SUZO SPARES GO ROUND THE WORLD
• Cor and Leo Suverein.
Ope of the busiest firms
connected with the
automatics business in
Europe, or for that matter
anywhere, must be the
Suzo Trading Company of
Rotterdam. This very im-
portant enterprise is one
of the most important
firms specialising in spare
parts in the world, and
the business is extremely
in tern a tional.
It all began in 1964,
when an operator in
Rotterdam - not a very
big operator, either -
found difficulty in obtain-
ing spare parts. He real-
ised that other operators
were having the same
difficulties, and so he
started to supply spares
as a side-line, and in a
very small way. This side
of his business grew pro-
gressively more and more
important, until in 1973
he began to concentrate
on spares only.
Unfortunatley Mr. Suv-
erein Sr. who founded this
interesting business, died
some years ago, but his
work is carried on with a
great deal of energy and
enthusiasm by his two
sons, Leo and Car. After
expanding as much as
possible in their former
premises, the brothers
finally decided that the
time had come to move.
They
purchased
a
building not far from
where they were already
established, and last year
the Suzo Trading Com-
pany moved to its splendid
new headquarters, which
Leisure Play - September
I visited fo-r the first time
recently.
The bui\ding, situated
in a quiet street in a good
commercial district, has
been beautifully installed.
"Only the original walls
still stand. We rebuilt the
interior completely," Leo
told me when I arrived.
He took me on an inter-
esting tour of the building.
The stocks of spares there
are extremely impressive,
and increasing all the
time. One year ago about
31,000 different parts
were always to hand, but
today the total is about
35,000.
A new department has
been added to Suzo, a silk
screen printing depart-
ment. An expert is
employed who designs
and prints glasses for
machines, and the
demand is increasing. At
the time of my visit an
electronics workshop was
being prepared, for Suzo
are to commence devel-
oping and producing
boards for manufactu-
rers.
There is a strong ten-
dency in the firm
nowadays towards des-
igning, developing and
producing spares, under
the registered trade name
of STC. A few months ago
it was noted that cus-
tomers were complaining
a lot about the "joy-
sticks" on video games.
"Everyone at Suzo could
see the faults, and so we
decided that we would
design and develop a
joystick far better than
anyone else had done. Leo
Suverein explained. The
result is a joystick, made
by Suzo, which is now in
tremendous demand, and
being sold by the
thousand to manufactu-
rers. This joystick is
available in 2, 4, 4-double
action and 8-way dimen-
sion al. The shaft is
exceptionally strong, and
there is a point instead of
the usual ball, which
rough players are so fond
of striking, and deforming
the whole joystick. "Our
joystick really is an
enormous success, and it
isn't at all expensive,"
Leo told me.
For anyone connected
with the automatics
industry
the
Suzo
headquarters really are a
fascinating place to visit. I
saw one section devoted
entirely to rubber rings,
every possible type. All
are produced by ABC of
the United States, for
which Suzo are the rep-
resentatives in Europe.
Hantarex is another make
handled (not for all
Europe) both the monitors
and the spares for the
monitors. Fort Locks is
another line handled, and
these for all Europe.
So fascinating did I find
the screen printing dep-
artment that I went there
twice. Glasses for a Dutch
firm were in production
when I was there. These
glasses have their own
registered trade name,
SZR.
There is a staff of 13
working with the two
Suverein brothers. The
packing department is
most impressive. Goods
are sent by air if so
required by customers.
Bigger export orders,
weighing seven to ten
thousand kilos are sent by
sea.
And a ·very great deal
of the spares that Suzo
sell do go overseas.
"About 75 per cent of our
business is export," Leo
told me. Spares go all over
the world, not only to
European countries.
Every continent is served,
and in a big way. Most
overseas orders come by
telex, and the telex
machine in the office
chatters in a continual
stream of orders, which
are dealt with immed-
iately. Languages under-
stood at Suzo include
English, German, French
and Italian. People know
that they can rely impli-
citly on the Suzo service.
And on what they obtain
from Suzo. As Leo Suv-
erein put it: "We know all
the problems and all the
weaknesses. And we have
built up our business by
helping people."
MARY OPENSHAW.
New Date for Dublin Show
Following the success£ ul outcome of Coin-
Op 1981, IATA the Irish Amusement Trades
Association has reviewed the dates for the
1982 Exhibition. While many Exhibitors were
happy with the dates originally proposed (the
end of April) many others were strongly of
the opinion that the Exhibition should be
brought forward to March. Having reviewed
the position fully in consultation with SDL,
the exhibition organisers, IA TA has now
arranged that the exhibition will be held on:-
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 31st March -
2nd April 1982.
An announcement re booking arrange-
ments, etc., will appear in the next issue of
Leisure Play.
Page Forty-Nine