Wuppertal/Cologne – Wuppertal/Cologne – For the top decision-makers from the building hardware industry, the 12. and September 13, 2023 has long been marked in red in the calendar. For over 20 years, the E/D/E industry meeting concept of the so-called “Messe verkehrt” has been highly regarded by representatives from industry and trade. E/D/E contract suppliers visited the distributors in their bunks every 30 minutes, using the time to hold personal discussions and initiate or intensify business relationships. A total of 345 participants attended the two-day event. “Once again this year, we have fulfilled one of our central tasks as an association with our Industry Get-Together Special: To provide our partners from industry and trade with a platform that enables them to focus exclusively on discussions and networking with each other for two days in one compact location. In times of many digital meetings, face-to-face discussions are particularly valuable and effective – with the industry get-together, we offer the ideal platform for this,” summarizes Dr. Christoph Grote, E/D/E Managing Director Supplier and Product Group Management.
In focus: trends and challenges for the PVH
The fact that the current tense economic situation and the resulting decline in orders in the manufacturing industry are just as much a concern for visitors as the issues of a shortage of skilled workers, continuing high energy costs and inflation was reflected in the discussions among participants. “With the E/D/E network at our side, the current challenges are not necessarily smaller, but they are easier to manage in many areas. As a member, we not only benefit from the services, but also use the association and events such as the industry meeting to gain impetus for our business, but also to share our experiences,” reports Sven Steinrück, Managing Director of Steinrück GmbH & Co. KG.
Michael Hatke, Head of Supplier / Product Group Management Construction at E/D/E, knows that the current framework conditions and developments are keeping partners busy on both the distributors’ and suppliers’ side. “That’s why we, as E/D/E representatives, also took the opportunity to provide some impetus, but above all to capture the current mood in the market once again in a condensed form. As the organizer of networks for the E/D/E network, the market view is always crucial in order to be able to meet the requirements together and find solutions,” says Michael Hatke.
Personal discussions between participants and E/D/E employees focused primarily on the key topics of sustainability and digitalization. The requirements in the area of sustainability in particular, which are often associated with high costs for companies, provided a need for discussion. This is why the new E/D/E service offering in relation to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act has been well received: with Prewave, E/D/E is working with an innovative provider whose AI-based software solution uses machine learning and identifies risks in the supply chain. Members who use Prewave can access the necessary information from their supply chains easily, independently and transparently at any time via a single application. This will significantly relieve them of the high administrative workload associated with the LkSG, while at the same time making it much easier to comply with the legal requirements.
ETRIS BANK: Security for SMEs
ETRIS BANK informed interested members about its banking services and the advantages of the institution, which focuses on SME customers. “Our team used the framework of the event to hold trusting discussions with many existing and potential new customers,” reports Uwe Müller, Chairman of the Management Board of ETRIS BANK. The focus here was particularly on factoring; factoring offers customers complete protection against payment defaults, pre-financing of invoices and – if desired – the assumption of accounts receivable management. Factoring is an interesting financing alternative, especially in these challenging times – as individual as our members themselves. With factoring and other banking services, E/D/E’s own ETRIS BANK, as a corporate bank, is always at the side of its medium-sized customers to ensure their long-term future viability.
About the industry get-together special:
The E/D/E industry get-together special takes place every two years – in 2023 for the first time at XPOST in Cologne. The industry get-together is one of the most important events for the production liaison trade and its concept enables both members and suppliers to hold efficient and constructive discussions in a pleasant atmosphere. The networking concept was continued in two evening events, which gave the participants an additional framework and thus enabled a targeted exchange.
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: 20230915_EDE_Press_Release_Branch_Meeting_special
