Spanish Open Days prove a success for British Manufacturers

Spanish Open Days Prove A Success for British Manufacturers

Hunter Grinders Ltd was one of several British machinery manufacturers who recently attended the Spanish Machinery Trading Company; Atica, Trade Open Days, held at the Montanya Hotel, near Barcelona in Spain on 3rd and 4th March, 2005. As Atica has only been the appointed distributor for Hunter Grinders since early, 2004, this was the first time Hunters had attended this event, which is held every 18 months.

The first day is used to bring together worldwide manufacturers represented by Atica and present them to the Spanish dealers, to look at new equipment being offered and to discuss benefits and sales points. An intensive seminar, which covered every manufacturer and product listed in the Atica product catalogue, followed a very pleasant buffet lunch. Unlike in the UK, the Spanish prefer to eat and drink first and then work into the mid evening, before resuming the social networking over a late dinner and into the early hours.

Day two was Open House with practical demonstrations arranged for dealers and their customers. Jose Fernandez, Managing Director of Atica and his son Juan, with assistance from their staff, had organised and executed an extremely professional schedule. All visitors were escorted around the grounds of the hotel where the machinery was on display. Each manufacturer was given a fair opportunity to demonstrate its equipment. Timing was very important to ensure that interested parties in the audience were able to get enough information before moving on, and those whose interests lay elsewhere were not held to long to in one spot to become bored and distracted. Translation from English to Spanish was given by Juan Fernandez.

Atica have a Jupiter 2000 precision grinder, which relief and spin grinds cylinders as well as sharpening the bottom blades, all back to manufacturer's original specification. The Jupiter 2000 was set up in the seminar area and a short presentation by Hunter Grinders MD Keith Cann-Evans was given to the dealers on day one. This was followed by a more intensive technical demonstration to potential users on day two. "We were impressed with the professionalism of the Atica organisation during the Open Days" said Keith Cann-Evans "Our relationship with Atica is still in its early stages and we are very keen to develop an awareness of our products within the Spanish Golf and Local Authority Markets. It was encouraging to see such a lot of enthusiasm for our product range. This was a very useful exercise I would like to see similar events, aimed specifically at the golf and Local Authority sectors, in other countries around Europe."

For further information please contact:
Keith Cann-Evans
Hunter Grinders 01207 270316
e.mail admin@huntergrinders.com

Photo (l to r): David Meharg, Synergy Products Ltd; Hubert Nightingale, Lewis Equipment; Brian Shinkins, Blec Landscaping Equipment; Gary Mumby, Blec Landscaping Equipment; Jose Fernandez, Atica; Mike Thom, UK Trade & Investment; Keith Cann-Evans, Hunter Grinders; Ian Robson, Hunter Grinders; Guy Stewart, Ariens Outdoor Power Equipment.