Juan Carmona: "We are 'number 1' in the manufacture of detergent and fabric softener in Spain" :: KPMG - Prensa Ibérica
– During the pandemic we grew in sales by around 18%. Sales of personal hygiene products, especially those related to hand washing, grew a lot. And in the part of clothes care products there was growth at the beginning of the pandemic that later stabilized.
– And in the case of Inquiba they had been growing in recent years...– Yes. In fact, in our case it has not had so much to do with the pandemic, although there was an upturn, as with the growth dynamics that we already had years ago.
– How much have they grown? What are the numbers?– We have experienced very important sales growth in recent years. In 2016 we were at 56 million euros in sales and we have closed 2021 with 160 million. We have practically tripled in five years. 2021 has gone very well in sales (we have grown almost 20% compared to the previous year), but at the level of results we have been greatly affected by the prices of raw materials, energy and transport, which have skyrocketed.
– Have these higher costs not been passed on?– No. We are transformers of very basic raw materials and during 2021 we were unable to transfer these price increases to our clients, nor they to the consumer, in the way that we would have needed.
– Didn't they take the opportunity to sell hydroalcoholic gel during the pandemic? It is a business and, at the same time, a social need...– We could not manufacture hydroalcoholic gels because we did not have the approved facilities to pack flammable products. We received many requests and it was frustrating not being able to attend to them because there really was a health need that had to be answered.
– And can they already manufacture?- Yes. In the course of 2021 we have made the necessary investments to standardize the facilities and process lines in order to be able to manufacture hydroalcoholic gel. So next time we will be prepared.
– What production figures do you manage? What production capacity do you have in this factory in Guareña?– In the year 2021, some 255,000 tons transformed, but we have factory capacity to perfectly transform up to 350,000 tons per year.
– Detergents and softeners are what they produce the most...– Yes. They represent 85%-90% of total production. There are 126,000 transformed tons of softener; some 110,000 tons of detergent; 12,000, of personal hygiene products, and 7,000, of other products.
– They are with the greats of distribution...– We are very focused on the Iberian Peninsula market and, indeed, we practically manufacture for the main Iberian distribution operators: Carrefour, IFA, Salvamás, Eroski, Mercadona. With Mercadona, specifically, we began a collaboration in 2017 as specialist manufacturers of detergents and fabric softeners, which has driven our growth in recent years.
– How does Inquiba want to be recognized in the market?– We want to be recognized as the best specialists in those products that we have decided to manufacture. Today, thanks to our customers, we are number one in the manufacture of detergents and fabric softeners in Spain.
- White brand? private label? what's his name?
– We have a clearly industrial vocation and we are focused on designing and manufacturing products for third parties. They are not white marks. We don't like that name. We manufacture products that in some cases lead the market with qualities equal to or superior to other manufacturer brands.
– Now, at the beginning of the year, they are going to launch a new product on the market: liquid detergent capsules...– Yes. With Icap, which is a newly created company with a minority shareholding by Avante and Corporación Empresarial, which are institutional partners. After two years of product and process innovation work, for which we have obtained some patents, it will be released on the market in the first months of this year.
– And with Icap, there are already three companies that make up the group, right?
- That is. One is Inquiba, which is oriented towards the manufacture of household and clothing cleaning products. Especially detergents and softeners. The second company is Ibell, specialized in hygiene and personal care products (bath gels, shampoos, hand washes, body milk). And the third is Icap which, as you said, manufactures liquid capsules mainly for detergent.
– And what expectations are placed on Icap?– We are very focused on the Iberian Peninsula market because logistical limitations condition the competitiveness of our cleaning products in other markets. Keep in mind that fabric softeners and detergents are volume products. They are 2-4 liters, they carry a lot of water, and logistics clearly penalize the export of these products to other countries. That is why we have always been very focused on the Iberia market. However, with Icap and Ibell products we do not have these logistical limitations and we aspire to develop a more international project.
– With this new company they intend to boost exports...- That is. The capsules are technologically more advanced products, with only 4%-5% water and a high concentration, and they can travel very well, so we can approach other markets without complexes. And we believe, on the other hand, that further on, in the future, we can take our technology to other countries.
