Interview with Joan García, commercial director of Equiper
The recent study conducted by universal plastics / Interempresas and peripherals for plastics providers mark a decrease in sales from 2012 to 2011. What is your feeling? What do you think will occur over the next year?
The feeling at the moment, seeing the trend of the first half, is that the 2013 will remain a year down in general. There are many companies to the limit after five years of crisis and adjustments, that although they now have work, only cover costs. There is a great lack of productive stability and reasonable financing is not available, either to optimize, automate, or renew equipment, does not advance.
Improvement projects there are many in the drawer, which is where we should intervene us, but for now the trend is to "endure". Obviously there are exceptions (some multinationals, very specialized customers, very specific projects, etc.), but they are that, exceptions. Also helps that European countries such as France and Germany, to which our industrial companies tend to export, nor are currently with rates of consumption to rise, but on the contrary.
By his experience in the sale of peripherals, what that most demand now a transformer when you want to buy a team? It has thus always been or notice changes in the demands of the buyer?
It has obviously changed, home and in many cases the first thing we request is time, as new or revised material, either through our or participating in auctions, due to the availability of plant closures. If required are not you try to buy at the best price possible. We say that it is solved a specific problem at the lowest possible cost and "when this will improve", we'll see. We also found cases in which repair or recycle some half-forgotten or remaining plant, equipment before buying new is valued.
On the opposite side are still customers who make investments in new equipment, although it continues to weigh fairly the final price or "special" payment terms that are not always possible (for example, funding to 2 years).
On the other hand, we have projects in which seeks to automate as much as possible, everything and that they are callable and profitable projects in the medium term, technical and final adjudication process is often lengthened enough, looking for adjust the most entire investment both in look and in another package.
In summary, I would say that the uncertainty of the future and the volatility of labour is much weighing decisions, which clearly are prejudicial to the manufacturers and distributors of equipment and machinery in general. It is nothing new, no confidence will not grow.
