Formula for growth

Specialized in designing and marketing capsule fillers and end-of-line solutions, MG2 brought to interpack expertise, history, dynamism and, of course, technology, making a strikingly innovative and unusual presentation of its own idea of industrial development focussed on the pharmaceutical sector.

Having chalked up a double-digit increase in orders and sales in 2016, Manuela Gamberini, deputy general manager of MG2, confirms the positive trend is continuing into 2017.

«Our formula for growth? Invest in a wealth of unique knowledge, aiming at further enhancing and qualifying the workforce and continuing along the road to collaborating with external organizations, both Italian and foreign. The idea would be to maximize the potential of the company by leveraging the consolidated knowhow that we can express within the pharmaceutical process. In this respect - the manager states - we are continuing to pay close attention to projects inspired by the new principles of pharmaceutical production known as continuous manufacturing. Of strategic importance, these projects are being implemented by European and American multinational companies and require the cooperation of several players along the production chain, starting from machinery/spares suppliers and continuing on to pharmaceutical technology/process experts».

«Meanwhile, MG2 continues to focus on the inhalation field, where the company has a position as leading worldwide supplier of special capsule form dosing solutions for inhalation devices. Sizeable resources have been invested in scientific research in this particular field, not only covering respiratory diseases but also more extensive aims. MG2 continues to work with a line of concerns along the supply chain: raw material producers, inhalation device manufacturers, university research centers, CROs (Contract Research Organizations) and pharmaceutical companies».

 
Between virtual reality and real machines
A interpack, “giro di boa” obbligato per gli operatori del settore, MG2 ha voluto dare particolare risalto a un investimento importante e significativo, che ha visto la luce nell’autunno 2016 e che, a ragion veduta, Manuela Gamberini considera un fiore all’occhiello.

«I refer to Pharma Zone, the new area comprising three cleanrooms, where one can work with active products, under real production conditions. The entire system has been conceived in order to guarantee complete safety both for the environment and for operators. Besides dosage tests, with its Pharma Zone, MG2 can not only give added support to customers with pre and post sales services, small batches for R&D can also be completed, including pre-clinical feasibility batches…At Duesseldorf, we chose to create a virtual reality set showing the potentiality of the Pharma Zone in a particularly innovative and effective way, without requiring the customer to visit the company plant. The new area set up at MG2 headquarters has already been booked over the coming months by certain customers to run tests and to produce technical batches».

The feedback for the machines placed on show has also been excellent: the top capsule filler Model Planeta 200 was presented in the version with MultiNETT, the 100% capsules net weight control system; keen interest for this machine configuration, particularly suitable for low dosage applications, was again confirmed. Finally, the ACE track&trace system continues to feature as a key solution among technologies dedicated to the serialization of pharmaceutical packaging, also thanks also to the benefits of a reduced layout and easy integration into existing lines.                     

GETTING TO KNOW THE GLOBAL MARKET Thanks to an increase in turnover of 28%, accompanied by an increase in orders and a policy of expansion, both in terms of recruitment and in terms of research into new markets/technological solutions, 2016 was confirmed as a  year of sizeable growth for the Pian di Macina di Pianoro (BO) based company. In fact, company turnover exceeded 30 million euro (38.5 if one includes the turnover of the  US subsidiary MG America). More than 2/3 of sales were made in Europe and North America (more than 37% in continental Europe, and approximately 30% in the USA and Canada). However, the company continues to operate on a global scale, expressing great interest in emerging markets such as Asia and Africa, where some states show excellent development potential. For example, the importance of Egypt for the company increased threefold between 2015 and 2016. In Asia, India remains an extremely attractive market, accounting for a 5% share of company, confirming itself both as a developing country and as a reference market. Overall MG2’s typical customer is a multinational company that produces generic pharmaceutical products with the onus on exports. An output that requires high-speed machines capable of ensuring high quality. In Europe, where MG2’s presence is now consolidated, the policies of  the single governments affect the investments of pharmaceutical companies differently. Currently they are registering an increase of purchases in the UK and Benelux, while Germany still remains the chief importer of MG2 capsule filing machines. Things look bright for the year at hand: in fact, MG2 predicts the continuation of the “double digit” growth, which will be accompanied by further actions in terms of MG2 company  development.