Pascal Baroux, owner and Manager of France’s cardboard Group Adine

Premium Beauty News - Today you operate in three business areas, which allows you to offer large packaging solutions.

Pascal Baroux - Absolutely! The Group consists of three business units with complementary know-how: Adine Cartonnages, which produces boxes, presentation boxes and cases, Chiffoleau, which is an offset and digital printing Company bought in 2018 and which produces exclusively packaging materials for the needs of the Group, and finally Thermoform which is an entity dedicated to plastic thermo-forming.

Note that to offer a complete service to our customers, we opened a few months ago a folding-gluing workshop. Our machine population, which already consists of two cutting decks in the 74x104 cm format range, plus one for hot foil stamping for the finishing of various substrates, was completed, last April, with a MK Diana Easy 115 C folding carton gluing machine. Amount invested, EUR 800,000. Very versatile and ergonomic, this folder-gluer line stands out in particular thanks to its optimal accessibility around the various folding modules, be it, from the drive side or operator side, thus making its implementation faster. The settings are many, precise and easy to perform. Its flexibility of production allows processing many types of packaging such as straight line, auto-bottom and with 4/6 corners. In addition, thanks to the option "miniature fold", it is possible to very easily design smaller cases (open 75x55 mm or even 45x55 mm) or much larger and complex cases such as conical boxes or boxes for spirits or champagne bottles.

Hence we manage to cover the entire value chain with the printing, box assembly, thermo-forming and, now, the manufacture of folding boxes and the gluing of sleeves, thus broadening our range of services dedicated to the perfume and cosmetics industry.

Premium Beauty News - The takeover of Imprimerie Chiffoleau represented a real turning point?

Pascal Baroux - Without a doubt, yes! But it was necessary to invest immediately in it to bring it to the desired level. The implementation a few months ago of a new Komori printing machine, worth nearly EUR 1.5 million was essential. This is the 5 colour Lithrone G 40 model + varnishing unit (offset varnish and / or flexo varnish) in a 70 x 100 mm format. It is equipped with an automatic calibration system and connected to an X-RITE densitometer. Intermediate dryers and final dryer. To note also the investment in a complete digital workshop with digital colour presses and black and white copiers.

Premium Beauty News - You cover just about every market.

Pascal Baroux - Yes just about all of them, since the wine and spirits sector represents approximately 30% of our activity on par with the perfume-cosmetic sector. We also supply the agribusiness and stationery industries for respectively 15% and 10%. Then the markets are very diversified. It is true that the synergy between our three entities offers a very wide range of services ranging from small series to large industrial volumes thanks, on the one hand, to the production of presentation boxes, boxes and cases of all types and with every substrate, in small or large quantities and, on the other hand, our printing capacity (offset, digital, customized or not and shaping workshop), and thanks, finally, to the design of thermoformed products and wedges to optimize the packaging.

Premium Beauty News - Cartonboard vs. plastic... very different issues and challenges?

Pascal Baroux - As everyone can see, we are more focused on cardboard than we are on plastic. This allows me to say a word about Thermoform which is really the thermoforming specialist. This company designs products and wedges designed to optimize packaging and set boxes for luxury products, perfumes, cosmetics, wines, spirits, chocolates, transport trays and wedging objects of all kinds. To meet the needs of its customers, Thermoform is constantly developing innovative solutions. The design department imagines, develops and realizes the plans that allow going to the production phase. The prototyping centre uses three-axis machines to produce mock-ups and moulds. Finally, the thermoforming machines produce samples and pre-runs before making the final products. The machine park, consisting of three Illig RV 53 and 53B, and 74B thermoformers, as well as various other production tools, allows manufacturing a wide variety of references.

But it is undeniable that being a cardboard converting specialist is undoubtedly an asset today, even if it will also require some adaptations. And, of course, respect for the environment is a major issue. We are certified Imprim’Vert / Imprim’Luxe and Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant. CSR has always been part of our DNA, we measure our carbon footprint, we have set up decant tanks, waste sorting, eco-design. This CSR commitment is based on strong values: ethics, availability, data protection, customer advice and service, eco-responsible approach and anti-corruption charter. We are members of the EcoVadis CSR rating platform.

Finally, I would like to stress on the fact that quality is at the centre of our concerns and at the heart of our strategy. Our quality department is subject to regular quality audits from our key luxury group clients. Quality policy is truly the soul of the Company.