"Our specialization, based on modularity and customization features, allows us to be competitive"

The Spanish Association of manufacturers machine of tool, AFM, organized together with Bilbao exhibition Centre (BEC) of the Spanish machine tool biennial. Before this only for the sector in our country, we interviewed Xabier Ortueta to hear their point of view of the current situation of the market and own fair.

Firstly, it is true that the order intake has been in general very good throughout 2007, and this circumstance involves the creation of an interesting portfolio of orders. Year although good, has not been uniform for all and while the milling has marked highly promising figures, the good news in the deformation have been withheld until the fourth quarter of the year.

By origin, foreign markets have been real tractors of growth, and not to the internal market that still growing has done so inadequately. In this position, we would like to think that the BIEMH is going to strengthen our domestic market order intake. The BIEMH is a national event of the first magnitude: the largest industrial exhibition of Spain and an appointment must for users of machine tool sectors. On the other hand, the international presence will be in this Edition not only large but as well as very good level. We must not forget that it is the fourth largest pageant of machine tools of all those who are held in the world. We have worked very hard together with BEC to invite buyers of first level both within and outside the country and believe that that is going to notice.

I think that a fair as the BIEMH has other additional goals to what may be the generation of surprise. We are talking about a sample that concentrates a full range of high-tech over 6 days. The companies will interact with clients not only showing its products and innovations, but demonstrating capabilities, offering solutions and dealing with different problems and needs of manufacturing concrete.

On the other hand, the large national events in the panorama of machine tools, complement very well to the EMO. Not all customers can go to the EMO, nor the EMO exhibition presents all the capabilities of our manufacturers. The BIEMH is an opportunity to make contact with the market, and in our case the best and most powerful available every two years. Finally, given that most of the machines we manufacture have a customer, i.e. not manufacture stock, as the BIEMH fair is an opportunity to see truly interesting teams see that otherwise would be difficult.

In general, the customer knows what he wants and has criterion. In addition the customer who buys assets of team, involving a strong investment, are forced to do a more thorough analysis, first needs and also of which is the solution that covers and will provide a greater return. Therefore, the client knows what they need and at the BIEMH is concentrated to various partners and companies, which will allow you to find among different alternatives that best.

"We are concerned about the uncertainties that have surfaced in the macroeconomic Outlook in the past few months, but we think that you despite everything, our client sectors will be further need to equip itself to be more productive, more competitive and add more value"

Xabier Ortueta, Director-General of AFM.

Machine tools, especially the higher value added, has long maturation periods. This, coupled with the good order book picked up over the last period is that much of the year 2008 is covered in terms of manufacturing. This makes us think that at the level of turnover in 2008 will continue on the path of 2007 providing a smooth growth.

On the other hand, 2008 should follow fed order portfolio which will serve to build a positive 2009. At this time, the workload that we support is dilating the deadlines and we will have to increase our efficiency to serve, continue capturing and also be profitable.

We are concerned about the uncertainties that have surfaced in the macroeconomic Outlook in the past few months, but we think that you despite everything, our client sectors will be further need to equip itself to be more productive, more competitive and add more value.

Which is expressed the question can be understood in a pejorative manner. My impression is that our machines more and more are designed and configured (and therefore sold), as a solution to specific manufacturing problems. In this sense, I think that our contribution of value to the market is also becoming more intense. Is it not do machines special, this is different for every client and application, but specialize in parts, applications, clients, and sectors, customizing our solutions. This specialization based on modularity and customization features, allows us to be competitive by adding value beyond through the sale of standard and serial machines, which have large series product is the main factor.