#8 – 1988, Separate British Fluid Power Distributors Association (BFPDA) formed

29 May 2019

For many traditional UK engineering trade associations, relations with their distributors have sometimes been delicate. Originally, many such distributors were small entrepreneurial companies selling imported products at very competitive rates. AHEM, in its early days, was not different. Its principal role was to maintain the interests of British manufacturers. Gradually though, over the years, there was a change in thinking. Many distributors, through growth, became, in turn, manufacturers. Manufacturers also through competition had to offer a wider choice of components and complete fluid power packages. To do this they themselves had to become distributors of other manufacturers (often imported) products. It was clear that from a commercial point of view both manufacturers and distributors had similar interests and objectives.

The AHEM Executive Committee realised this from the beginning of 1959. Initially they rejected distributor members, then they introduced an Associate membership grade which was not particularly successful. Distributors were not especially welcomed and the American experience of two separate associations highlighted the potential difficulties. Discussions in the late seventies and early eighties led to several abortive attempts to attract distributor members, one of the main problems being that they would not pay the relative high subscriptions imposed on the manufacturers.

In the meantime distribution was becoming a growing sector of the industry in the UK. Much of the day-to-day servicing of customers plant was done by the distributors serving their local area requirements and many had a growing reputation for system design and development.

The impetus for a new initiative came from BFPA Executive Committee member, Don Brown of Sacol Hydraulics. It was also partly driven by a need for more revenue for the Association. With the support of a small Working Group, BFPA’s then Director, Neil Percival, arranged an initial discussion meeting at NEC, Birmingham during the 1988 IFPEX exhibition. Thirty distributors attended and it was agreed that there was a need for a regular forum.

BFPDA held its first formal meeting on 6th September 1988 at the George Hotel, Solihull. By coincidence this was the same venue as that used by AHEM almost thirty years earlier. The first Chairman was Don Brown. From the outset it was agreed that the new association should be part of BFPA – it would share finances (with some mutterings of subsidising the distributors from the BFPA Executive Committee!) and the BFPDA Chairman would have a seat on the BFPA Executive. It would, however, have its own Council with elected representatives from its own membership and to all intents and purposes would run its own affairs whilst reporting to the Executive.

The success of the BFPDA can be seen today – with some 250 BFPDA member companies (including several Scottish and Irish distributors and the Pirtek franchise network of companies) it has made its presence felt, not only from a commercial point of view but also technically. Distribution forms about a third of the sales of fluid power equipment and much hydraulic system design today is carried out by these companies. There is, and always will be, a grey area between manufacture and distribution and this successful blend of two associations into one is the envy of many other sectors of the industry.

From an administrative point of view the staff in the BFPA office have always served the requirements of BFPA and BFPDA without bias.