Publication
Coil coating flourishes in the Spanish sun
As Marketing Director for Becker Industrie in France, Jean-Pierre Genevay is also responsible for sales to his European neighbour. In this article, he describes how coil coating has become a growth industry in Spain, in the wake of a national building boom. In a country famous for its boundless sunshine and vibrant nightlife, every window needs some form of roller blind or shutter to help keep out heat, light, noise - or all three. And Spain's Luxe Perfil is only too pleased to oblige...
Traditional wooden shutters and slats have been popular since ancient times. Even so, they do have a downside. Wood is fairly heavy and, as an organic material, it is prone to flake, crack, warp and rot, especially in hot or humid climates.
New materials, new technologies and new designs offer a kaleidoscope of colourful and highly durable steel and aluminium Venetian blinds and roller shutters. Thanks to advanced coatings and automated production lines, consumers can now choose attractive, durable and reasonably priced blinds that are lightweight, easy to install and virtually maintenance-free. And the most cost-efficient way to produce the millions of coloured slats needed for all these blinds? Precoated steel or aluminium coil.
Fuelled by Spain's dynamic economy, the current building boom has naturally boosted demand for all types of building component - including blinds, shutters and garage doors. Consequently, Spain's coil coating industry has enjoyed rapid growth in the past five years.
Recognition of the multiple benefits of precoated steel and aluminium coil - high quality, cost efficient, simple to handle, environmentally safe to produce - has been rapid, widespread and enthusiastically welcomed by industrialists and consumers, opening up countless opportunities for Spain's creative entrepreneurs.
Encouraged by the obvious market potential, several companies have invested heavily in coating capacity: Luxe Perfil is an outstanding example.
A man with a mission
Fernando Moreno Roman established Luxe Perfil in 1993, with the construction of a 500-square-metre plant in Aldaya (Valencia), for the production of large slats for roller shutters. Having recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, Luxe Perfil can look back on a decade of rapid and consistent growth in the production of roller shutters, in both standard and special sizes.
Venetian or roller blinds serve a variety of functions in Spain. Designed not only for personal privacy and as shade from bright sunlight, they must also serve as thermal insulation against the noonday heat, help muffle noise from the street and, in some cases, may even function as a form of lightweight security. In contrast to the free-hanging Venetian blinds common in colder climes, these heavy-duty blinds feature two precoated aluminium slats bonded onto a highly durable polyurethane-foam core, providing effective sound insulation as well as shade.
This same principle, although scaled up for even greater durability, is used in the manufacture of garage doors, which also form part of the Luxe Perfil range of coil-coated products.
Exports to 25 countries
Turnover exceeds 40 million euros, of which 15 percent is exports to 25 countries. In spite of its size, Luxe Perfil remains a family business, headed by people with a personal commitment and genuine interest in the well-being of their personnel, who operate an aggressive modern manufacturing business without compromising on quality or customer service. Luxe Perfil's heavy investment in increased capacity and the ongoing development of products and services offers customers the certainty of a long-term business relationship.
Ongoing expansion
Luxe Perfil's manufacturing operations cover a total of 30 000 square metres. The coil-coating line, with a production capacity of some 10 000 tons, has pride of place. The facility also features a high-speed slitting line (300 m/min) for coated coil, ten roll formers for slats, two roll formers for housings, a roll former for shutter axles and an aluminium extrusion facility for the manufacture of shutter frames. The factory also houses a spray-coating line for aluminium profiles and a production line for roller insect nets.
The company is currently engaged in a major expansion of plant capacity, planned for the close of 2004, involving an additional 300 000 square metres of production facilities. This new facility will include a 2.2-ton roll former, a horizontal powder-coating line, a coating line for wood and marble imitations, and a brand new coil coating line. The company's existing and newly constructed facilities will guarantee customers an exceptional breadth of choice, quality and service. And the Luxe Perfil product development team is constantly expanding the range.
Partners in success
The Spanish coil coating market's dramatic growth is at least partially attributable to the success of leading edge products from the Becker Group, the acknowledged European leader in coil coatings. Becker Industrie, which produces and supplies coil coatings for Spain as well as its French home market, is determined to become the premier supplier on the innovative and fast growing Spanish market.
In line with the Group's business strategy "think global, act local", Becker was quick to recognise the potential in Luxe Perfil's coil coating plans, seeing an excellent opportunity to establish a quality partnership with a dynamic manufacturer, a partnership from which everyone will benefit. Best of all, Luxe Perfil's customers can rely on top quality and top service.
With ten years experience in polyurethane coatings, Becker has been able to develop a polyamide product specially adapted to the demanding environment faced by roller shutters, offering exceptional resistance to abrasion, corrosion, weather and UV radiation.
Just as important, Becker has been able to adapt its coatings to the precise technical parameters required by the Luxe Perfil coating line, ensuring trouble-free start-up and operation.
Innovation, flexibility and service
The high capacity and high quality of Luxe Perfil's new coil-coating facility, supported by Becker's advanced and innovative coating technology, will enable the company to respond even more rapidly and more precisely to customer requirements, to ensure exceptional "local" service, enhanced efficiency and a product of the highest international quality. The BeckryMix tinting system for "on-the-spot" colour matching will also be further developed, forging a still closer relationship between Becker Industrie and Luxe Perfil.
From rural economy to industrial powerhouse
The factors determining Luxe Perfil's success as a dynamic and innovative coating business have many parallels in Spain's own cultural and economic history. Vision, entrepreneurial flair, strategic investment and inspired management have all played a role in transforming the country from an essentially rural economy into a major European industrial and design powerhouse.
Luxe Perfil is typical of this new Spain, always exploring new product concepts and new market opportunities: determined to lead, not follow. Founder and sole owner Fernando Moreno Roman's vision has been to create a company where commitment, hard work and an awareness of customer needs are much more than corporate slogans: they are integral to the company's identity.
Becker Industrie shares the same business philosophy, seeing its role more as partner than supplier. As with all key customers, the relationship with Luxe Perfil is built on mutual trust and respect, a relationship fostered by the warmth and openness typical of this part of Spain. Advanced technology, innovative research, effective production and good logistics ensure that customers get the right quality, for the right application, at the right time. And good design and smart marketing keeps customers coming back for more!
http://www.luxeperfil.es/
Released: August 2005