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July proved an unexpectedly busy month for news in the fastener, tool and related industries.

But if you’ve been too busy to stay abreast of the big stories then you’ve come to the right place – here we compile some of the key headlines of July 2017 that have delayed the start of summer’s traditional ‘new silly season’.

Here are the headlines:

  1. Bombardier wins £900 million contract

Businesses that work with the rail industry watched with interest when it was revealed that Bombardier had won a significant rail contract in the face of strong competition. The contract – worth £895 million (€1 billion) – is expected to benefit Bombardier’s Derby plant in particular.

  1. Former Totally Tools Show – National DIY Show – has been cancelled

July also revealed the unhappy news that the Totally Tools and DIY shows – aka the National DIY Show – has been cancelled for 2018. The 23 year old show cited the ‘instability of the economic European road map’ as a reason behind the cancellation.

  1. Jewson Builders Merchants open for business despite cyber attack

At the end of June, many businesses around the world were hit by a significant cyber attack. The attack hit FedEx, Nurofen and Dettol-maker Reckitt Benckiser and other big businesses. Builder merchant chain Jewson was among those affected and saw its website taken offline for a short period.

  1. Fastener manufacturer Gripple creates new jobs with industrial cathedral

Mid-month saw the opening of an expanded production facility for Gripple, the Sheffield-based wire fastener manufacturer. The eco-friendly building was been dubbed an “industrial cathedral” thanks to its one-of-a-kind design.

  1. Serafin Group acquires German drill manufacturer KEIL

There was more consolidation in the tool business. This time it was Serafin Group – owner of Heller Tools – that added another tool brand to its portfolio – drill manufacturer KEIL of Engelskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

And there were plenty of other stories from the fastener, tool and related industries – you can keep up to date by subscribing to our weekly newsletter here. Finally, the new edition of Torque Magazine is now available to read online, covering Automechanika, anchor calculation software, quality & inspection, DIY consumables, workwear and PPE and much more. Read the magazine here.