IHA NEWS
Newsletter of the International Federation of Hardware and Housewares Associations
Issue No.9
June 2003
WELCOME TO
CHICAGO IN
AUGUST …
IHA Chairman Per
Scheel-Larsen extends
a warm welcome to all
national
representatives
attending the Council
meeting at the Hyatt
Regency, E. Wacker
Drive, Chicago on
Friday, 8 August.
Each country can send
up to three delegates
and the IHA is
extremely grateful to
the American Hardware
Manufacturers
Association (AHMA) for
its kind hospitality and
support.
Social events have
been organised for
Wednesday, 6 August,
and a dinner for
delegates and their
partners on 8 August.
In addition there will
be meetings of the
managing committee
on 7 August and
managing directors of
the national trade
associations on 9
August.
These events have
been organised to take
place immediately
prior to the opening of
the Chicago Trade Fair,
which runs from 10 to
12 August.
product introductions
and customer
programming.”
“I very much look
forward to your
participation and to a
worthwhile business
visit to Chicago,” says
Per Scheel-Larsen.
The 2004 AHMA
Hardware Show will
therefore be held from
April 18 to 20, 2004,
at McCormick Place in
Chicago, Illinois.
Please telephone
001203 840 5622 for
registration details for
the Chicago Trade Fair.
All other enquiries
concerning IHA
meetings should be
addressed to IHA
Secretary-General
Jonathan Swift (fax +44
121 446 5215, e-mail:
secretary@ihaworldwid
e.org).
The AHMA Board has
initiated cost-cutting
measures to ensure
that exhibitor costs will
be reduced for 2004.
…BUT CHANGE
IS ON THE
WAY
In turn, Reed has
announced that it will
launch a competing
hardware show next
year in which AHMA
will have no
involvement.
The AHMA has
sponsored and
conducted the National
Hardware Show held
in conjunction with the
International Hardware
Week for more than
25 years.
However, in response
to industry trends, the
AHMA has decided to
hold the Hardware
Show earlier in the year
in order “to better
accommodate industry
buying cycles, new
However, in order to
achieve these
objectives, AHMA’s
current trade show
management company
– Reed Exhibitions will be replaced.
In reinventing its trade
show to best serve the
industry, AHMA has
pledged to continue its
long-established array
of international
programs and
activities.
These increased
participation by foreign
buyers to 20% of total
buyer attendance at
the 2002 Show.
IHA NEWS
BOOK YOUR
PLACE FOR
DUBLIN NEXT
JUNE
An exciting and
fascinating programme
is being planned for
the 48th IHA Congress
which will be held in
Dublin from 9 to 12
June, 2004.
Day one will largely be
taken up with
registration at the
Burlington Hotel,
Dublin, where the
Congress will be held.
There will be a
reception at the
Custom House, Dublin
and coaches will be
available for transport
to and from the hotel
and via Temple Bar for
those who would like
to sample the night life
and the bars!
On day two, there will
be a tour of Trinity
College and a visit to
Dublin Castle, with a
lively evening
promised at Jury’s Irish
Cabaret.
The opening of the
Congress takes place
on Friday, June 11.
Papers will be
presented on the
business situation in
Ireland and in other
parts of the world,
providing a truly global
perspective.
There will also be a
session for delegates
to outline the work of
their trade
associations.
The social programme
will feature a tour of
2
the National Museum
of Ireland (Collins
Barracks) and the Royal
Hospital, Kilmainham,
which houses the Irish
Museum of Modern
Art. The tour will be
followed by a gala
dinner and dance.
On day four there will
be an escorted tour of
the Wicklow Mountains
and a visit to
Powerscourt, one of
the most beautiful
estates in Ireland.
Full details of the
Congress will be
presented to Council at
its meeting in Chicago
in August.
GAUGING NUMBERS
Secretary General
Jonathan Swift says it
would be very helpful if
members could
identify the
approximate number
of people they expect
to have in their party
for the event.
“There is no
commitment,” he
stresses, “but a best
guess would be
enormously helpful as
it may confirm or
change the shape of
our plans.
“I do not need to know
any names at this
stage, just the total
number of delegates
including partners.”
Please write, fax or email details to
Jonathan within the
next two weeks if
possible. Fax +44 121
446 5215 or e-mail
secretary@ihaworldwid
e.org.
Profile
Blair Douglas,
National Retail
Hardware
Association, USA
Where do you live?
Caledonia, a small
village in Nova Scotia,
the eastern most
province on the
Canadian mainland.
What was your first
job? While still in
elementary school I
was a paperboy
earning the princely
wage of 52 cents per
week.
What job would you
like to have? A
professional basketball
player – but given my
stature, age and talent
I had better stay with
what I do now.
What do you do in your
spare time? Play golf
(poorly), canoe, read,
and visit friends.
What is your favourite
food? Being from a
maritime province I
like seafood – lobster,
scallops, salmon. But I
also like good pizza
served with ample red
wine.
What music do you
listen to? Blues –
Chicago style – plus
jazz and classic rock
from the 60’s and
70’s.
What are your
favourite films? The
Pink Panther movies
with Peter Sellers and
my all-time favourite,
IHA NEWS
One Flew over the
Cuckoo’s Nest with Jack
Nicholson.
