Interview with Marta Omedes, Manager of the Afeb

The Association of Spanish manufacturers of DIY and hardware was born four years ago with the idea of defending the interests of manufacturers and suppliers in this sector.

Until such time there in Spain (in the main European countries) no association of these features, what caused that, in general, Spanish manufacturers had a great lack of knowledge of the market and strongly, since the uncertainty, multiple decisions.

The Afeb is born as a result of this gap and is intended to convey the information that is generated in the market and help entrepreneurs to evolve into modern companies able to meet the challenges posed by the current market.

In 2007 we started a valuable service for our partners, consisting of the elaboration of a few reports of juncture, quarterly and annual, we produce through surveys of our own associates, which includes such sensitive issues such as: means of payment deadlines, the rate of returns, the average bad debt, the increases or decreases in sales divided by channels (GSB, MSB or traditional channel), etc.

Since the Afeb attaches great importance to these reports, which are considered very valuable reliable data on the hardware and DIY market.

At the moment we have the situation reports for the first and second quarter of 2008 and, in the light of the replies received, we can say that the results for the first quarter of 2008 were not at all alarming, obtaining even positive data growth. However and as we were afraid, we have seen a sharp decline in sales for the second quarter.

In addition, there are many partners who are directing us to express its disquiet and concern about the current situation, and therefore we understand essential that organizations like ours make an effort to analyse the situation and find solutions, which from the Afeb will try to organize a Work Shop dedicated to the crisis and a trade mission to the countries of the East which enable our companies to open up new jobs.

From the beginning has been one of our objectives in promoting good relations between manufacturers and distributors, and this has been one of the aspects which we have affected most since the formation of the Afeb, with own Committee's work in our Organization.

After four years of operation, we can say that there are not only the relations between both groups (before the birth of our organization simply did not exist) if they are not excellent, being in constant contact with the Association of distributors of DIY and hardware (ADFB)with which we are negotiating the signing of a code of good practices commercial (CBPC) that works as a framework agreement on relations between manufacturers and distributors belonging to two organizations; at the same time that we are working in other many projects and common objectives, which we will deal with regular meetings that we intend to carry out the Board of Directors of both associations, from the year 2009.

In addition, we organize regularly what we call, 'Breakfast with the distribution', in that manufacturers associated with the Afeb and distributors (associated or not to the ADFB) sit in the same table to discuss our problems or projects, at the time we visited, from the hand of its top managers, different relevant models of distribution of our country.

Our Organization is still young, because four years is still a short history and although many milestones we have achieved at this time, from the outset has been our motto the go 'step-by-step' trying not to make mistakes and go, ' no hurry but if pause ' reaching our objectives.

This philosophy was that has led us to postpone our contacts with the Administration so far in which we will tell you with a sufficient social basis for bringing us to the same. Today, we have quadrupled the number of partners that we had at the beginning and think that it is already the time to apply for grants of administration or other entities, which we have already started to perform with the Copcawith which we are negotiating for the purposes that help us in the Organization of our trade missions.

In the Afeb we particularly sensitized with the theme of the fair, because there are many partner companies that have sent us their anger by the proliferation and saturation of fairs in the sector.

Thinks that in other countries much more advanced than ours in the DIY world, there is one fair and, in most cases, is held every two years.

It is clear that our entrepreneurs do not have neither the budget nor sufficient innovations to to attend 3 or 4 fairs each year and that there is this issue of fairs, instead of helping, it is complicated.

In this sense and with the hope to help our partners to resolve your concerns the Afeb organized the month of April, a meeting with the main fairs of our country: Ferroforma, Eurobrico and Ferremad, in which our association exhibited what our employers demand a fair (good organization)(, easy access, control, imitations, etc.); exposing, in turn, the three fairs convened, its particular project fair.

The presentations of the three fairs were made to reach all our partners and now it is up to them, in complete freedom opt for one or the other.

The last quarter of 2008 and, even more, the year 2009, will foreshadow very complicated periods and, of course, different from the previous ones, because if when became the Afeb (June 2004) we were in full economic boom, the situation now is the opposite and we must be very present when working and design goals for the next year.

I think it is important to highlight that when crises occur, some entrepreneurs have a tendency to 'withdraw' and try to avoid the storm, which means more hours than a watch, try to reduce templates, save the most by reducing travel and presence at trade fairs, etc.

However, in the Afeb and, in my humble opinion, if this is true for the housewife (still very laudable its commendable efforts to fill your basket with products from supply and escape from the 'delicatessens') is not so evident in the case of the employerthat obsessed in its goal of cost savings, you can miss many opportunities that are on the market.

