In 2020, our growth required a deep transformation, a transformation which changed the way we deliver the packaging for your products. In fact, a total of 1.4 M Euros was invested at Neutroplast’s facilities and equipment, a noticeable sum for a SME. Nevertheless, the truth is that investments are a needed force in pushing companies forward. These changes, planned to allow for the continuous fulfilment of our commitments to our customers, were simultaneously incremental and a breakthrough, in every aspect of our plastic processing. Naturally, our production was the most impacted area of business, but other parts of it were also positively impacted by the improvements.
Quality suppliers need the right tools for the job
The overhaul started with the acquisition of new, state-of-the-art, processing machinery, which increased both our production quality and volume output. The effects were noticeable from the get go, as the provided capacity to increase production allowed for our commercial team to leverage it into new business. Furthermore, a significant effort was made to remodel our facilities and upgrade environmental control, to an extent that all our injection and blow-moulding production and packaging for expedition is now fully performed in ISO 7 and ISO 8 environments, an improvement that is reflected on all our products.
On the other hand, our warehouse was fully revamped and automated, adding more capacity while reducing allocated space and improving tracing and expedition. Also, the raw Materials storing and feeding is now automated, and both these upgrades improved energy consumption ratios, operator ergonomics and the efficiency of finished product storing, at the same time reducing the chances of an eventual contamination, a critical aspect of our dedication to supplying the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Finally, an energy solution that generates much of the power needed for own consumption was deployed. At 630 KWP of dedicated solar energy installed capacity, our plant now meets the conditions to provide plastic processing and facility cooling at a lower cost but, more importantly, in conjunction with several upgrades to our energy management, we have achieved a heavily reduced ecological footprint of our production and services.
The best equipment for the best people
Again, we must stress that, without the effort of our structure, these improvements wouldn’t have had the impact we now see on our activity. The final price tag for these initiatives added up to 1.4 M Euros of new equipment and facility remodelling, but the labour of our staff to adjust these changes to our needs and apply them into our industry standard processes cannot be overlooked. In fact, this was a challenging year, but by believing in our team and, in return, having an overwhelming response from our staff, we managed to make 2020 a year of reference in our growth, a year of renewal for Neutroplast, aimed at serving the ones that most support us: our customers.