Interview to Miquel Paris, president of Genebre Group, and to Alejandro Martínez, technical director of the Industrial Division in Genebre
In which situation encara Genebre the 2013? Which balance do of the past year?
In our more than thirty years of history, the strategy of Genebre has gone through to diversify in products, in markets and in customers, what has allowed us achieve some very positive results during the 2012 and at the same time, allows us encarar the 2013 with some good perspectives.
Like continuation to his strategy of internationalisation, Genebre has foreseen to expand próximamente in Mexico. Which initiatives go to take for this?
Mexico is a market in which we already carry time exporting through distributors in each one of the lines of product and with some results of interesting sales. But taking into account the size of this market, take the decision to create the society Genebre of Mexico- Filial of Genebre Group, with a central warehouse and offices that give coverage in all the national territory, that would have to be active along this year 2013.
Which degree of export has reached already Genebre?
Already have achieved that 69% of the turnover proceed of the export, with sales in more than 110 countries, without that this represent a fall in volume of the Spanish market; that is to say, we keep us in Spain regarding volume of sales and achieve to grow considerably in the export.
Have in mind some process of deslocalización productive?
From 1996, when Genebre gave the jump of trading company to manufacturer of own products, has opted by a politics of outsourcing of the production, instead of keeping a structure fabril own.
The flexibility of this model of production allows to have the best world-wide producers. In the actuality, Genebre works with more than fifty productive centres in Europe and Asia, in which they take part more than 10.000 people.
The control of the same corresponds to diverse departments (Technical, of Quality and Logistical), situated in the central headquarters in Barcelona, from where supervises the activity of the productive centres so much to distance as through periodic visits. From the central headquarters provides the technical support for the improvement permanently of the productive processes and for the new developments.
Which criteria have guided this process of selection?
The location and selection of these centres of production decided after realising diverse studies in which it had the collaboration of the COPCA (Consortium of Commercial Promotion of Catalonia). These studies determined which part of the providers of Genebre would owe to be situated in Asia. For the research of new products and providers, created Genebre International Asia, Ltd. With delegation in Hong Kong.
For the control of the production in the Asian continent created in the year 2000 the Centre of Control of the Production Genco-Genebre (Ningbo) Plumbing Co. Ltd., in the city of Ningbo, south of Shangai (China). In these moments a team of five people works in works of research, gestión, control of production and quality.
In addition to the COPCA, for the development of the productive process of Genebre has been fundamental the support of official and business organisms like CIDEM, ICF, ENISA, Program ARC, Program NEI, the multisectorial Association AMEC and the Sectorial Association ASCON.
In the actuality the production of Genebre has 15.000 references of product, and the manufacture rises to more than 20 million annual pieces.
How it structures the range of Genebre? To which sectors of activity direct with his products?
Genebre Manufactures a big diversity of valves and accessories for the control of fluids, having three big divisions of products: Industrial Division, Division Hidrosanitaria and Division Grifería Domestic and for Collectivities.
Inside the Industrial Division - of which are speaking- the products that manufactures Genebre are applicable to any one of the industrial processes that require an installation of a valve for the control of a fluid or gas. Genebre Has edited the Table of Chemical Compatibility in base to the materials that use to manufacture all the products that have in our catalogues: that go from the brass, steel to the carbon, smelting of ironinging, stainless steel 316, stainless steel 304, EPDM, Buna (NBR), vitón, silicone, PTFE, PTFE reinforced, PTFE with graphite and delrin.
In this Table establishes an assessment of ‘Excellent', ‘Well', ‘Poor', ‘Not Using' or ‘Information no available', that serves to identify if it is compatible chemically our product in contact with different types of substances or chemical components. The information contained in this Table has to be used only like guide when selecting the team for an appropriate compatibility.
Valves for the chemical sector
Mr. Martínez, inside the wide range of valves with which explains Genebre, which are the versions that more request them in the chemical sector?
Like all know, the processes in the chemical sector are very diverse, by what the application of our products inside the same is very miscellaneous. A chemical process is formed by distinct stages and each one of them requires the application of distinct types of valves, already was by his characteristic of design or by the types of materials employed in the manufacture of the same.