Who makes you laugh?
Every episode of Fawlty
Towers with John
Cleese.
Where is your favourite
place for a holiday?
Most places in the
Caribbean.
What do you watch on
television? Sport, news
and mindless comedies
to escape the day.
What are your
favourite books? Jeffrey
Archer’s Kane and
Abel, Ken Follett’s
Jackdaws.
a great sense of
humour and in a family
crisis is as solid as a
rock.
What keeps you awake
at night? Business
mostly. No good
reason – I am just a
lousy sleeper.
What three items
would you take to a
desert island? My wife,
lots of books and my
wine cellar. I will need
a corkscrew too.
What are your hopes
for the next 12
months? Stability and
certainty in business
and indeed the world.
What is the best
sporting event you
have ever been to?
Easy – the final game
of the 1993 baseball
World Series between
the Philadelphia
Phillies and the
Toronto Blue Jays.
Toronto won on a
home run in the
bottom on the ninth
inning. It was exciting.
NEW MD FOR
GERMAN
ASSOCIATION
What one thing would
you change about the
hardware industry?
The trend towards
cookie cutter stores
that all look the same.
In my opinion the
retailer may lose his
individual niche and
individuality.
Thomas, 37, was born
in Dusseldorf and after
high school served a 2year apprenticeship
with a wholesale and
foreign trade
merchant.
What are your pet
hates? Pointless
bureaucratic red tape.
Who do you most
admire? My mother.
She will be 79 this
year, loves to travel
and try new things, has
3
Thomas Dammann has
taken over as
managing director of
the German
association, ZHH, in
succession to Gerd
Scharping, who retired
on April 1st.
Following military
service, he studied law
at Cologne University
and became a junior
barrister in Dusseldorf.
Since August 1997 he
has been a
departmental head at
the ZHH.
He is married and has
a young daughter.
MORE IHA
NEWS NEEDED
IN TRADE
PRESS
IHA Chairman Per
Scheel-Larsen reports
that one of the leading
Danish hardware trade
magazines plans to
carry a page on IHA
NEWS every time it is
published.
Per is keen to
encourage more
publicity in trade
magazines, particularly
those owned by IHA
associate members,
because, he says, the
work of the IHA is not
often reported.
“The long-term
benefits of the IHA are
of great significance,”
he says. “We need to
encourage our partners
to share this valuable
information in the
interests of better
understanding and to
inform, educate and
influence.”
Italians elect
new officers
Member of the Italian
trade association,
Assofermet, elected
new officers at
meetings held in
March. Marcello Masi is
President and Lorenza
Ghitti is Vice-President.
New specialist sector
Presidents are Mario de
Leva (steel products),
Gianluigi Cattaneo
(non-ferrous metals),
Roberto Lunardi (scrap
metals) and Carlo
Ferrari (hardware).
IHA NEWS
Profile
The
German
National
Hardware
Association
(ZHH)
Number of
members: 1400
Annual
subscription:
Varies on
turnover from 15
euros per month
for a turnover of
up to 250,000
euros to 180
euros per month
for a turnover of
25 million euros.
Working groups,
which meet twice
a year, pay 300400 euros per
meeting.
Number of staff:
7.
Member services:
ranging from
general advice
and help to sector
initiatives and
framework
agreements.
Special Features:
With the formation of
working circles and
technical
4
associations, the ZHH
is following a
development that has
marked the
ironmongery and
household goods
trade for decades –
namely, the trend
towards
specialisation.
Nine working circles
or specialist
organisations today
offer companies the
chance to organise
themselves according
to their speciality and
take advantage of the
relevant association
services.
General
description of
organisation
The ZHH is a voluntary
association of
wholesalers and
retailers in the
hardware sector. It
includes only
medium sized
companies in the
specialist and
production related
trades.
The association was
formed in 1898.
During the first few
decades the
membership was
mainly ironmongers
but today it is made up
primarily of companies
that have specialised
into different groups.
While its prime concern
once was to fight off
unwanted competition,
the work of the ZHH
these days is the
provision of services
and the development
of initiatives from the
branches.
There are nine working
circles and technical
associations within the
ZHH. These as follows:
AKB – Productionrelated trade with
construction fittings
and security
technology.
AKW – Specialist
wholesale trade with
tools, fastenings and
attachments and
industrial
requirements.
BMK – Specialist trade
with fitted kitchens
and large domestic
appliances.
BSD – Specialist trade
with security
technology, installation
and maintenance
service.
FDE – Specialist trade
in ironmongery and
domestic goods.
FHG – Specialist retail
trade with domestic
goods and glass,
porcelain and
ceramics.
Multitec – Companies
offering the full range
of goods in production
related trade with
steel, sanitary fittings,
tools, construction
fittings and fastenings
and attachments.
VdM – Specialist
operations with
garden, forestry and
municipal machines
with full service.
VMB – Individual
companies and
specialist markets for
the DIY sector.
IHA NEWS
WHAT THE
PAPERS SAY
DIY Retailing (USA)
March 2003
5
IHA NEWS
DIY Week (UK)
April 4/11, 2003
6