IZAR CELEBRATES BEST YEAR OF SALES IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Benchmark cutting tool manufacturer, IZAR, has just spent an intense week holding its Spain and Portugal sales convention in Bilbao, and exhibiting at the Expocadena trade fair organised by Ehlis and hosted this year at the BEC exhibition venue in Barakaldo (Bizkaia).

In 2022, IZAR recorded a record turnover figure both globally and on the Iberian market and what better venue to celebrate this with its sales network than the beloved San Mamés stadium in Bilbao. The fitting slogan for this special edition was “TXAPELDUNAK” (‘champions’ in Basque).

Leaders in manufacturing, sales and service

The event highlighted once again the outstanding involvement of all members of the company, from the new management team, with Oscar de Manuel at the helm, to the sales managers in all regions, and including sales supervisors, product managers and sales technicians.

The first day highlighted the analysis of sales evolution by area and product family and also looked at the strategic sales lines, paying special attention to the different distribution channels used by IZAR, all in line with the exhibition presented by Carlos Pujana at the Expocadena Congress on industrial supply.

The second day was dedicated to the product. IZAR remains committed to innovation in its two main catalogues, which segment its market: industrial, with new investments in machinery for manufacturing hard metal tools -one of the biggest strategic leaps the organisation has made; and professional, with new products for a more demanding user, such as the recent launch of its 1876 MULTIMAT reference, a drill bit suitable for ALL materials, which is being very positively received on the market and was on display at Expocadena.

To close out the convention, the company highlighted the unity and experience of its increasingly well trained and highly committed sales team. These values, together with proximity and flexibility, are what define the company's brand image.

Expocadena 2023, yet another success for the team

The convention was topped off with a guided tour of the stadium, which was made even more special thanks to a serendipitous encounter with several Athletic Club players. Afterwards, the members of the IZAR team threw themselves into the trade fair being run by the Ehlis group at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre, which kicked off the day before with its own congress. Carlos Pujana, who was CEO of IZAR until last September and is currently advisor to the Board of Directors, took part in the round table which discussed the current climate and future of industrial supplies.

For the trade fair itself, IZAR deployed its whole sales and technical team, with several metres of display stands and product lines, a wide range of new clearances and exhibitors and a demo area.

The brand's clients were able to see for themselves how easily bits like the 1876 MULTIMAT can drill through soft tile, or how the new MetalMax 1022 can effortlessly perforate considerably thick steel piping, a clear and improved alternative to the scaled bits being used by competitors.

Work and hopes for 2023-2024

The overarching hope of IZAR for the next two years is to reinforce its position of leadership on the domestic market, consolidate itself as a key player in France, and grow substantially in sales at European and global level -an ambitious goal but, thanks to the commitment of all parties, it is feasible, despite geopolitical uncertainty.

In short, despite uncertainty at local or global level, as demonstrated once again both at the convention and at the fair at the BEC, IZAR is feeling stronger than ever, an authentic team of champions or, as they say in the Basque Country, “Txapeldunak”; a united and ambitious team in all areas of cutting tool manufacturing and sales.