EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Walter GB Expands with Trio of Appointments

Tooling specialist Walter GB has strengthened its UK sales operation with three new appointments, including two field sales engineers (Ben Stephens and Chris Auton) and the creation of a key account manager role (Ross Shaw) for the company’s largest OEM customers. The new recruits mark another milestone in Walter’s ongoing UK growth trajectory, bringing talented and experienced engineering talent into the business. Managing director Ashley Battison says: “We’re building an engineering team to enhance and streamline service and support for customers, particularly those with challenging projects.”  

More information www.walter-tools.com 

65,000 at AMB

The recent AMB 2026 metalworking in Germany once again sent a positive signal for the European metalworking industry: around 65,000 visitors from 76 countries used the five-day trade fair to engage in decision-relevant conversations and the systematic expansion of business relations. Some 1195 exhibitors from 34 countries presented their ideas, products, services and concepts across 10 trade fair halls at Messe Stuttgart. With numerous programme formats, a variety of networking opportunities and the AMB Stage, visitors were also treated to a comprehensive accompanying programme outside the halls. 

More information www.messe-stuttgart.de/amb/en 

Subcon ‘26

Subcon will return to the NEC, Birmingham on 9-10 June 2027, denoting a landmark edition. The show is celebrating 50 years, with the organisers planning an extra special anniversary exhibition. Subcon 2026 will run new features that include a ‘Metrology and Materials Lab’, ‘Talk and Walk’ visitor trails and a 50th birthday party. All this will sit alongside the supplier discovery, live content, CPD-certified sessions and industry insight visitors expect from Subcon. At the previous event earlier this year, Subcon welcomed over 5000 visitors to Birmingham. In 2027, will be even bigger. 

More information www.subconshow.co.uk 

NexGeM: New Trade Fair For Digital Metalworking

The smart metalworking of tomorrow can now be experienced live at NexGeM (Next-Generation Metalworking) thanks to the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). As a co-located event of Hannover Messe, the new exhibition will be opening its doors on 5-8 April 2027. “This step was long overdue,” states Dr Markus Heering, VDW executive director. “The machine tool is not a stand-alone solution. It’s embedded in the overall digital industrial value chain, from planning to service. This is why NexGeM will bring together companies from the worlds of mechanical engineering, IT and software.” 

More information www.nexgem.de/en 

Showered With Precious Metals in Shanghai

An aircraft maintenance engineer, a lab technician and the coolest refrigeration expert on the planet, are among 21 UK medallists at WorldSkills 2026 in China who showed the strength of the nation’s skills. Team UK, the country’s brightest young apprentices and professionals, were showered with medals as they triumphed in Shanghai, picking up two golds, one silver and three bronze medals at the so-called ‘skills Olympics’. 

A further 13 ‘Medals for Excellence’, denoting world-class standards, were awarded to the UK, meaning medal recognition for 19 of the 25 skills in which Team UK competed. This is the strongest performance since 2017. All 28 young professionals and apprentices, exponents of a wide range of skills that included high-tech robotics and Industry 4.0, returned home enhanced by the experience of competing against 1400 peers from over 70 nations. 

More information www.worldskillsuk.org