INTERBRUSH REVIEW

Inter Brush 2008, Freiburg, 16 to 18 April 2008

7,000 trade visitors from around 90 nations attended the leading international trade fair for the brush and paintbrush industry Freiburg, 24 April 2008 - Inter Brush 2008, the leading trade fair for the brush, paintbrush, paint roller and mop industry has been a resounding success, having attracted about 7,000 trade visitors from 90 nations, according to figures supplied by the Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM). Over an exhibition area of 18,000 square meters, 180 exhibitors presented complete production lines, state of the art technologies, raw materials and semi-finished goods. The next Inter Brush trade fair will take place in 2012 and will be held once again at the Messe Freiburg.
The Freiburg exhibition halls literally resounded with cracking, whizzing and hissing noises, with machines manufacturing all kinds of brushes and paintbrushes running at full capacity. Some machines were drilling brush bodies into which the respective raw materials, such as hair or synthetic materials, were inserted. Others were producing industrial brushes on round discs from wire filaments. There were also displays of brush and paint making by hand: the global brush, paintbrush, paint roller and mop industry presented its products creatively and innovatively in Freiburg at Inter Brush, the leading trade fair.
The organizers, Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG are very pleased with the success of the event: 7,000 trade visitors from about 90 countries came to Freiburg. "The positive feedback from our visitors and exhibitors underlines the importance of the extension of the exhibition center in ensuring that the Messe Freiburg remains the chosen venue for the Inter Brush trade fair. With its high proportion of international trade visitors, Inter Brush makes an important contribution to the local net product for Freiburg and the region," emphasized Klaus W. Seilnacht, managing director of Freiburg
Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM).
180 exhibitors from 28 countries presented the wide range of products produced by the industry: raw materials made of animal hair, vegetable or synthetic materials, as well as all kinds of wires, were on display in the Freiburger exhibition halls. Semi-finished goods, such as brushes and paint brush bodies made of wood or metal, and also fully automatic production lines in operation, attracted the interest of the visitors. The number of exhibitors increased by 29 per cent to a total of 180, compared with the last trade fair in 2004, with about 75 per cent of all exhibitors coming from Europe.
Representatives of the trade associations have also confirmed the special atmosphere of Inter Brush.
Fons J.M. Ceelaert, the managing director of the European Brushware Federation (FEIBP), emphasized: "The overall mood in the industry is very positive, as visitors to this year's Inter Brush will have noticed.
Every single sector of the brush and paintbrush industry is producing a wide range of products. The aim is to establish a common image for the sector. Inter Brush supports the entire sector in developing and strengthening its image."
David C. Parr, Executive Director of the American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA) confirms this: "Inter Brush is the most important trade fair in the brush industry world wide. It has been a pleasure to be here. This year's Inter Brush has been very successful. We have made many good business contacts. The trade fair provides both a good atmosphere and a venue that creates opportunities. A big thank you goes out to the city and the people of Messe Freiburg for the warm welcome."
"We are very pleased with how successful Inter Brush has been. The suppliers, mechanical engineers and colleagues from all parts of the industry we met appreciated the intrinsic value of the products on display. All in all, we consider the exhibition to have been a great success and we will definitely be attending the next Inter Brush," said Hans-Friedrich Bieringer, chairman of the Central Association of Brush and Paintbrush Manufacturers, Finishers and Ancillary Industries in the Federal Republic of Germany e.V.
The following central trade associations in the sector are honorary sponsors of Inter Brush: the American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA), the European Brushware Federation (FEIBP), the Central Association of Brush and Paintbrush Manufacturers, Finishers and Ancillary Industries in the Federal Republic of Germany e.V. and the German Federal Association of the Brush and Paintbrush Industry e.V.
The next Inter Brush will take place in 2012 and will be held once again at the Messe Freiburg.