Premium Beauty News - A year ago, almost to the day, you were taking over Italcosmetici. Quite a challenge with already some satisfactions.
Giuseppe Campanella - Yes, indeed, we can only be satisfied! The strategy, which consisted during the first year, in participating to other exhibitions abroad, particularly MakeUp in Paris, enabled to estimate the strong points of the company and its notoriety: more than eighty contacts in Paris, out of which, one third from French companies and the rest from foreign companies including Australia. So, we are very confident for the coming months. So much so that we are seriously considering relocating in new industrial premises by the end of next year.
Premium Beauty News - A long standing company, a wide range of products and an excellent image!
Giuseppe Campanella - Absolutely! For the past 35 years Italcosmetici has been producing a wide range of face products like foundations ( liquid, semi-fluid or creamy, compact, with SPF protection, cream to powder, moisturizing, matt or shimmer ), stick foundations ( long lasting, covering and pan stick ), concealers (stick, creamy ), powders ( compact, loose, mosaic, powder balls, mineral ), blushes ( compact, loose, stick, creamy ), make up primer and highlighter, mascaras ( classic, volume, long lash, all in one, water proof ), fortifying bases, eyeshadows (
compact, creamy, loose, mineral ), eyebrow fixers (compact, creamy), eyeliners (fluid, creamy, gel, compact), Lipsticks ( different textures, from mat to extra pearled ), No transfer pens, Liquid lipsticks, Lip-glosses ( stick, creamy, poured ), Lip balms, Sun sticks. We design and produce highly innovative top quality products with security standards, high regard and respect for the environment. We offer a tailored service for clients to identify and place new products on the market, laying the bases and supporting them in the pursuit of their success. From research to production to the realization and launching of the product we are able to guarantee a full service. We develop high quality formulas increasingly oriented towards respecting the environment, integrating natural products with active ingredients and processes informed by sustainability.
Premium Beauty News - In recent months, you even increase the staff?
Giuseppe Campanella - Three new people have joined us in the R & D department, bringing the workforce to 35 people, including 23 women. Women hold the responsibility of 3 out of 6 departments. The company’s average seniority is 10 years. 6 graduates and 15 high school graduates. In the past 5 years our employees have attended +100 hours of training on technical, commercial, security and quality matters. Our employees have, globally, over 400 man/years of specific experience in the production of cosmetics! The company’s know how is widespread and about half of the employees participating in weekly meetings of planning and activity control. Security and safety is an absolute priority and in 35 years there have been only five incidents, none of them with serious consequences. There have been no cases of illness originated from the working environment. We have a proud history of loyalty within the company.
Seven people are in charge of research, development and control activities. The average age is 40 years old, while the company’s average seniority is 12 years. Three are graduates, while two are technical high school graduates. The laboratory is equipped with the most advanced machineries available on today’s market (centrifuges, viscometers, colorimeters, conductivity meters, agitators, penetrometer, turbo-emulsifier.) and allows us to engage in the full formulation cycle, from formula to pilot production. The laboratory carries directly or outsources at least 10 standard analyses on production. When developing new products, all the analyses on the chemical-physical features, microbiological analyses, search for heavy metals and duration tests, are assigned to external laboratories in order to obtain independent certifications. In 35 years of activity, the company’s R&D has produced around 150 texture bases in over 3.000 shades. In recent years we have been more assertive in finding solutions increasingly based on natural raw materials as well as on active ingredients. The lab is able to develop new formulas according to the client’s needs, as well as reproducing solutions already on the market. Every year we manage several projects, based on clients’ requests. Despite the recent dimensional growth and the increase in volumes of activity, the technical expertise andcreativity, we have maintained the ability to develop personalized solutions for each of our clients.
Premium Beauty News - A few words about the production tool…
Giuseppe Campanella - Production is articulated in three departments: emulsions, powders and filling/packing. The emulsions department makes use, among other things, of 17 fusers with mixer (5-150 kg), 3 fusers with turbine (12-100 kg) and 4 turbo-emulsifiers (8-150 kg).
The powders department employs 1 rod mill (over 300kg of productive capacity per day), 13 powder mixers, 2 moist powder mixers, 4 coating pans and 3 ovens with a daily productive capacity of over 200kg per day of powder balls or 80/100 kg per day of powders. The packing department uses several filling machines (6.000 pieces per day), as well as one automatic machine for lipsticks (2.000 lipstick per hour), and 8 semi-automatic compactors.
The productive activity undergoes constant quality controls that employ 3 people full time. In 2015, Italcosmetici have managed almost 500 orders from 40 clients located in 24 different countries. Logistic activity has transferred 120 tons of merchandise in over 300 international deliveries. Despite the recent dimensional growth and the increase in volumes of activity, the productive and logistical capacity of Italcosmetici maintains the ability to develop personalized solutions for each one of its clients.
We also offer to our clients the possibility to buy the following products in bulk (Lipstick paste, MOQ 10 kg, Mascara, MOQ 50 kg black 30 kg coloured, Eyeliner, MOQ 30 kg, Eyeshadows, MOQ 10 kg, Blush, powders and bronzers, MOQ 25 kg, Powder balls, MOQ 30 kg mono-coloured 100 kg multi-coloured cocktail, Foundation, MOQ 50 kg, Cream concealer, MOQ 30 kg, Lipgloss, MOQ 10, 25 or 30 kg, Liquid lipstick, MOQ 10, 20 or 30 kg.
The lipstick paste is packaged in blocks weighing 10 kg each.
Mascara is packaged in plastic barrels weighing 20 to 25 kg each. Powders are packaged in plastic bags and placed in cardboard boxes weighing 8 to 13 kg. The delivery of the product generally takes place at our plant.
Premium Beauty News - You also have a Full service offer?
Giuseppe Campanella - Yes, we can offer our clients a full service of design and supply of single products or complete lines. The full service activity starts with the identification of the technical and marketing features of the product or line. At this stage, the client interacts with the lab and our commercial staff. Once the textures, the colours and all the technical characteristics that are able to support the desired commercial claim shave been defined, the lab starts the R&D process that leads to the choice of the formulas. We then proceed to the development of the prototype and the verification of the client’s proposals. At the end of this stage, we move on to more complex testing activities that also include the contextual redaction of technical-scientific documentation required by European legislation. The primary and secondary packaging is supplied by Italcosmetici. Generally, the minimum quantity required by single order is lower than the minimum purchasing order for packaging. In this case, for full service’s customers, Italcosmetici guarantees a stock service in its warehouse. Depending on the type of order, Italcosmetici can request advance payment for the minimum purchasing order of packaging. The delivery of the product generally takes place at our plant. Despite the recent dimensional growth and the increase in volumes of activity, the productive and logistical capacity of Italcosmetici maintains the ability to develop personalized solutions for each one of its clients.
Premium Beauty News - You rely obviously a lot on export sales!
Giuseppe Campanella - Historically our company has always had a big influence in Italy and throughout the Middle East. But we plan to expand to other countries in the world.
