Strong as steel Texor

STRONG AS STEEL

Sweden’s Texor is well positioned to withstand the competitive pressures arising from globalisation and increased customer focus in the fabricated metal product industry. A specialist in advanced manufacturing solutions in stainless steel for the life sciences industry, the company stands above the rest as a result of its quality, resilience and reliability.

Texor, based in Lycksele in northern Sweden is a component and system supplier for the life sciences and food industry. Established over five decades ago, the company is a specialist in manufacturing stainless steel components, using its core capabilities of machining, grinding, welding, cleaning and electro polishing.

Texor’s history goes back to 1967 when the business was founded by Alfa Laval. In the initial years, the factory produced mainly road signs, shifting focus in the early 1970s to production of stainless steel components that were primarily supplied to other units in the Alfa Laval Group.

More recently, the company was sold to Lifco Group, an industrial and trade conglomerate consisting of 164 companies in 30 different countries with a total of 5,400 employees and an annual turnover of 14 BSEK. Operating under a new owner boosted both Texor’s sales and its global reach.

In the beginning of 2007, Texor bought Zetterströms Rostfria AB in Molkom - a further step towards focusing on supplying complete systems for the global life sciences industry. Today, the company has a world-wide supplier base in elastomers, plastics and stainless steel components and all its suppliers meet the highest quality requirements for the biopharma industry. The highest standard

Texor is based in a purpose-built and flow-optimised production facility in Lycksele with an area of more than 4,000 sq m. Its core competence is in the production adaptation of complicated products and systems in order to achieve optimised and cost-effective production with optimal process flow.

The company operates in an industry of the future - its major clients are biotech, biopharma and traditional pharmaceutical companies. The company’s customers have one thing in common - requirements for the highest product quality and for delivery reliability, including traceability.

“In the production of all pharmaceuticals, regardless of whether they are produced in the traditional manner based on chemically produced molecules or by means of biotechnology, often with proteins as a base, the industry demands the highest standard and quality of production equipment,” says Josef Alenius, Managing Director and Member of the Board of Directors.

“The very high level of quality that we have to achieve is our most important competitive advantage. The company has full control and traceability of all raw materials, purchased goods and components. We conduct regular quality tests, measurements, testing and sam-

pling of our production process in order to identify possible failings and faults at an early stage.”

Texor assumes overall responsibility for all the documentation required by the customer and the authorities, accompanying each solution, such as certificates, test reports, traceability protocols and manuals, delivered according to customer requirements either electronically, on CD or on paper in binders.

Sustaining forward momentum

Despite a difficult 2020, Texor remains focused on meeting its customers’ needs. Navigating the pandemic has been an allencompassing, once-in-a-lifetime challenge. Globally, life sciences companies responded with leadership and are emerging stronger.

The life sciences sector has played a pivotal role during the Covid19 pandemic. To cope with the global crisis, traditional competitors partnered to accelerate research, supported by governments, health systems, payers, retail pharmacies, and non-profit organisations are now working collaboratively with the sector to provide widespread distribution and administration.

With the introduction of this ‘new-normal’, digitisation is broadening the horizon of new possibilities in the life sciences sector. Redefined workplace environments; the shift in health care delivery; and innovative collaborations to create efficiencies are a few examples that are leading to this unprecedented change supported by technological advancements.

Accentuated by Covid-19, cross-border reliance intensifies the need for supply chain visibility and reshoring options, while globalisation and customer concentration have intensified competition in the fabricated metal products industry. OEM customers increasingly seek efficiencies by buying more from fewer suppliers.

Texor is well placed to handle the new challenges and opportunities, as organisations evaluate their supply chain, plan holistically and include their strategic, operational and financial leaders to optimise resiliency.

“Medicines cannot be produce on low-quality machines. We believe that the competence and experience we have built up over the years are unique in the world and will carry us into the future, where quality will be even more appreciated than now. We shall apply our accumulated expertise to meet the new needs of our customers, regardless of their location.” n