Premium Beauty News - What is your recipe for success?
Tim Eaves - It would be no exaggeration to say we have become almost unavoidable in the personal care packaging industry. This is simply a question of numbers. Out of the 75 people currently working at Quadpack, 50 are involved in business development. These specialists are continually in direct contact with the market, to understand requirements and source all the latest of innovations that could provide our customers with effective, original and quality solutions.
Only a half of these 50 staff is dedicated to sales and marketing; the other half is involved in operations, which covers highly specialised areas such as development, sourcing, qualityassurance and logistics.
Premium Beauty News - And what do the remaining 25 do?
Tim Eaves - The rest carry out supporting functions – and they are each just as essential and just as talented in their own areas. Our success is driven by the motivation and enthusiasm of our workforce at all levels. Everyone’s contribution is vital and appreciated, and everyone works hard.
And believe me, there is plenty to do! We are currently present in 11 countries and our customer base continues to grow. You know that historically Quadpack is the result of a business partnership of three companies: one based in Spain, one in France and one in the UK. We were already in essence an international operation. And so, from the outset, we naturally established ourselves in the United States, then in Israel, Poland, Turkey, Australia, Germany, Italy, etc.
Premium Beauty News - And the flagship partner in your portfolio is Korea’s Yonwoo.
Tim Eaves - That’s right. We have an excellent partnership. Yonwoo represents more than 50 per cent of our business. It is an extremely dynamic and successful company, where the day-to-day driving force is Innovation, with a capital ‘I’.
Don’t forget that this company currently generates more than US$140 million in sales and annually produces some 450 million products, of which a great part is aimed at supplying the airless market, where Yonwoo can be considered as one of the undisputed world leaders. This leadership will undoubtedly strengthen in the months to come, as Yonwoo has announced a production increase of 40 per cent.
However, we also source from other companies in other regions of the world. There is China, of course, where we have just broadened our presence, but also Europe.
Premium Beauty News - You speak of sourcing, but you are also very proactive in the research and development of new products or concepts?
Tim Eaves - You’re right! The term ‘sourcing’ is over-simplistic, because we have always been concerned with, and are increasingly involved in the design and even the manufacture of the packaging solutions we sell. Our responsibility goes well beyond a simple partnership. And, as a matter of fact, more and more often we own the intellectual rights.
Premium Beauty News - You just took a majority stake in the company Spirit.
Tim Eaves - That’s right! Spirit is a well-established company in the gifting and promotional market. Acquisition of Spirit allows us to offer a broader range of products and services.
Premium Beauty News - With Yonwoo as a main partner, people tend to label you as a specialist of airless and high end products.
Tim Eaves - This is only a small part of the picture. On the one hand, we operate in many other areas of beauty packaging and, on the other hand, our aim is precisely to extend our influence in what is commonly called ‘masstige’.
It is true that we are one of the leaders in the airless segment and we pride ourselves on the excellence of our products in this area, but our range is extensive and continues to grow, in glass and plastic jars and bottles, in dispensers and closures and, now, also in make-up.
Premium Beauty News - Is make-up a segment where you have ambitions?
Tim Eaves - Absolutely! You may have noticed it this year with the launch of several products, including a brand new heated mascara that uses a double-headed applicator to achieve long and elegant eyelashes. One end of the applicator has a professional mascara brush; the other end has a heated wand especially designed to smooth out clumps, shape eyelashes and maximise volume.
Premium Beauty News - Anything else in the pipeline?
Tim Eaves - Yes, of course. Our sourcing office based in South Korea is already developing some very innovative solutions with various manufacturing partners and some of these will be presented at the second edition of the MakeUp in Paris show next June at the Carrousel du Louvre.
Premium Beauty News - Can you venture a forecast regarding the turnover of Quadpack for the next five years?
Tim Eaves - Reasonably, yes! 150 million euros!