– How “our technology”?– We ourselves have designed an important part of the entire industrial process. It is something that sets us apart. The normal thing is that you acquire the industrial equipment and develop the capsules from a standardization that the manufacturers of the equipment give you. For the last two years, we have been working on our own developments and we are convinced that our technology is exportable because it currently does not exist. We have designed and patented some technological solutions that will provide us with a clear differentiation from other competitors. It is not imminent, but we do not only aspire to export products, but also our industrial model.
– Is it a format, that of the capsule, that they foresee hatching?– The capsule market is growing at a double-digit rate in Europe, Asia and North America. It is not a new product, it has been on the market for years and is well accepted. It is a very convenient product that has the advantage of single-dose use and that, at the circular economy level, is friendlier. On the other hand, it has a higher cost per wash than conventional detergent.
– What is Inquiba's commitment to technological and industrial innovation?– In the last five years we have invested 35 million in improving our industrial assets and we have a policy of continuous reinvestment. Our R&D team is working on a very interesting innovative project that consists of a dispenser in which a concentrated product is supplied -for example, floor mops- that will allow mixing with water directly at the point of sale. The consumer only has to bring his container.
– A kind of bulk sale.- Exactly. The product is manufactured with water at the point of sale. We are looking for an ecological product in which you save bottles and you save the transport of liters of water.
– Sounds like environmental sensitivity...– Sustainability, together with innovation, quality and technology, is one of our basic principles.
– They pack with plastic, what does Inquiba do in terms of sustainability?– We have a sustainability plan where there are collected more than 40 measures aimed at objectives such as the reduction of water consumption. We call this project developed by the R&D area “Less water, more efficiency”. Its objective is to develop concentrated formulations that allow the use of water to be reduced by up to 50% in liquid detergents and 95% in capsules. We reduce packaging -less cardboard and less plastic- and we also reduce energy consumption because we improve efficiency.
– Essential energy efficiency.– It is another of the objectives of the plan: consume renewable energy through self-consumption or PPA (power purchase agreement), that is, agreements with renewable companies that sell you their energy package. Another measure is to reduce the consumption of PET and polyethylene, incorporating recycling percentages that can reach 100% in PET and 50% in polyethylene. And then we also seek the goal of zero waste discharge. We have been investing in a treatment plant for a long time to generate less waste and improve its quality. These are concrete measures aimed at improving sustainability.
– Innovation, sustainability, efficiency. Behind there are always people...– The important thing is people. Irons are bought with money. The change we are most proud of is the level of professionalization and specialization that we have achieved in recent years. We have an excellent human team that has been able to adapt to the needs of the client and the consumer. They are the true protagonists of this project.
– How important it is that companies like Inquiba remain in towns the size of Guareña to establish population and give opportunities to rural areas!– We are aware, yes, of the importance of a company not only so that people can live here but also so that they can develop professionally. If we want to retain talent -which is an overrated word; I like more effort or will-, entrepreneurs have to create attractive work projects and friendly work environments where employees can develop their skills. We have made a great commitment to training and we have professionals with an extraordinary capacity.
– To what extent does Extremadura need more infrastructure for its business development?– It is evident that we are bad in infrastructures, and surely we will bear few comparisons with other regions. We are missing a railway, we are missing an AVE, we are missing a plane, and we must claim a clear improvement, but it will not be immediate and, while it arrives, we should not waste too much time lamenting. In Extremadura there are magnificent projects that have been developed against all odds: Cristian Lay, Gallardo, Inquiba, Vegenat, Komvida, La Casa de las Carcasses, Alumasa, etc. This is about believing, tenacity, resilience, illusion. Although, obviously, if they give us more resources, we will go faster.
IN A PERSONAL KEY
He saw himself die in a fire
One day, as a child, Juan Carmona saw how someone treated his father badly, without the respect due to him, at his job. He did not know then what he was going to do in life, but that experience marked him forever and he promised himself that he would never work for another.
He is a self-made man, a restless and enterprising soul who has made effort and perseverance the key to his success. His personal story teaches us that it doesn't matter if you fall; the important thing is to get back up. He did so in 1981 when a devastating fire devoured the company he had created eleven years earlier. That almost cost him his life ("I saw myself die"), but he did not give up. He started from scratch, and with greater effort if possible.
His triumph is shared. He recognizes that the history of Inquiba cannot be understood without his wife, who has played a very important role, and is proud of "having been able to transmit my love for our family business to my five children."
His son Juan is now at the helm of the company as CEO.
In figures:
Data: 2021
Related Articles