“If there’s only one left, I will be that one!” That could be the motto of this company, which grew up from a FRF 22 million turnover in 1989 and to more than EUR 11 million last year. Ingredients for success? Jean Louis Revel, Tecnhicap’s CEO reveals them to Premium Beauty News.

Premium Beauty News - A whole generation remembers this old good black dial telephone... Fortunately, there are some goods, electrical switches in particular, that still use this almost mythical material: bakelite. By you wanted to make it a luxury product!

Jean-Louis Revel - You’re perfectly right! Over the last 10 years, only a few of us have resisted to the thermoplastic. “tsunami” that swept almost everything away. And we’re part of the surviving companies! We have been focusing on the right target. Actually, this material is perfectly adapted to the luxury industry. Thanks to its cold touch, its natural density of 1.5 (which ranks it in the “ heavy” products category), its excellent behaviour at high thicknesses, its exceptional external aspect, and the depth of its colour.

Futhermore, when the entire industry is questioning itself about its “sustainable” future, it’s important to mention that, while bakelite is an organic matter, it is not an oil derivative but a combination of wood cellulose and urea.

Premium Beauty News - For sure, but what are the drawbacks of this material?

Jean-Louis Revel - Honestly, I can’t see what are the drawbacks today. What was a problem in the past isn’t anymore. We made dramatic progress on the industrial side, in order to have more efficient manufacturing equipment, faster and more accurate machines, to make our product more competitive and, above all, more adaptable to the beauty industry’s requirements.

It was such an achievement that the market has been requesting our innovations. We’re scoring big with our new range of cosmetic jars from 5ml to 150/200ml. Thanks to this material and to the know-how of our engineers all products out of the moulds comply with touch and aspect specifications.

Our strength is also that standard products contribute to 50% of our industrial activity. We have more than 260 references of lids and closures. We opted for customizable standards by developing exceptional finishing techniques.

Premium Beauty News - So Tecnicaps is mainly a team.

Jean-Louis Revel - That’s what makes our strength today.

Our approach is based on a listening and innovation, with the aim to push away the technical limits of a unique material. First, Technicaps is an SME led by motivated teams whose main qualities are listening and responsiveness.

Premium Beauty News - As for the sustainable development issue, you also have answers?

Jean-Louis Revel - For sure we have! As far as beauty and cosmetic packaging are concerned, Technicaps has the capacity to address sustainable development issues. Firstly because the material processed in our manufacturing unit is not an oil derivative organic matter but a combination of wood cellulose and urea, and it can be reused. Then , also because the company’s strategy is to integrate a strong environmental approach taking in consideration the whole supply chain, in particular regarding the choice of raw materials, the various transformation techniques, and transportation choices.

In brief, I would say: “No to the dictate of simplifying approaches such as material recycling, biopolymer or biodegradability”.