Pierre Marand, Qualipac

Premium Beauty News - Indicators are all green?

Pierre Marand - They are for the time being! We achieved a good 2012 year, both in Europe and Asia not to mention Brazil. On the latter continent, our growth even exceeded 15%.

Premium Beauty News - A growth driven in particular by the perfume industry where you have, it seems, significantly increased your presence? An area that remains predominant at Qualipac, followed by make-up?

Pierre Marand - Absolutely! It is clear, for example, that Qualipac’s performances in Brazil were largely due to this growth in fragrances. More globally, our industrial know-how (plastic injection/zamac and aluminium) and our ability to innovate have also greatly contributed to this.

A know-how that we keep on strengthening with new investments (capacity and productivity). Our plant in Brazil has also benefited from heavy investments with an increase in the surface area of more than 15%.

China was not left out in terms of capacity building since we started both a new injection and assembly workshop in June 2012 and we are in the process of building a new facility dedicated to the local market to host injection, decoration, and assembly lines. The new plant will help improve our ability to serve our key customers.

Premium Beauty News - You did say a factory for the “local” market?

Pierre Marand - We strive to offer the same quality of service to our customers, regardless of their location and reach. It makes no doubt that Qualipac can take advantage of a “Made in France” know-how and we are eager to promote it with major players in the Chinese market. Our choice of proximity is reassuring for those customers. They trust our ability to help them develop their brands.

Premium Beauty News - The products you manufacture in China are not only intended for China?

Pierre Marand - It’s true! We manufacture in Asia, a lot of the packs intended for the make-up industry, thus allowing us to supply Europe but also the United States. We have the huge advantage of being present industrially everywhere to best meet the needs of our customers, whether they are global or local.

Premium Beauty News - The watchword at Qualipac seems to be “innovation”!

Pierre Marand - Actually this word is the mainstay of our strategy. To, according to our motto, “make the dreams of our customers come true,” the choice is simple: “Be the best in terms of innovation.” This means both in terms of “talented people”, Research, technical and industrial capacity, flexibility, responsiveness, service. A whole array where each stage is essential.

Innovation – an approach which is in line with the spirit of collaboration of the other Divisions of the Pochet Group –, today is a strategic focus of our development. Several joint projects are being rolled out and should, in the short and medium term, significantly change the sensory perception of perfume, skin care and make-up.

Premium Beauty News - Some examples of recent launches to which Qualipac took part?

Pierre Marand - Among recent, current and future product launches to which we collaborated we can mention:

 The collection of cases Hypnôse Doll Eyes designed by Alber Elbaz for Lancôme with specific decorations using the Speed Picture technique. These palettes and eyeshadows are also fitted for the first time, with magnetic applicators produced by Priminter (launch scheduled on June 15, 2013).

 The aluminium cap of Gentlemen Only topped with the engraved Givenchy logo.

 The new tassels in zamac and enamel of Paco Rabanne’s Black XS Lxcès line

 The Encounter caps for Calvin Klein and Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj and those of Carbon by Eudora for O Boticario, the first fragrance development of our Brazilian site Ipel, which was awarded a “Prêmio Embalagem Marca.”

To note that with Génifique Yeux Light-pearl, Lancôme has completely redesigned its eye care application and we were chosen to work on the development of this innovation. The challenge was to integrate to the cap a special applicator with a functional and high-tech tip, designed in the same material as surgical tools. This Light-Pearl applicator required an attachment system that would be both flexible and resistant:

 Flexible to facilitate the massaging gesture over the entire eye contour area with a 50° rotation angle;

 Resistant, to guarantee the user a perfect hold of the pearl on its axis.

The interactivity between Lancôme and our teams for the development of the applicator, enabled to achieve the level of precision and perfection set by the brand.

These examples of launches allow me to conclude by stressing on a key point of our positioning: We are clearly operating in the prestige segment and intend remaining there. It’s in our DNA.