Electronics Weekly
Overall, 2012 was relatively flat. Growth in Europe and the Americas was balanced by a slowdown in projects for the Asian market. Our industrial projects sales continued to grow, with customers investing in upgrading their plant and machinery.
Sales in our electronic connectors business slowed, however, reflecting the overall trend in the market.
Quotation activity has remained strong, but we have noticed that decision making has slowed, with projects often being put on hold.
Long-range prospects and the scheduling of orders has definitely reduced, and there appears to be a general feeling of caution in the market, coupled with an avoidance of long-term commitments.
The company has made significant strides in relatively new sectors for its established product ranges. These include the ‘events’ market for theatrical productions and stadium rock concerts; and the railway and urban transport industry, where not only heavy-duty connectors but also Ethernet spines are proving to be essential features of modern rolling stock.
In the UK, we have invested in upgrading our value-added business unit in Northampton, which manufactures backplanes and offers sub-assembly capabilities. These investments include automatic crimping machines, testers and tooling equipment, greatly improving the company’s capability and capacity to service local customers’ needs.
We feel confident that our strategy of local presence backed up by global resources is a winning combination.
In a market environment where limited visibility on future business currently prevails, it pays for any company to be locally close to its customers, and to be as responsive as possible.
Personal contact with customers and a good stream of new products gives me cautious optimism for the growth of the business in 2013.
