Interview with Eduard López, Corporate Managing Director

17-01-2023

This year we celebrate Inibsa's 75th anniversary, understanding the evolution of the company and its new challenges is key for our different audiences.  We interview our Corporate Managing Director, Eduard López, about how our company has evolved over the last 75 years 
Inibsa

When was Inibsa established? 

Inibsa was established in 1948 by Dr Pedro Junyent. The Spanish society was living through turbulent times. This was the period after the war, and there was a shortage of basic food products and medical supplies. Dr Junyent saw the business opportunity and the possibility of catering to the needs of society at the time. 

How has the company evolved in recent years?  

Inibsa started selling opportunity products. Dr Pedro Junyent would find products that could be sold in Spain and supply them when needed. This started to change gradually. The company started to become more professional, establishing its strategies and concentrating on specific businesses, while setting others aside. We now have a modern laboratory with a solid roadmap, a clear strategy and a focus on international growth. 

What is the perception of Inibsa's customers with regards to the company's growth and development?   

Customers have always seen Inibsa as their partner and not as a supplier. We make their problems our own. We have always worked hand-in-hand with our customers, helping them solve their problems. Therefore, they see us as their colleagues rather than just as suppliers. 

And what is the perception of Inibsa's staff with regards to its growth and development?  

Most of the staff who worked for Inibsa during our first period are no longer with us, but I'm sure that they would say that we had a family atmosphere at work. Currently, I think that our staff would also say that they work in a family atmosphere, but also for a company of talented professionals, in which effort is recognised and rewarded, as well as a company with a potential to roll out very interesting projects in the future. 

How has Inibsa managed to become one of the leading anaesthetic product manufacturers for the dental industry?  

Initially, the anaesthetic product manufacturing business unit was created with the purchase of anaesthetic product dossiers. We started to invest more and more on this business unit, developing our own know-how and product development capabilities, while improving the quality of our products, which has helped Inibsa become a benchmark, thanks to the effort of everyone and the recruitment of talented professionals. Currently, the company's core business is manufacturing and marketing anaesthetic products.

Is Inibsa planning on expanding its operations to other countries?  

Yes, international growth is still one of the company's key pillars: it has been one of the company's pillars over the past few years and continues to be one of its key pillars. However, rather than selling in new markets, our strategy focuses on selling in markets in which our products can or may be perceived as top-quality products. We do not aim to sell anywhere and at any price. Inibsa is perceived as a prestigious manufacturer of top-quality anaesthetic products and our target countries are those in which we couldn't have even dreamt of even selling our products. This is what we need to do - grow in markets in which we can sell our products and which recognise us as a top-quality brand.

What has been Inibsa's greatest challenge?  

It’s hard to say, because the company will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year. Clearly, the company has faced many challenges since its inception. To mention a few, a major challenge was divesting the Pharmaceutical Division in 2010. This was a hard decision, but it was already part of the corporate strategy to focus on dental products. Another important challenge was divesting the Hospital Division just recently: these divisions brought additional revenues to the company, and this was not an easy decision. Another huge problem we had to face this year was related to a cyber-attack. We managed to solve it and resume our normal operations, but this was not an easy task.

Currently, we are all focusing on building a solid company, with a solid growth potential and with interesting future projects, but above all, we aim to have a team of talented and committed professionals - this is our biggest challenge right now. 

One of the company's main goals is to reduce its environmental impact. What is the approach right now with regard to this?  

Inibsa is working on different areas to reduce its environmental impact. The first area I would highlight is the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Inibsa's buildings, which are currently generating around 30% of our energy consumption. We are also replacing the vehicles of our sales team with hybrid models that have a lower environmental footprint. Regarding the use of paper: we need to digitalise processes and stop printing hard copies to save on paper, printer toner, etc. We are making progress on many different aspects and will continue to improve in the future.

What are the company's future goals?  

The future goals of the company will be focused in the first place on the dental business. The strategy that we have set for ourselves in recent years will remain because we believe that we will be able to continue to improve our offer to both our current customers and new ones that we may have through geographic expansion or other ways. 

Moreover, we also aim to grow our product portfolio, especially with regard to pain control products, but also in other areas that are connected to the dental industry in some way or another. The dental industry is a niche market that larger players may not find attractive, such as leading laboratories, but this is a very interesting industry for a company of our size, in which we can benefit from our expertise. Therefore, this is an industry in which we can continue to offer top-quality products and services.