Coesia has been operating in India since almost four years. Tell us about the company’s experience so far?
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Vinayak Savadi
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Coesia had set up its base in Pune in August 2009, with the aim of providing support to other Coesia Group of companies operating in the strategically crucial Indian market, including GD, ACMA VOLPAK, NORDEN, HAPA, LAETUS, FLEXLINK and GDM.
Coesia customers are leading players in health and beauty, consumer goods, tobacco, aerospace, racing and automotive industries. The group consists of 13 companies: ACMA VOLPAK, ADMV, CIMA, CITUS KALIX, FLEXLINK, GD, RA JONES, GDM, HAPA, LAETUS, NORDEN, SACMO and SASIB. The group has 85 operating units (52 of which are production facilities) spread across 28 countries. Of these companies, the ones relevant to the life science and healthcare industry are FLEXLINK, HAPA, LAETUS, NORDEN and SACMO.
FLEXLINK is the leading provider of production logistics solutions to manufacturing industries, within the automotive, electronics, healthcare and fast moving consumer goods segments. HAPA manufactures ‘on demand’ printing systems for pharma and cosmetic packaging industries. LAETUS produces on line packaging security and vision inspection systems for the pharma industry to verify presence, completeness and correctness of packaging materials and drugs. NORDEN designs, builds and supplies fully automated tube filling systems covering all speeds and applications within various segments: pharma, cosmetics, toothpaste, food and industrial. SACMO designs complete packaging machinery lines and supplies refurbishments of existing machines, maintenance on customer’s site, retrofit of machines in production, second-hand machines, customer training, manufacturing of machine parts, emergency service for part manufacturing and assembly of complete lines.
What challenges have you identified and how do you overcome it?
The main challenge is to provide cost-effective solutions to improve packaging’s environmental footprint – it is a top goal across geographies. But to overcome this, we’ve made great strides on the journey by closely collaborating with the customers. We have put our packaging portfolio and global development of network to work on science-powered innovations to tackle these tough demands.
Presently, how large is your clientele base? How has the Indian operation helped your clients to have customer friendly services?
Coesia’s customers are the leading players in food, pharma, personal care and cosmetics, tobacco, healthcare.
The presence of Indian technicians will help in faster and better understanding of the specific requirements of our customers. In recent years, Coesia has notably reinforced its presence in the Indian and overseas market, installing lines for a range of products into various sectors – from machinery for packaging sauces and drinks for the food industry to packaging machinery for the cosmetics, chemical and pharma industries.
Coesia provides sales, technical and maintenance services to its customers. After active plan identification for supply chain, training of the technicians for machine assembly and set up, Volpak has started its commercial production of HFFS and VFFS machines in India at its manufacturing facility located in Pune.
GD has also started its commercial production and gained specialisation in manufacturing of advanced automated machinery. Coesia India has regional branch offices in Bangalore and Delhi.
What cost effective services do you offer?
Coesia specialises in providing solutions for companies mainly in tube filling and cartoning machines (Norden), horizontal and vertical form filled sealed machines (Volpak), conveying systems (Flexlink), online vision inspection system (Laetus) and printing systems (Hapa) and Advanced Automated Machinery (GD). Many large pharma companies rely on us for high speed, proven, highly efficient machines. We have strong, well trained after sales service engineers in India available for these machines. The opening of the Pune base also aims to reinforce one of the group’s hallmarks, namely its ability to work directly with the client companies, to listen to their requirements and to develop new solutions to meet their specific needs. The presence of Indian technicians will help us in understanding the specific requirements of our customers and provide quicker and better solutions to meet their requirements.
Coesia India had a team of 100 qualified people. 3000 square metre clean environment assembly shop including spare parts warehouse, technical office and highly sophisticated ERP system based at Chakan, Pune, Maharashtra.
Tell us how the Indian operations have helped the entire group to grow?
Main aim of the Indian operations is supporting other Coesia Group companies operating in the strategically crucial Indian market, including G.D, ACMA VOLPAK, NORDEN, HAPA, LAETUS, FLEXLINK, R.A. JONES and GDM. This region created specifically to fulfil one of Coesia’s primary objectives: to better exploit the opportunities offered by potential synergies between its component companies, in order to meet the requirements of diversified clients in a better way. This will be one of the key aspects of Coesia’s strategy to consolidate its global technological leadership through its presence in the most important local markets.
Presently, how many new products are in the pipeline?
Range of products -Tube filling & cartoning machines, Flow wrappers for soaps & confectionery, Filling lines liquids, HFFS & VFFS machines, machines for hygiene disposables, tea bag packing machines, conveying systems, online vision inspection systems and printing systems for pharma and cosmetics, tea packing lines, lipstick fillers and packing machines.
What plans have you set for Coesia India?
The plan for Coesia India is to grow sustainably with a long-term focus on customer centric and innovative solutions, and living with core Coesia values – respect, responsibility, knowledge and passion.