Neither can forget that in a chemical process, in addition to the main stages of the process, exists also the need of ‘auxiliary processes' as it can be the air compressesed, water of refrigeration, residual water, steam of water, etc., by what Genebre also can be present with a series of products in these processes.
In summary, the participation of products Genebre in this type of industry is very wide although yes we can say that some products have more application that others, as they can be: valves of sphere of three pieces, valves of sphere with extremes bridados (DIN-ANSI), valves of stainless butterfly with seat of PTFE, valves class 800, pneumatics and electrical actuators, final boxes of career, etc.
They have entered recently or they have foreseen to do it in next dates some new line of valves for this chemical sector?
In the last incorporations of new products has had very in account the need of adaptation of these for the application in the chemical sector. Like example can mention valves butterflies with compatible seats with a lot of chemical products (PTFE, FKM), pneumatics actuators with external coating in painting of polyester in dust (actuator GNP) and extension of lines of product for ranges of steam as they can be valves of interruption with fuelle. Another very important example is the incorporation of a new line of products as it is the ‘Instrumentation'.
Which are the main technological tendencies that appreciate in the market of the valvulería?
Obviously from does time the technological tendency of application of new products by subjects of hygiene and reliability of processes is very tied to the automation of the same. Genebre Is increasingly involved in this field of application, and therefore it has increased the variety in final boxes of career, incorporation of valves of regulation and control, electrical actuators high performance, posicionadores rotary presses and linear, final boxes of career with bus of communication Asi. It is in our tendency and is our aim participate increasingly in the interior of the industrial processes.
What value differential can contribute Genebre to a professional of the chemical sector thanks to his experience of more than 30 years in valvulería for fluids?
First of all have to resaltar the human group and the professionalism of the members of Genebre, offering to our customers the greater hygiene, confiabilidad, responsibility and guarantee on our products.
Which technical criteria has to follow a customer to choose the model that better adjusts to his concrete needs?
Genebre Has commercial personnel, technician and a service of assistance to the ready customer to be able to advise and collaborate in the selection of a product for the application in a determinate process, having very in account the chemical compatibilities of the materials and the conditions of work to which will be exposed the valves or accessories.
It could signal us some case of success of implementation of valves Genebre in a chemical industry?
In this case would not like me speak of success but to having offered and follow offering to several companies of the diverse chemical sector components, guaranteeing especially the quality of our products to realise the processes with the greater hygiene that requires .
What normative govern the manufacture of valves for the chemical industry? It has them always present the customer in his selection of purchase?
Our products are designed and produced applying the European or American rules, depending of the type of product and his market of commercialisation.
Is evident that all the products have to be manufactured and tested according to the valid norms. Genebre Is a company certified ISO 9001:2008 and besides it has of certifications in diverse products as it can be the Directive 97/23/CE and the Directive 94/9/CE ATEX.
The hygiene is a key concept in the chemical sector. What can contribute the valves Genebre in this sense? What last developments have incorporated in matter of hygiene?
As it signals, the hygiene is a key point and the one of greater importance to the moment to design and manufacture a valve or accessory. We have to take into account that in the majority of the chemical and industrial processes is in risk fundamentally the physical integrity of the people as like this also the one of the installations.
Like improvement of design can mention the incorporation of additional stamps (tóricas) in the zone of axis of the valves of sphere to offer a greater hygiene and avoid like this possible escapes to the outside. Besides this type of valve carries a system of hygiene in the nut that tightens the empaquetadura so that it can not slacken the same when the valve is subjected to a lot of cycles of manoeuvre (usually when the valve is automated).
Are in process of certification on the managerial ISO 14001:2004 and besides, at present the technical department of Genebre is working to realise the certification of some designs of valves of agreement to TA Luft and IN ISO 15848-1 (Control of Fugitive Broadcasts).
Have of a group of work related with R&D, that allows to keep the philosophy of Genebre Group of ‘continuous improvement'.
