We speak with Sylvain Prost, Commercial Director at TDI, about how they support customers to find solutions to their most challenging fastener applications with BUMAX products.
What makes TDI unique?
How we develop close and long-term relationships with our customers and suppliers makes us unique. For our customers, this means supporting them every step of the way from finding a suitable technical solution to order processing and delivery. We have offered BUMAX products since 1980 and I have personally been selling BUMAX since 1989.
Where in the world does TDI supply customers?
We are based in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and have a subsidiary in Bulgaria. Besides having sales in many countries in Europe, we also supply customers in North America, Asia and North Africa.
Are there any new countries you would like to sell products in?
We are working to expand our sales in several countries, such as Morocco, Central Europe and Spain. We have recently employed a new Export Sales Manager to drive sales in countries such as these.
Why do you like representing BUMAX as a distribution partner?
I appreciate the consistent high-quality of BUMAX products. This consistency can be extremely important for a customer that orders different batches of products over several years as they can be assured the quality – and crucially the performance of the fasteners – will be the same. I also like how the BUMAX range has evolved over time to meet ever more challenging fastener applications.
What unique value does BUMAX products bring to your customers?
I personally value the fact that we can rely on BUMAX products to meet many challenging customer requirements where other fasteners simply can’t cope. This might involve the need for high strength, the ability to cope with extreme forces, the need for high temperature resistance or an anti-galling solution.
What challenging customer applications do you prescribe BUMAX for?
BUMAX products often help customers to overcome multiple issues. For example, perhaps the customer needs a high-strength stainless steel fastener that can also cope with temperatures of over 700°C, that does not require lubrication in a food industry application or perhaps that is to be used in a clean environment. By solving several issues at once, BUMAX can have unique selling points.
What surprises your customers about BUMAX products and what they can do?
Besides their beyond-standard performance, customers are sometimes surprised that BUMAX fasteners can be delivered in larger dimensions than standard fasteners. This is due to the cold forging and thread rolling processes used at the BUMAX factory. BUMAX is even able to produce high-strength stainless steel fasteners up to M42 diameter, which is unique.
What’s your experience of working with the BUMAX team?
We appreciate working with Camille Feuillet and Maozhi Mao, who are the BUMAX Business Development Managers for France, as they are always willing to support us in our quest to find the best technical solutions to customer issues. We were impressed with the BUMAX factory in Åshammar, central Sweden, when we visited.
What do you think the future holds for BUMAX products?
I believe the future is bright for BUMAX. The market is increasingly interested in long-lasting fastener solutions that promote sustainability and life-cycle environmental objectives. I think BUMAX will continue to innovate to develop new products to meet even more challenging customer demands.