I agree with the opinion of the President of the Afeb here, which is precisely now when there is more need than ever to go to the market, interact with colleagues, to hear opinions, participate in forums for ideas, etc. Perhaps now is the time to change, create a new product that requires the market, go to markets less affected by the crisis, giving, in short, steps forward, which will be impossible if we only look to keep us afloat in this crisis that we do not know, or how much it will last, or what will be its final dimension.

It is at the moment when the companies should be more careful and is at the moment when associations such as ours are paid a greater sense. The Afeb sees thus reinforced its mission, and what would be at the time as something necessary or very positive for entrepreneurs, will become almost indispensable.

Charged in effect a greater dimension, multiple meetings facilitated by the Afeb among its partners with the intention of provoking talks with colleagues the same work that we are developing in other companies, and starts a new and ambitious projectconsisting of monographic sessions on different topics of interest in that, aided by a moderator, will be considered as dealing with recurring problems facing our entrepreneurs in their different areas of business.

In this regard, we are organizing a Work Shop dedicated to the current crisis, we study the possibility of signing an agreement with a law firm for the purpose of collective defence of the partners at the time qua wish possible before bad debt or other contingencies.

We have always believed that education should be one of the objectives of the Association and the courses and seminars that have confirmed us, and if this was the case at the time of the 'fat cows', it is still more in this new periodthat we will continue on the path already initiated being one of our preferred objectives training, having envisaged organizing a course on Trade Marketing in the last quarter of 2008 and the other on management by category for the year 2009.

We will also continue with 'Breakfast with the distributors', because better to sit with them without a letter of reference in hand, to address, in more relaxed and reflective, what are our real problems or those 'stone in the shoe' that we hinder the marching or prevent progress.

For this last quarter we are planning to make a breakfast with Fergrup; Breakfast with Leroy, Ancofe, Bricorama, Fercodis, Bauhaus and ATB having planned for 2009.

In the same way, we are to essential the signing of the code of good practices commercial (CBPC), expected to be signed in 2008 with the ADFB (Association of distributors of Ironmongery and DIY); because we understand that this will achieve a greater balance in the mutual and reciprocal relationship with the distribution, at the same time we will remove the tension that is generated in the negotiations on some of the most controversial and recurrent of our templates (notice in the desreferenciamientos) aspects(, returns, etc.) You will that already it be regulated in advance.

Are particularly important in this period the situation reports, in that, having consulted our partners on various issues affecting the market, analyzes issues as sensitive to our partners such as late payments, delinquencies rates, unpaid, etc.

We will also make specific seminars to analyse and develop the market data that, with a biennial Cadence, are carried out by Fediyma, also developing our own market studies on specific topics. (on the role of women in the DIY in 2008).

Part of Fediyma was one of the challenges of the Afeb since its creation, therefore, is not in vain was the Federation itself who encouraged Spanish manufacturers to create a partnership to combine efforts and address the common problems of Spanish manufacturers of DIY.

Until then they were part of Fediyma France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark and it seemed logical that a country such as ours could aspire to be part of this elite.

Fediyma integration occurs on June 21, 2006 and the recognition of associations representing the work of the Afeb, culminating two years of intensive work by all the members of the Board of Directors and Government of the Association.

Join Fediyma represented a milestone for Spanish manufacturers integrated in the Afeb, because it meant having access to high level market studies; be able to participate in trade missions that are organized from Fediyma, the power to collaborate in the elaboration of regulations or European legislation that affects manufacturers of DIY and, ultimately, an unbeatable opportunity to talk and share experiences in the hands of the top powers in the world of DIY (represent 75 per cent) (of the total of European DIY sales).

As well, and in the two years that have elapsed since the integration of the Afeb in Fediyma, our Association has had access to the World DIY Report, study by Fediyma in 2007, which includes the current dynamics of the market of DIY at the international levelexamining the main dynamics of the market and offering a panoramic perspective, both of the actual market and emerging markets.

It was also thanks to belong to Fediyma partners of the Afeb could organize a trade mission that visited the main centers of distribution French, also at the Journée des Collections, model of very particular fair and great prestige which took place on the outskirts of Paris, in June 2007.

At the present time the challenges in the coming years will be undertaken by Fediyma are defining, and the Afeb is going to be there.

In short, we consider not exaggerated to say that with the globalization of the DIY market, it is essential that the Spanish manufacturers have the backing and support of a European Federation and this is what we have achieved with the integration of the Afeb in Fediyma.