The Bioplan-Socopol plant near Warsaw has really nothing to compare with the one acquired by the group Ileos in 2006. The huge work undertaken in 2011 had the effect of completely reorganizing the production and storage halls. "This has enabled us to double our capacity," explains Jaroslaw Rutkowski, "but above all to put the entire production tool to the quality and hygiene levels required to develop our business in the cosmetic, food and household products sector in 3 separate units."
As a result, the 50 filling lines are distributed more harmoniously and logically in the 6,000 sqm of buildings. Hygiene conditions in which men and machine operate have what it takes to convince the most demanding customers. There is no way of moving from one area to another without being asked to completely change one’s protection outfit (mask, cap, gown and over-boots). It is not possible to enter into a production room without having cleaned one’s hands thoroughly with several successive disinfectants before. With 300 million units produced per year, all packaging considered, Bioplan Poland has become a European leader in its field.
Intensify Co-Packing!
"In fact, we produce increasingly more different products in this factory," explains Izabela Migdal, Commercial Director. "We follow the market requirements. Promotional sachets, of course, and all sorts of sachets with varied capacities, shapes and presentation types (in the form of sets of colouration beads, for example). We fill mini-tubes, we make Doypack type sachets (200 ml to 750 ml), and we fill mini plastic bottles, among others.”
"And we are also increasingly involved in Co-packing activities, that we intend to intensify in the coming months," emphasises Stéphane Frémiot Commercial Director for Bioplan.
In the space of three years, the picture on the types of product packaging at Socopol has changed: from a 60/40 ratio in favour of promotional sachets in the beginning, the share of other types of packaging has now clearly overshadowed them, with a reverse situation and a 60/40 ratio in their favour.
"And then there are new very technical niche markets that open up to us," details Migdal, "like the hot filling of small jars of concealer creams." Not that easy to perform actually because the product is extremely fragile and it’s a zero tolerance filling.
If you ask the Socopol teams if they are confident for next year, the answer is yes! The competitiveness of the Polish economy is still very real and the teams are always up to the task. Quit enough to bring in investments and orders.
