From the idea to the finished product… and beyond

MONODOSE AND MULTIDOSE With millions of containers designed, produced and filled for customers all around the world, the Lameplast Group stands as one of the most innovatory and dynamic Italian industrial concerns serving the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. To its skills and knowhow, that enable the company to offer high added value solutions and services, it adds the respect for “its area” and “its people”, underlining the value of sharing a “high” sense of belonging with others. Considerations of an entrepreneur on today and tomorrow.
By Luciana Guidotti

Giovanni Ferrari created Lameplast and made it grow. With a stubbornness and steadfastness typical to his native Emilia, he “took it by the hand” in the aftermath of the earthquake that shook the region in 2012, and turned it to face the future once more.
«The earthquake was strong - the President of the Lameplast group recollects with great emotion - both in terms of the intensity of the tremors as well as aboveall for the consequences on the lives of the thousands of people and the many concerns located in an area that accounts for 1.8% of Italy’s GDP. It was a terrible blow and it came at a time when many companies were just about getting back on their feet again after the effects of a world crisis without precedent. But we managed to give an even more energetic and rapid response, making an effort that to all intents and purposes can now be considered extraordinary: we in fact guaranteed production starting from June 28th, or that is a month on from the last quake which seriously damaged Lameplast’s and COC’s buildings at Rovereto di Novi. Also because our customers, aboveall the big ones, certainly couldn’t wait».

We stay here
Even if the “epic” recollection of the matter is tinged with a bitter note due to the lamentable absence of the institutions, Lameplast determinedly reconfirms its vocation and the principles that have supported its success on the global market, not least a convinced “Italianness”.
One thing is indeed certain: despite what some companies are planning in the region, Lameplast does not intend relocating, because - as Ferrari underlines - «despite the enormous difficulties, we continue to believe in our area, in the strength of our co-workers who were in the company even in the most difficult of days, even though some had to face the rebuilding of their own homes; and we continue to believe in our relations with our customers, who showed great solidarity. Unfortunately though we can’t say the same for the state - the entrepreneur declares - that didn’t show the same attention and that, rather, got in the way with its red tape.

And indeed the emergency situation substantially highlighted one of the main problems for enterprises in our country: the mortification of initiative and entrepreneurial drive, that are added to other painful notes, like the scanty support for research and innovation.
And this to the detriment of the credibility that Italy really deserves. We are one of the most envied countries in the world for inventiveness, technologies, the capacity to adapt and react, and not only to dramatic natural events but also to the harm caused by a managerial class which is anything but farsighted. This Italy is a marvellous resource which our politicians cannot destroy. The hope or entrepreneurs who, like me, continue to wager on their own area is that, after the quake, something might really change: such as the modes and times of bureaucracy, so that the “healthy” companies manage to obtain the recognition they deserve».

Having an objective. More than one
As well as being attached to his area, Ferrari does not intend reneging on the value of an entrepreneurial history that has lasted for 35 years and that is packed with knowledge and ability.
«We continue to produce in Italy because, despite the difficulties, it is here where we have acquired the skills and knowhow that place us a step ahead of the others: and in this sense, our co-workers constitute a wealth it would be a shame to lose».
Having closed 2012 with turnover on the up despite all the problems, Lameplast what is more has never stopped expanding internationally, thanks to a decisive marketing and a dynamic and well-trained R&D team, that continues to come up with new ideas.
Currently Italy accounts for 55% of company turnover, the remaining 45% being made abroad, but «in just a few years, Ferrari states - we think we will be able to raise our foreign share to 70%.
And apart from a works in Florida for producing cosmetics, we continue to do virtually everything in Italy, because we want to keep the knowhow here, even if we know well that producing elsewhere, in China one might say, would cost less (China is where Lameplast sells its machines what is more)».
On the front of the sectors of use, Lamepast recognises the medical device sector as being the one that has best stood up to the buffets of the global crisis. And this is where it has made substantial investments. Ferrari recalls on this point:«In the first months of 2012 we inaugurated a new highly automated production site, investing 6 million euros to broaden our offer and provide an evermore complete service».

The strongpoint: innovate
Among the first industrial concerns to experiment and mass produce injection monodose and multidose containers, Lameplast has chosen to grow placing the onus on evolved and personalisable packaging, capable of guaranteeing the contents - cosmetic or pharmaceutical as it may be - purity and freshness. In other terms, it has chosen “innovation” as the main inspiration for its activity.
«We have always worked beating unexplored paths, placing the onus on research, inventing new products, meeting the challenges of the market and managing to overcome them» Ferrari states, who once again reminds us of the decisiveness of the support of capable and cooperative staff, oriented towards the development of different packaging solutions and ahead of the trends, all the while called upon to respect extremely high quality standards and demands. The result? «The market sees us as a partner capable of designing original solutions, that distinguish the product and give it a high visual appeal. And they reward us for it».     

Group Force Thanks to C.O.C Farmaceutici (company in the Group created in 1990 and specialised in the services of preparing, filling and packaging pharmaceutical products, medical devices and cosmetics) Lameplast is capable of providing complete integrated services, from the design to production of plastic containers, up to devising the formulas, product filling and final packaging. With its production works fully authorized by the Italian Health Authorities, C.O.C. works in conformity with European GMPs and in agreement with ISO standards and is authorised to produce medicinal specialties for human and veterinary use and medical devices, in liquid form, sterile and non sterile for filing and packaging in monodose and multiuse containers as well as the processing of high intensity active principles. Along with C.O.C. Farmaceutici the Group also comprises Lf of America, created in 2003 to offer filling and packaging services for cosmetics and OTC products, and BBLameplast, set up in 2007 along with Easypack Solution and BB Packaging to launch Easysnap pouch monodoses on the market, with their original patented opening system.

Lameplast designs and produces its new containers inside the company; The R&D section is specialised in the study of new materials and in designing innovatory containers, with an engineering section dedicated to the manufacture and maintenance of the moulds. To offer itself as a sole supplier and production partner, from the primary container to the finished product, Lameplast has also created the Pentafill line of machines, for filling and sealing 0.3 to 10 ml moulds.

The first completely automated monodose sterile high productivity filling line has been operative in the new Medical Devices section since 2012, built alongside the COC Farmaceutici Health & Beauty works (Lameplast Group). All work environments have been made with the best technologies for energy saving and for reducing the environmental impact to a minimum. Certified ISO 13485, C.O.C. Farmaceutici Health & Beauty is an evolved contract manufacturer, capable of creating various types of monodose and multidose packaging products for personal care, cosmetics and medical devices. It guarantees the same level of quality and safety of the pharmaceutical sector, all to the advantage of the quality of processes and products.

They are called Glass, Glam, Soft touch, Steam-proof, Total-block, Eco. Destined to present and preserve pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and medical devices, the new multilayer strips devised in 2012 by Lameplast Group thanks to an innovatory technology, enable the use of different plastic materials (PE and PP) and to associate the same with other polymers. Available in the 1 ml and 3 ml non closable version, they can contain any type of product, liquid, cream or gel. The geometrical design of the monodose and the thickness of the layers can take further customisation. As opposed to the normal monolayer strips, the multilayer ones are provided with an external layer - and if need be with an intermediate one - in addition to the internal layer in contact with the product. Each layer can be chosen on the basis of specific marketing demands, for example for increasing the barrier properties, for improving the compressability of the monodose pack or to adjust the hues without interfering with the contents.