Olivier Salaun, PSB Industries

Topline is the third company to join the portfolio of companies acquired by the PSB Industries Group in the space of twelve months. First it was the US company C+N Packaging Corporation (injection moulding and metallization) and then Plastibell, a company specialized in injection moulding for the health market in particular.

Now organized around four line of business with "Luxe & Beauté" (approximately EUR 150 million in sales) to which belong Texen, C+N and soon Topline, then "Santé & Industrie" (about 100 million), "Agro & Alimentaire" (50 million) and "Chimie de Spécialités" (40 million), PSB Industries can boast of a total turnover this year of 340 million euros with a workforce of 2,100 people spread over 22 industrial sites in seven countries.

"And it’s not over, says Olivier Salaun. Until recently, we have restructured our financing means around five banking partners. We have about 130 million euros to make other investments."

Topline: A saga the American way!

The story of the Topline Group specialized in the development, production and marketing of packaging and cosmetics is a true saga the way Americans like them. Topline, it is before all the story of an anticipation. That of having seen before many others what appears today as one of the greatest shifts in the beauty industry in the world, that is, the recourse of brands to almost total subcontracting.

Charles Chang, Topline

"A precursor, indeed we are!," declared a few months ago Charles Chang, its founder, in Premium Beauty News, "since we were, as of 1980, among the first to work with Asia for cosmetic packaging. And in the middle of the 90s, we also pioneered the introduction of full-service Made in China in the USA. We were capable of delivering a full service offer associated with true creative vocation."

Topline, currently owns three production sites: the first one in China, the second in the USA in Michigan, specialized in cosmetics (cases...) and the third in Mexico dedicated to the manufacture of cosmetics and the filling of perfumes and skincare products and which was given new production capacities (injection, injection blow moulding, decoration). Topline also owns a French subsidiary, Topline/Primapack, a real creative and commercial clout, based in Paris/La Défense, the result of the acquisition in 2013 of the Primapack Company specialized in the sourcing and marketing of packagings and accessories dedicated to the beauty sector.

PSB Industries: The world as a target!

"It is clear that what Topline represents today, emphasises Olivier Salaun, is truly an essential complement to the expansion of our Group in the global beauty industry." Ambitions that do not stop here. "We must absolutely expand our reach internationally," insists the head of PSB Industries"and be present in activities requiring technologies we do not master yet, such as metal, pumps, airless systems or lipsticks".

On the industrial side, the Group has decided to invest about 6% of its turnover every year especially to extend robotization and automation in its plants. One million euros was spent in the implementation in France of an innovations cell, the "Texen Lab". To note that this Texen Lab area is equipped with an injection moulding machine unique in its field, capable of implementing different injection, completion and automatic assembly methods, as well as a vacuum metallization pilot cell.

"But also and above all the human investment remains one of our major concerns, be it at a technical or commercial level," insists Olivier Salaun. "And the "Luxe et Beauté" sales team, for example, will be reinforced in the coming months with increasingly international profiles."