Premium Beauty News - Can you situate Geka today and give us a rapid summary of the last sixteen months?
Jérôme de Prémare - Created in 1925, Geka has always been a pioneer company, specialising in plastic processing for mascara brushes and packaging. Its two production centres of excellence are situated in Bechhofen, Germany and Elgin, Illinois (USA), and we have a sales office base in Paris, France. The Group employs around 650 people worldwide and last year it generated a turnover of around 120 million Euros. We can consider that in the field of mascaras, our worldwide market share is around 30%.
Premium Beauty News - At the time of its takeover, 3i published a release stating “The future growth of Geka will depend on its capacity to innovate and its international expansion”. What decisions have been taken in this direction?
Jérôme de Prémare - It is undoubtedly the challenge! Our objective is indeed to reinforce the development of Geka’s activities both in Europe and in the USA, but also to expand into new markets, as much in Asia as in South America, specifically in China and Brazil. I can already announce the imminent opening this year of a sales structure in Sao Paulo and our plan is clearly to set up “Geka do Brazil” by early 2014! Looking at the innovation side of Geka, it is an essential aspect of our being. Innovation has, and always will be, the genetic factor of the company and we are continually strengthening it. Our objective is to enlarge our portfolio and over 10% of turnover is committed to industrial investments and new product launches.
Premium Beauty News - International expansion and reinforcement of the innovation strategy… but not only?
Jérôme de Prémare - Yes indeed, it is also the positioning of Geka that we aim to reinforce around the simple notion of being: “a Global Beauty & Health Packaging Group for complete delivery systems”. It is only through this framework that we can continue to offer our customers the “agility” they should expect from us. We are a specialist in the production of packaging and applicators for mascara, be they moulded or twisted, but undeniably, not only this! We are also working on other “systems” for other markets and will be in a position to present something more concretely very shortly.
Premium Beauty News - One of the major events of 2011 for Geka, was the launch of its filling line in Bechhofen. Is this a growing activity?
Jérôme de Prémare - It is a complementary activity which occupies our present filling machine full time and whose growth depends essentially on our customer demand; a demand which continues to develop.
In conclusion, 2013 will be an excellent year with a new dynamic integrated throughout the company and the projected achievement of performances announced by Yves Dominioni to the board of directors. Our three year strategy presented in October 2012 is going according to plan with the major priority being to place customer satisfaction at the heart of all our decisions.
