Exhibition floor meeting led to new business

“We made contact last year when the company was looking for new suppliers. They then got in touch again a few weeks ago and paid us a visit,” says Tobias Carlsson, a Key Account Manager at AQ Group.

The company had already put out a bid request, and AQ’s response proved to be of interest.

“So we’re in the inquiry stage still but we’re already set up as their supplier, even though we’re not sure exactly what our collaboration will look like,” says Carlsson.

The contract in question, however, relates to manufacturing components for machines that are used for tool production, a project that comes under AQ’s Sheet Metal Processing business area.

Subcontractor important for cultivating new customers

Cultivating new customers can be done in various ways, but Carlsson says that the trade fair format is a key component.

“It’s about time, and timing. Some years we get several leads, other years fewer. But looking back, our first contact with a new customer was often made at the trade fair,” says Carlsson.

He says that the first day of this year’s Elmia Subcontractor exceeded expectations, with several interesting meetings.

“And of course it’s always nice to meet existing customers, as we rarely have time to visit under normal circumstances. The social aspect should never be underestimated,” Tobias Carlsson concludes.

Global company based in Västerås

At Elmia Subcontractor, the entire AQ Group is exhibiting all of its extensive customer offering: seven business areas in total, from sheet metal processing and injection moulding of plastic, to wiring systems, transformers and inductive components.

“The AQ Group encompasses some 40 companies and 7,000 employees in 15 countries worldwide – and its headquarters are in Västerås,” says Carlsson.

Caption: “Our first contact with a new customer often takes place at the trade fair,” says Tobias Carlsson, Key Account Manager, AQ Enclosure Systems AB.