Birmingham Granulators
The press has heralded Interplas 2014 as a return to form, with an expanded floorplan and an anticipated 12,000 visitors stalking the buzzing show floor for leads and the latest technology.
One company that has been watching the re-emergence of the 'must-attend' plastics show of the year is Birmingham Granulators, who will be exhibiting for the first time at this year's showcase.
Birmingham Granulator's timing is strategic. The company started in 1996 as a one-man business carrying out the repair and refurbishment of granulators and the sale of used machinery. In 2008, the company was bigger and busier, and founder Tim Aaronricks was working with a skilled team of engineers and other staff enjoying the boon the company experienced from the global economic crisis, as interest in good second-hand machinery rose with budgetary caution.
In 2006, Birmingham Granulators partnered with Turkish company Inan Plastik, a 25-year-old manufacturer of granulators, with whom the Staffordshire-based company will exhibit at Interplas 2014.
Better than a brochure
"Interplas is going to be a big showcase for us," said Aaronricks. "We remember the show back in the day when it was the place to be, but it lost its way over the years with the massive increase of Dusseldorf (K Trade Fair). But we’ve been following the show and it's come along in massive strides both in quality and content.
"That's why we've decided to be there this year. Apart from wanting to showcase Birmingham Granulators, we'll be showcasing Inan Plastik. We always share their stands in Dusseldorf and at Plast Eurasia in Istanbul and do quite well and this year they decided to come to Interplas and we’re taking the lead."
Aaronricks explained that while Birmingham Granulators sells Inan Plastik's hardware, it is difficult to do this with only a brochure, but at Interplas, the team will have real machines on its stand to show prospective customers the technology in the flesh and it is this type of selling that excites the Managing Director.
"We think it's good to be able to interact with existing and potential customers on mutual ground," he said. "Everybody's busy these days and getting hold of people is always difficult - there's a lot of people chasing the same business. But we hope people take the initiative to come to Interplas and use their time wisely to go around and look at possible new suppliers.
"We need to be seen as well ... There's no doubt you need to be constantly in customers' memory. We think our Interplas appearance will show the industry what we've got - and that we're serious."
Bread and butter
Birmingham Granulators will exhibit granulators and shredders - the company's "bread and butter", according to Aaronricks - at Interplas, in addition to Inan Plastik's expanded machinery range, which includes, but is not limited to, pulverisers, wash plants and extruders.
After the show, the machines will be shipped back to Birmingham Granulators' premises for demonstration purposes, giving customers the opportunity to trial their product and ensure the end results are as desired.
Inan Plastik may be bringing a lot of hardware to the table in the partnership, but Birmingham Granulators is securing sales. Aaronricks explained that enquiries for Inan Plastik's machines from France, Spain and Portugal get passed to his team because it is much easier to travel from the UK to the western continent.
"They need visas, we don't. We can just jump on a plane. Although at this stage we are mostly covering the UK and Ireland, we can see that we're going to be doing much more in Europe. Also, it is easier for European clients to visit the UK than for them to travel to Istanbul," Aaronricks explained. "We're actually looking to take on a sales executive to work on this side of the business. The European market is huge and because of the support we're getting from Inan, we need to look at that."
Under your skin
But while Aaronricks is passionate about growing his business and being seen alongside the biggest names at Interplas, he is refreshingly anti-protectionist and open to an industry mentality that encourages working together and supporting your peers.
"You have to be careful with these shows, that you don't go there and be protective. It's a showcase and there's plenty of room in the industry for everybody. If we're a little more open and prepared to work together, it would enhance the industry without necessarily harming anybody."
Ultimately, Aaronricks is passionate about what he does and believes he is not the only dyed-in-the-wool industrialist in this game. "I've been in this industry since 1980," he said, "if it’s in your blood, it's in your blood. You still have the MDs and owners out there in their 70s and they're never going to retire - it just gets under your skin."
He added: "It's good to see what everybody is up to and from my experience of being on show stands it's a massive buzz. It can get you on the sales road. We think Interplas has legs and if we can get this trade show back to where it should be and we can encourage European and other foreign investment, then it’s going to be a good future."