Bemasa Caps S.A., a Spanish company specializing in the manufacture and marketing of caps and packaging machinery, closed the 2022 financial year with a turnover of 37.4 million euros, which represented a growth of 14.4% over the previous year.

Mundolatas interviews its CEO, Ernesto García-Balibrea
ML- What is your assessment of 2022? Have the results been as expected?
The year 2022 has been terribly complex and difficult due to many circumstances. Runaway increases in raw material prices, together with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the resulting increases in both electricity and gas prices, have posed a real challenge to business management. Even so, Bemasa Caps closed a formidable year.

ML- The confinement and temporary closure of bars and restaurants caused part of the food consumption to go to the supermarket and, in particular, to quality products, many of them packaged in glass with twist-off lids, is this trend still continuing today? What is most in demand?
Following the COVID, the HORECA channel has quickly returned to its previous situation, with a rapid recovery in consumption in the restaurant and hospitality sector, which we are pleased about. The product packaged in glass has a “plus” of quality that the twist cap confirms and accentuates. However, the current inflation situation is slowing down consumption.

ML- Innovation and technological development are some of the premises of Bemasa to offer the best service to its customers, right?
That’s right; it is something that is deep inside all of us who are part of this company. And we are already working on new developments demanded by our customers. We will have news shortly.

ML- What other investments are planned in infrastructure, technological innovation and R&D&I?
In addition to sustainability-related investments, we are focusing on the development of new products, both in easy-open and Twist Off, and focusing on the reduction of raw materials in manufacturing as well as lower energy consumption.

ML. One of the messages that Bemasa Caps emphasizes the most is sustainability. How is this concept applied on a day-to-day basis?
Indeed, one of the most important issues for us is the sustainability of our processes and products. We are immersed in a constant in-depth analysis to identify improvements in this area, which, in particular, is leading us to further improve some of our products. For example, we have already gone one step further by reducing the thickness of the rings on our easy-open covers.

ML- The most important global meeting of the international packaging industry, InterPack, will soon take place from May 4 to 10, 2023 in the city of Dusseldorf (Germany). What proposals will they present?
Bemasa Caps will be present for the first time at InterPack 2023. And we do so with the desire to make our products even better known in the world market and with our ever-expanding product portfolio and in a spirit of greater proximity to our customers.

ML- Bemasa Caps also has a subsidiary in Egypt, which consolidates its growth and internationalization process and has led it to become a reference in its sector. What are your growth expectations for this year?
As is well known, Egypt has suffered, with this latest crisis and coinciding with the war in Ukraine, a major shock in the currency market, which has meant a huge devaluation in its currency, the Egyptian pound, and has required restrictive measures by the Egyptian Central Bank. Bemasa Egypt has been able to adapt to the situation and closed a record year in terms of EBITDA in 2022. We are working hard in 2023 to repeat and surpass these results, as well as to consolidate a project that has required great efforts from our teams. We are very optimistic about this despite the difficulties.