Research, development and innovation. Always down-to-earth but with the
ambition of giving our clients the best we possibly can. The history of the
family business Encaplast, founded in 1980 in the Mirandola medical district,
is a story of advanced technologies, cutting-edge machinery and highly
qualified people. For FARE INSIEME, Giampaolo Colletti interviewed Valentina
Bianchini, General Manager of Encaplast, and Mario Neri, CEO of the company.
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
There
are business stories that have a feel of the future, even if they began in the
past, for example, in the 1980s marked by the strong drive towards
digitalisation. Today, those companies interpret the values on which they were
founded, fuelling them with future challenges. Basically, this is the
atmosphere in Encaplast, Emilian gem of packaging and its evolution, a company
established by the Neri family forty years ago and which over time has grown to
become a joint-stock company with an important international presence. From
Emilia to the world, there and back. Because everything starts in Mirandola,
near Modena, in the eminent biomedical district that the entire world envies
us. “This is a company, but above all a
big family, founded by our parents and now an international business. All this
was possible thanks to the precious support of our collaborators, who have
never stopped believing in the Neri family’s ambitions and sharing them”. That’s what the website says, in a post signed by Patrizia and Mario Neri.
Encaplast now has ninety employees and serves a global market linked to the
medical and pharmaceutical sector. «What
distinguishes us is our attachment to the territory, the most important medical
district in Europe. Our packaging solutions have also kept abreast of the
evolution of the devices: they must contain but, above all, protect. Over the
years, the materials used and the technical and shelf life properties of the
packed product have evolved», says Valentina
Bianchini, General Manager of Encaplast.
Gambling on research. But let’s step
back in time. Everything starts from an insight that developed over time.
The idea behind this company was Enzo and Carla Neri’s, the husband and wife
team from which the company takes its name. Encaplast, established in 1980,
experienced in first person the growth of the district along with the major
players operating in the area. Everything revolves around new products and
materials and, therefore, by extension, around the evolution of the machinery
used in the production process. Today, its clients are large multi-nationals
and virtuous companies that operate in the field of medical devices and
pharmaceutical products. From America to Japan, via Europe. Then there is
research, lots of it, carried out over time as an indispensable constant. «In
recent years we have started to study applications with new materials targeted
at more sustainable solutions, with further focus in the last 12 months on new
alternative solutions due to the raw material procurement difficulties.
Made-to-measure research, like a tailor-made suit: Encaplast develops
personalised solutions for 85% of the products. “This is a service where the
client’s needs and requests lead to a detailed study of the product’s
properties, shelf-life and maintenance of sterility for long periods», says
Mario Neri, CEO of the company.
Made-to-measure production The production plant
is one of the indispensable spaces. Today it has different departments for the
various manufacturing stages: from coil printing to the bonding of plastic and
aluminium films, through to cutting and the ISO8 clean room which occupies over
750 square metres and in which the final product sealing stage takes place.
Important teamwork. So, the human resources make the difference here too.
«Being reliable, organised, dynamic partners is essential. Our job is that of
identifying solutions for our clients, driving the entire team towards
continuous improvement. Our staff is heterogeneous, comprising young men and
women, senior figures and technical staff. Together they form a constantly
growing team and every member has the chance to play a part in the company’s
evolution», concludes Bianchini. The future is still based on research that
starts from experienced and enthusiastic professionals. Because to launch new
products and look to the future you have to start from the people.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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