Finnish lure maker, Kuusamon Uistin Oy, is in an exclusive club when it comes to attending Europe's premier fishing tackle trade show.
It is one of the few companies that have exhibited at every one of the 37 EFTTEX events, making its bow in 1982 when it was first staged.
Times and faces may have changed, but the event remains an important date in the company's diary to this day. Its owner and Managing Director, Kimmo Korpua, said: "EFTTEX has always been a good show for us because it takes us to different regions across Europe and gives us a chance to meet new customers.
"Linking up with a lot of our current partners in one place every year is an important facet of the show because it saves our company a lot of time and money going out to meet them individually."
A lure maker since 1967, Kuusamon Uistin Oy is firmly established as Finland's leading manufacturer of metal baits and has strong export markets across Europe and especially in the Nordic countries and Russia – a strong position that has been helped by its unbroken record at EFTTEX.
"The show has certainly helped to keep the profile of our company high. People know us from our appearances there and it has helped us get our message across. The brand is known for its quality Finnish products and it is a reputation that has been forged at EFTTTEX.
"We would like to see more wholesalers and other trade visitors attend the show, but from an industry point of view it is important for us to attend. As well as the obvious networking opportunities, it also gives you an opportunity to gauge the state of the tackle trade across the world and keep abreast of what is happening. EFTTEX is the perfect place to do just that."
Attracting new partners is key to any business and Korpua says EFTTEX has introduced the company to many leads over the years. "After an initial meeting it can take one or two years before you get an order and you can lose track of where you first found them, but many of the introductions have come from EFTTEX."
Korpua lists his favourite venue as Amsterdam. "It is always well attended and I would like to see it staged there on a regular basis," he said. "However, we have also enjoyed successful shows in Germany, Hungary and other venues near Russia, which is one of one of our stand-out markets."