Shaping stainless steel Inoxforma

shaping stainless steel

Inoxforma, based in northern Spain, reflects its name into its core business – transforming stainless steel into shapes as required by customers. Over the 50 years of its existence, the company has grown from a small toolmaker into a dynamic, international business offering tailor-made products to global markets. Despite low cost competitors, the company’s growing position has proven that it is the solid experience, know-how, top quality and customer focus that are the desired attributes in today’s marketplace. Romana Moares reports.

For five decades, Inoxforma has been perfecting its core business: giving shape to stainless steel. As a former toolmaker, the company has extensive experience in sheet metal processing. Its focus has always been on providing the customer with top quality and a competitive edge, something the company is proud to have taken to the next level. “We do not have mere supplier-customer relationships, we are true partners to our customers participating in the design, offering them new solutions, simply helping them to make their wishes regarding their products come true,” confirms Elvira Garcia, the company’s managing director.

Inoxforma, employing over 100 people, pursues three separate business lines – production of food processing equipment, electric and electronic equipment (such as electrical cabinets) and pumps and balls for valves. Each used to account for about a third of the turnover but in the last few years the production of balls has become the dominant business line, now representing about 45 per cent Inoxforma’s turnover.

The company exports 80 per cent of its turnover. The key market remains Europe but Inoxforma’s products are also sold to Russia, Turkey, the Middle East and – something the company is proud of – to China.

exceeding customers’ requirements

The managing director explains that production of balls for valves is the most important line as it represents the company’s own product. “Our know-how enables us to make balls out of sheet metal as opposed to casting, the traditional method. This has many advantages, such as stable materials, double hardness and lighter weight,”

points out Ms Garcia. “A ball is really important for a valve, like an engine for a car. Therefore, their quality must be superb.”

She further explains that Inoxforma sells directly to valve producers. “We offer tailor-made products that meet all our customers’ requirements. Our product design and development capability is key to us. Cooperation in the early stages of design and development is the basis of a highly successful outcome; using our extensive experience we always try to offer the best possible solutions that often exceed the original expectations. Our aim is to achieve the highest quality in the market for a very competitive price.”

As a result of continuing investment in technologies, Inoxforma is able to offer balls for most valve applications. Key sectors are district heating, water, gas and food processing. “The one sector which we have not entered yet is oil. However, we have been growing in steps, so this is the next one to achieve,” remarks Mr Garcia.

First class technology

Investment in first class technology has been one of the major factors behind Inoxforma’s success. Each year, about one million euros out of €15 million is reinvested in new machines and equipment,

says the managing director. “Spain is no longer a low cost country and to stay ahead of competitors, one must offer something different. With our latest technologies we are able to offer customers processes that they were not aware existed. The level of technology is something which makes us competitive with low cost countries. This is also the reason why we are able to sell to China. The very high – and sustainable – quality level is one of our competitive advantages. The only way this can be achieved is in a repetitive manner, by employing the best technologies in the market. This is the route we have chosen to take – to invest in first class machines rather than relocate production to cheaper countries,” she affirms.

For the past ten years that company has complied with the ISO 14 001 requirements and sustainability as well as environmental considerations have been at the heart of any new investment. All the new machines have been purchase with this strategy in mind, says the managing director. “We have also been working with customers to address the issue of packaging waste, with a focus on recyclable packaging,” she adds.

one step ahead

Elvira Garcia confirms that the company is set to further grow, together with its customers. European markets remain stable and increasing slightly but the biggest growth potential is seen in the Far East and Russia. “In China, we focus on the big players who are willing to pay for top quality. Russia has great demand for our products but growth is currently hindered by the sanctions. However, it is still an important market – we have both Russian customers and customers who export to Russia and today about 10 per cent of our

turnover is generated there. We face similar problems with Turkey: great market potential but politically unstable,” she points out, adding that the company is actively exploring opportunities elsewhere, such as Iran.

Future company development will be in line with the strategy to always fully meet customers’ requirements. “We will keep on investing in new machines which can secure high productivity levels and thus our cost-efficiency so that we can continue to offer our customers the best quality for a good price.” She also reveals that if current demand continues, the company will extend its production capacity in the next two years. “The new building will give us more space for new machines. As I mentioned earlier, investing in new things, new technology is the only way to stay ahead of competitors, particularly those from low cost countries. And that is what we will continue to do,” she concludes. n