Alain Blondel

Alain Blondel

Quite an outstanding performance for this French SME, located in the Paris area, employing 32 people and specialized in the manufacture of cosmetic applicators, among which a host of mascara brushes. Taken over in July 2011 by its current managers, Alain Blondel and Eric de Bardonneche, supported by the investment fund Omnes Capital, its staff will have doubled in three years and its turnover increased by more than 50%. SIMP produced last year in its plant in the Paris region an all-time record of 100 million mascara brushes and more than 120 million rubber wipers!

The winning formula: a new industrial organization to optimize production to its maximum, maximum automation of the different production stations, a will to fully control the entire production chain, including in particular the manufacture of moulds and rely on strong innovation to be able to produce out of the ordinary shapes. "We can design a pilot mould in five weeks, and a production mould in eight to nine weeks," says Blondel.

One of the French company’s other strong point, according to its leader, is its ability to develop innovative products and more specifically, to reinvent the cosmetic applicator, and this, at competitive prices. All this of course backed up by patents... no less than seven patents were filed since the takeover of the company. "This clearly can be attributed to the industrial model that we implemented, combined with our ability to master both the design and manufacture of our moulds upstream".

Setting course on the "Americas"!

"The start of this factory in Mexico, explains Blondel, is the natural outcome of our success abroad and of our commitment to support our clients wherever they develop their businesses."

Hence, the French company is settling in Mexico in the city of Aguascalientes, in a 1,500 sqm factory, and will start first by producing what is also one of its main assets in Europe, rubber wipers. By mid 2016, the Mexican plant will be able to produce about 30 million of them per year. "This is an important step in our development on the North and South American continents. The recent MakeUp in New York trade show, to which we took part, was an indicator of our growth potential across the Atlantic. Our presence at MakeUp in São Paulo also illustrates this," explains Alain Blondel.

Different applicators, different sectors...

"That is what is at stake,” we were told at SIMP. “Even though the mascara plastic brush remains one of our featured products, enabling us to claim a 25% global market share, we are focusing a lot on other types of applicators, especially gloss applicators but also applications outside the cosmetic field, like for example for health-related products or various industrial applications." To note that this "extra cosmetic" activity, this year will account for nearly 30% of the company’s turnover.