner Hudhud Trading, are expected from two further Middle Eastern countries – Iraq and Jordan. There will also be groups of visitors travelling to the event from Asia – from Sri Lanka, Mongolia, India and Pakistan. The same applies to a number of sub-Saharan African nations and industrialising countries in Europe, such as Kosovo and Moldova. South America is also mobilising: for the first time an official delegation of companies from Uruguay and Paraguay will be present among the trade fair visitors from over 100 countries. And once again, with large groups of Turkish buyers anticipated, the organisers expect that Turkey will top the rankings for the largest number of foreign visitors.
Kick-off with the 1st Cologne Used Machinery Forum
Incidentally, Turkey is also the country at the focus of the first Cologne Used Machinery Forum, which will take place shortly before USETEC on 29 April 2014. Recognised experts will report on their experiences in the international used machinery trade from 14:00 – 18:00. Participants will receive valuable information on preparing, executing and securing cross-border transactions. The lawyers from BridgehouseLaw together with USETEC and the Foreign Trade Association of North Rhine-Westphalia warmly invite you to attend.
USETEC features used machinery and equipment for every sector and branch of industry. USETEC 2014 will take place from Monday, 5 May to Wednesday, 7 May 2014 in Hall 9 and the adjacent outdoor area of Koelnmesse.
Source: USETEC