The Congress, which has long since become established as a key fixture in the brush industry’s calendar, was expertly organised by Philip & Pammy Coward of The Hill Brush Company and was hosted at the Radisson Blu hotel in its enviable position on the world-famous Royal Mile.

Immediately prior to the start of the Congress, 24 players from 6 different countries gathered in St Andrews, Scotland, the “home of golf”, for 2 days of play on its prestigious courses; a dream come true for many! You will find the full report in the News pages of www.brushexpert.com. Those interested in joining in the 2017 event, please contact organiser Andrew McIlroy of Perlon a.mcilroy@hahl-pedex.com

Officially launched at the Opening Business Session by President, Thorsten Stollberg (Wistoba Pinselfabrik), delegates were welcomed to the Congress, making particular reference to the two new companies in attendance (Edward Jackson Ltd and Racletta bv) as well as first time attendees that included:

• Greg & Paul Miller of The Mill-Rose Co, USA

• Terry Hogan of Perlon, USA 

• Andy Coward of The Hill Brush Co, UK 

• Hans-Joachim Schneider of Osborn International GmbH 

• Derek Smith of DS Commodities 

• Charles Bentley of Charles Bentley & Son Ltd 

• Michael Holzmann of Perlon 

• Richard Renwick of Brush Technology Ltd  

• Rob Coleman of Coleman Hall Products representing Edward Jackson Ltd

Each was invited to share with the audience a little about their company and products.

Philip Coward, as Congress organiser, then gave a few words, remarking upon the fantastic turnout and thanking attendees for their support, particularly the suppliers and sponsors without whom the Congress would not be possible. With his motto “you get out what you put in!”, Philip invited all to make the most of this networking opportunity. 

Representing the American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA), Mark Fultz of Abtex and ABMA President reminded delegates of the open invite to next year’s ABMA 100th Anniversary Convention, which has been in the planning for the past 8 years. He thanked the assembly for the chance to learn more about the ABMA’s European counterpart during his tenure. Each year a growing number American companies attend the FEIBP Congress, reflecting on increased synergy between the 2 associations.

Daniel Strowitzki, CEO of FTWM/Messe Freiburg and organiser of Interbrush, presented the facts and figures from the 2016 event. He gave thanks to all who attended the show, exhibitors and visitors alike, for their passion and involvement. Interbrush 2016 comprised 181 exhibitors coming from 29 different countries and occupying a space of 10,340m2 , an increase on the 2012 figures and, with 100% of exhibitors confirming their intention to return in 2020, was undoubtedly a triumph. In terms of visitors, Interbrush 2016 drew 6, 047 visitors from 89 countries, again an increase on previous editions. 95% of visitors intend to return for the next edition which will take place from 06 to 08 May 2020.

The re-positioning of the FEIBP booth was also a big talking point and, with it stand directly in front of the opening turnstiles and co-located with the ABMA and German Brush Association, gained increased footfall over previous years. A link to Daniel’s presentation can be found at the bottom of this article.

Peter Langenegger (Ebnat AG) updated the audience with regards to the progress made with the repositioning of the Association’s website. After some considerable effort over the past year, the site is now ready and available in 4 different languages. He invited evaluation of the site from all present, especially asking for input into the compilation of the online Brushpedia. Your comments can be forwarded to feibp@wispa.nl

Innovation Award 

This year, there were 3 nominations for the FEIBP Innovation Award and representatives of each nominated company were invited to share information regarding their nominated product / technology with the audience. Nominations as follows:

 Ebnat AG (Switzerland) / Product line INSPIRE 

• Edward Jackson Ltd. (UK) / Jackson Helix Thermo-Bonder Paint Roller Winding Machine 

• Boucherie Borghi Group (Belgium/Italy) / PTt Technology for anchorless brushes

Further information can be found in separate articles in the News section of www.brushexpert.com

This year’s keynote speaker, Alan Ryan, introduced a captivated audience to the murky world of cyber-crime with his presentation “Cyber Security”. With our increasing reliance on technology to power our businesses, it is important to make sure that our data is as secure as it possibly can be. This presentation certainly raised a few eyebrows and made everyone think long and hard about their current security. The full presentation is available via the link at the bottom of this article.

Whilst delegates were involved in the business side of things, partners were taken on a tour of the world-famous Edinburgh Castle, perched on top of volcanic rock, followed by a private bus tour of Edinburgh with stops for shopping and photographs! Despite the inclement weather, everybody enjoyed this insight into the history of this jewel of a city. 

The afternoon of the Thursday was given to the meetings of the various FEIBP Working Groups: 

• Working Group Professional Hygiene Brushware (PHB) 

• Working Group Paintbrushes 

• Working Group Technical Brushes

Evening Programme 

In the evening, delegates and partners were taken to the restaurant of Edinburgh’s National Gallery where they enjoyed an informal evening together, with live music and a delicious buffet-style meal. 

This year’s Brush Forum followed the new format as launched at the 2015 event in Italy, with a table-top style exhibition in a dedicated space and time-slot, allowing plenty of time for everyone to peruse the displays and discover what’s new in the world of components used in the manufacture of brooms, brushes and mops. Innovation Award nominated companies and sponsors were also entitled to space in the exhibition. This was very well-supported by exhibitors and visitors and all expressed their satisfaction with the quality of the exhibition.

