Sustainability is also a central concern at Ontex; it is committed to maximising energy efficiency, reducing the impact of production by minimising waste, encouraging recycling and increasing the efficiency of its logistics operations. Its central warehouse logistics project for raw material delivery in Europe, for example, has already resulted in a decrease in truck mileage of some 800,000 km – equivalent to a reduction in CO2 emissions of almost 600 tonnes. “We are constantly working to produce lighter and thinner products with the same or even better performance – these not only reduce raw material consumption but need
92 Industry Europe
fewer trucks to transport them. So you reduce costs and environmental impact at the same time,” explains Mr Bouaziz. “We are also developing ranges of biodegradable products but, of course, these are more costly and therefore appeal only to certain types of consumers.”
Looking forward Ontex’s strategy for the future focuses on helping its retailer partners to gain greater share of the market and, in countries where the retail trade is fragmented, to grow its own brands through expansion and acquisition. “We have three criteria when looking at acquisitions,” says Charles Bouaziz. “Is
the target outside western Europe; does it have a strong brand; is it in the adult incontinence market? We need to meet at least two of these three criteria; for example, Serenity met the second and third. We are confident that with our strategy, we can achieve organic top-line growth of 4 to 6 per cent per year, and deliver success to our partners, our stakeholders and our employees, as well as ensuring a good return for our new shareholders. Ontex has been a growth story for ten years; now we want to make that story even more attractive to even more people.” n
