Festo international press conference 2005

First Quarter 2006 News & events

In December last year I had the privilege of flying to Germany to attend Festo's fourth international press conference. The event attracted around a hundred participants from 25 countries and we toured some of its immaculate production facilities. Festo showcased some of its fine products and the speakers highlighted the company's positioning and its strengths. With China looming on the horizon many manufacturing establishments are naturally becoming nervous - but Festo's strength lies not just in its top-class product range, but also very much in its production technology. While some products may be reverse-engineered, it is impossible to produce those products (at the same quality) as cost-effectively as the original, without first developing the production technology necessary. This is where Festo has a very healthy head start.

We toured one of Festo's customers, Villeroy and Boch, believed to be the world's largest producer of fine ceramic products. We saw a 900-year-old tower and dined luxuriously in an old castle. Motion Control in southern Africa thanks Festo for a memorable and informative experience - Ed.

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