A few months ago, IML Solutions turned to Kaizen Consulting to solve a financing problem: «we didn’t have the access to banking that we wanted, and that was a hindrance to our business plan.» This is how Javier Donet, the financial director of a recently established company whose managers acquired a productive unit in an insolvency process, summarizes it. Today, their problem has been resolved, and a few days ago, IML Solutions received recognition from the IMDA Awards Competition, an international award equivalent to an “Oscar” in their sector: packaging molds. To discuss this success story, we interviewed Javier Donet, the financial director of IML Solutions.
Why did you seek advice from Kaizen Consulting?
– We are a very young company that needed financing. We were born from purchasing a productive unit in an insolvency process, which initially generates some distrust among banks. We needed to improve our access to them, to make them understand the peculiarities of our business. Kaizen Consulting seemed like a good option to us, and they understood us very well from the start. They have far exceeded our best expectations, they have been able to convey our needs to the banks, and we have obtained a new pool that perfectly covers our working model.
What is the peculiarity of your sector?
– We are an engineering company that manufactures custom precision machinery for each client: it is a long development process, of high quality and high added value. In-mold labeling (IML) is increasingly used in the food industry to replace stuck-on labels because it doesn’t deteriorate and is more environmentally friendly. It is an improvement over traditional labeling, of higher quality, and is being imposed on food containers that need refrigeration.
Was it very complex to make the banks understand your business model?
– Yes, it was a difficulty, and we had already tried unsuccessfully with the advice of other professionals. Fortunately, with Kaizen Consulting, the understanding was very quick, and they were able to convey to our interlocutors how our company works and the financing needs this generates. The collaboration with Inés del Villar and the entire team was very close; in record time, the doors of credit were opened to us with new banking entities that provided us with what we needed. We work mainly for export with an R&D product, which means we have special needs: we design and produce molds so that the labeling is incorporated into the container itself. We use highly precise machinery, with robots and exhaustive quality control.
And all that work has been rewarded, quite literally…
– Yes, an IML Solutions package has won the most coveted award in our sector, which is like an Oscar for IML packaging. The IMDA Awards Competition awarded the Girasol butter container, by La Fabril, as the best in-mold labeled package in its category, “best IML package small container.” This is a project developed by our company, and we are very proud that it has been recognized as the best small container worldwide by the expert committee of the In-Mold Decorating Association in the United States.
What are your future plans?
– We are a young company under the current management, and we need to continue growing and following the good path we are on. We are highly specialized in a service with increasing demand. We now have the financing we need secured, thanks to Kaizen Consulting, and we will continue collaborating. We have accessed financing and also other R&D companies with which we are interested in collaborating. Therefore, we are optimistic about our growth plans for the future.