The FEIBP General Assembly was opened by President, Thorsten Stollberg, who began by thanking all involved for their contribution to a hugely successful Brush Forum. He then asked for reports from each of the Working Groups: 

Working Group Technical Brushes 

Dieter Lessmann of Lessmann GmbH reported that the Technical Brush Working Group has been busy over the last 12 months! Alessandro Acquaderni of SIT has been appointed Chairman. Thomas Holland-Letz the secretary of the working group is responsible for making the protocols and providing technical and organisational background. He comes from FWI, the German association of the tool industry, and is acting as manager for the process of reviewing the EN 1083 European standard for technical brushes. The group is in the process of designing safety slips and also is working on a list of producer marks required under EN 1083 for traceability. This list will be managed by Mr Holland-Letz together with the FEIBP. 

The Working Group has also agreed to provide more input into the new FEIBP website, particularly in providing content to the Brushpedia section. 

Alessandro Civiero of Pennelli Tigre informed the delegation that the Congress marked the 3rd meeting of the Paintbrush Working Group and was said to be the best yet, with interesting discussion on trends in the paintbrush sector and the bristle market. Also discussed was the price index for paintbrushes and how this could be revitalised. 

Philip Coward of The Hill Brush Co reported that 24 companies from 8 countries are now registered to the Professional Hygiene Charter which continues to grow in membership and recognition. The meeting discussed the Declaration of Compliance amongst other Charter items. 

A key part of the General Assembly each year are the market reports covering the various sectors of supply of raw materials consumed in the industry and this year was no exception. The following market updates were given:  

• Market Report: Steel Wire – Holger Kruse, Gustav Wolf GmbH 

• Market Report: Vegetable Fibres – Urte Rietdorf, Friedrich Platt GmbH 

• Market Report: Bristle – Reinhold Hörz, DKSH 

• Market Report: Fine Hair – Mark Samuel, Mark Samuel Trading

• Market Report: Andrew McIlroy, Perlon

Each of the above presentations are available via the links at the bottom of the article. 

Golf Awards 

The prizes for the FEIBP 2016 Golf Open Championship were awarded as follows: 

• Nearest the pin – 1st day: Terry Hogan, Perlon; 2nd day: Andrew McIlroy, Perlon 

• Team event (randomly drawn teams of 4): Günther Mückenfuss, Perlon; Andrew McIlroy, Perlon; Philip Coward, Hill Brush Co and Frank Graham 

• Individual – 3rd place (65 pts) Rob Coleman, Coleman Hall Products; 2nd place (68 pts) Greg Miller, Mill-Rose Co; 1st place (70 pts) – Frank Graham 

The 2016 Innovation Award was announced with the accolade going to Boucherie Borghi Group for the revolutionary PTt technology. Full press release here.

FEIBP Annual Report 

The FEIBP Constitution, valid since 2002, has been the subject of a period of revision that was started in 2008. Following much debate, the final proposal has been delivered and agreed. Thorsten Stollberg stated that the culmination of this project was the “positive result of a lot of years of hard work”. 

Fons Ceelaert, FEIBP General Manager, gave his Annual Report – see the link at the foot of the page for the full report. 

Partner Programme 

The second of the two Partner Tours took partners to the impressive Botanical Gardens and then on to the Royal Yacht Britannia (billed as Scotland’s best attraction) for a glimpse of what life was like aboard the Queen’s floating royal residence. 

In keeping with the Scottish theme of the Congress, delegates and partners were invited to participate in this year’s team-building afternoon based on traditional Scottish Highland Games activities. Excited (and a little nervous), guests were taken to the magnificent Norton House Hotel & Spa where they were split into “clans” and put through their paces in a number of events including shot put, tossing the caber, pipe drumming, bagpipes and tug-of-war. This quickly became a highly competitive afternoon, with guests fighting to win valuable points for their respective teams. The tug-of-war was particularly fiercely contested. Nobody can really remember which team won, but it should have been team McEwan!

At the end of the day, prizes were given to the team with the least points (McKenzie) who were given a comedy tartan hat and, of course, to the overall winner (MacBeth) who received luxury tartan scarves. This brilliant afternoon brought many nationalities together and, despite the weather and the questionable result (!), everyone had a great time. 

This year’s Congress closed with a fabulous Gala Dinner set in the stunning “The Hub”, Edinburgh’s iconic landmark, gloriously dominating the skyline on the Royal Mile. This unique and spectacular venue is a stunning combination of award winning contemporary design and classic Victorian architecture and, as such, guest rose to the occasion with many men opting for full Scottish dress, including kilts and sporrans, and with ladies in all manner of tartan finery. Not only were guests treated to the delights of modern Scottish cuisine based around local ingredients, but also to a packed entertainment programme including the “piping the haggis” ceremony, complete with the traditional Robert Burns “Address to a Haggis” poem and sword dancing, ending with everyone taking to the floor to learn some Scottish country dancing moves.

Overall, it was agreed that Philip & Pammy Coward arranged the perfect Congress with the perfect programme and everyone is already looking forward to the next Congress to be organised by the German Brushware Association in Leipzig, Germany from 06 to 08 September 2017. Photos from the FEIBP Congress 2016 are available now in the www.brushexpert.com Image Gallery. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us: info@brushexpert.com www.brushexpert.com