Mexico`s global supplier

Company profile: Interglass
Mexico’s global supplier
Continuing our series of Mexican features ahead of Glassman Latin America
in September, Greg Morris met with José Luis Vélez, Managing Director of
Interglass, to discuss the Mexican company’s past, present and future.
www.glass-international.com
What is the history of Interglass?
Interglass was founded in 1992 as a company
exclusively
dedicated
to
developing,
manufacturing and supplying speciality lubricants
for the glass industry. In 1994 we accomplished the
first exports to Latin America and one year later
the first outside the Americas.
In 1995, we developed our most representative
range of lubricants, the swabbing compounds
Interglassmold.
In the year 2000, Interglass reached a worldwide
presence in more than 30 countries and four years
later Interglass Brazil was founded with our own
operative structure. Since then, we have been
maintaining a yearly growth rate of 20% despite
the global crisis.
How is the company structured, and
how many employees does it have?
Our international management, headquarters and
“We are
determined to
become the
leaders on
specialised
lubrication
for the glass
industry.
”
production plant is based in Guadalajara, Mexico.
We have a strong team of technical consultants,
commercial coordinators and a multicultural
international sales team.
The company also has a large production force
with more than 60 workers in the plant, a strong
R&D department with more than 20 people,
our own laboratories, warehouses, logistics and
delivery infrastructure.
We also have a large administrative sector
including customer service, financial department
and international traffic.
Currently, Interglass has offices in Guadalajara,
Mexico City, Monterrey, New Jersey, Sao Paulo and
we will soon be opening a new office in Colombia.
We also have an international structure for
warehousing and delivery to our customers in
Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as North and South
Continued>>
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Company profile: Interglass
Through the years, we have developed the
widest range of swabbing compounds, which is
today our most popular family of products, known
as the Interglassmolds or ‘Glassmolds’.
Our philosophy is to co-create with our
customers, unique solutions through a deep
understanding of each customer’s products, their
process, conditions and requirements.
Through the co-creation of tailor made solutions,
we look to maximise the sustainability and
productivity of companies in the glass industry,
focusing our efforts mainly on the finishing and
glass forming process, where the impact on the
final product is crucial and can only be covered by
specialised solutions.
Are there any ‘green’ technologies in
place at your site?
We are ISO14001 certified and one of our main
business focus is the development of lubricants of
non-ecological impact, this means biodegradable,
biosustainable and bioremediable technologies.
We are constantly investing in the research and
development of new green technologies that may
help reduce the impact on the planet.
José Luis Vélez, Managing Director of Interglass.
What geographical markets does Interglass serve?
We are currently in more than 37 countries, in
every continent, with local presence thanks to
our network of specialised representatives.
How important is the Mexican market
to Interglass?
Interglass’s production site, Guadalajara.
How has the glass container market
performed in Mexico in recent years,
in light of the recent global recession?
America. Our international distribution centres
in Central and South America, Europe and the US
allow us to properly serve all our customers located
in different continents.
We have also 15 global representatives which are
part of the Interglass family.
During the last few years the Mexican market
has had different shades. In 2009 there was a
very difficult crisis where many furnaces were
shut down, but after this hard crisis the domestic
market has grown solidly with the startup of new
independent glass factories and the increase of
installed capacity of plants from several groups.
What products do you make and which
is your most popular product?
We develop all the range of speciality lubricants
for the glass forming process, including the
shear spray lubricant, long lasting coatings and
lubricants for delivery equipment.
We also produce oils and greases for machine
lubrication that are developed considering
operation variables such as high temperatures and
no residual formation.
Within our range of high performance lubricants
is our Hyd Bio S 220 for IS machine lubrication,
which has the approval of the main OEMs.
In your view, what are the current
glass industry challenges and
opportunities?
The Mexican glass industry has a privileged place
in Latin America, as the beer companies trigger the
large productions and therefore the technological
developments.
The geographical position is strategic for export
and the Mexican glass manufacturers’ mind-set is
orientated to the continuous improvement and
innovation.
The warehouse in
Guadalajara.
Continued>>
www.glass-international.com
The Mexican market is OUR market and it is
very important to us as it represents 40% of our
business.
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Company profile: Interglass
A great opportunity might be the creation
of a Mexican glass manufacturers association
to organise and orient efforts together for
technological innovation in the industry.
Are any investments planned?
We are investing to increase our installed
production capacity and expand our operational
structure in South America. For this year, our
expansion plan envisions the opening of a new
office and warehouse in Colombia.
Also, we have created new partnerships that
will help us to expand our presence in Asia and
Oceania in the near future.
Additionally we have strong investment plans
to improve our characterisation laboratory and
R&D facilities.
Our goal is to have one of the most advanced
laboratories for the research and development
of breakthrough technologies in swabbing and
lubrication solutions for the glass industry. On
the production side we are creating a specialised
food grade unit for the most demanding markets
on this aspect.
www.glass-international.com
Any future plans for the company?
22
We are determined to become the leaders in
specialised lubrication for the glass industry and
for that we are currently collaborating with some
of the most prestigious international institutions
and top class universities for the development of
new technologies.
Our objectives are ambitious and cover different
aspects. We not only look to expand our presence
and market share worldwide, but we intend to
take the swabbing and lubrication concept to the
next stage by evolving the technology that has
been used within the glass industry for the last few
decades.
We aim to create disrupting, innovating and
state of the art technology that may revolutionise
the concept of lubrication for the glass forming
process as we know it. Interglass, Guadalajara, Mexico.
www.interglass.com.mx
Glassman Latin America, Guadalajara, Mexico.
www.glassmanevents.com
Pictured: The company’s production plant in
Guadalajara, and a close up
of a speciality lubricant.
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