Headquartered in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, the group has five sites in France and Spain
Innovating with tablets
Before 1980, tabletsmostlymeantmedical treatments, nutritional supplements or slimming aids. Today, theymean convenient dishwasher products, efficient swimming pool disinfectants andwater-soluble coffee tablets that retain the flavour and aroma even under long-termstorage. The French Eurotab GROUP is a leader in tablet technology in Europe. Founded in 1957, it is currently the only fully-integrated industrial and technological supplier in the world of tabletting.
“We master the full range of powder compression technologies and offer our customers two types of service: the development of tablet manufacturing technologies and the actual process of tablet manufacturing,” says CEO Olivier Desmarescaux. “For customers who prefer to carry our production themselves we develop formulas and create equipment for high-speed powder compression. Clients can however also outsource the entire process of tablet manufacturing including logistics, and we will be happy to supply them with the tablets they need.”
The group goes back to a family business founded in 1957 when Jean Linossier began to produce soap and sawdust-based tablets for use inmechanical engineering workshops. Powder compression gradually became his core competence. A major breakthrough came in 1980 when bleach tablets and automatic dishwasher tablets hit the market. Eurotab soon began to distribute his products internationally, and before long it was impossible to imagine modern households without dishwashers and dishwasher tablets.
“Our focus on tabletting dates from 1996, when we set up Eurotab TECHNOLOGIES, a press manufacturer, to provide an optimum industrial environment for tabletmanufacturing,” explains Mr. Desmarescaux. While new tablet innovations were launched, production facilities grew to include 3 and 5-layer presses and the first rotary press for swimming pool tablets. In 1999, operations in the industrial hygiene sector in France were pooled under the umbrella of Top Hygiène. The Eurotab GROUP was set up in 2001 to coordinate the business activities of the various subsidiaries.
“Today our activities fall into three areas: Eurotab INNOVATION is involved in fundamental research, exploring new products and processes for existing applications an d developing new products for future applications in animal nutrition, energy and so on. Eurotab TECHNOLOGIES is in charge of the equipment required for tablet manufacturing. It markets rotary presses and carries out maintenance, training and aftersales services,” explains the CEO. “Eurotab OPERATIONS finally is made up of four manufacturing plants which produce dishwasher and bleach tablets, sterilisers for babies’ bottles, fabric softener tablets and more. This structure has generated numerous synergies while allowing each division to develop its core competence.” The company’s business model is indeed unique: while competitors focus on only one kind of tablet or one kind of tablet machine, the Eurotab GROUP unites products and processes under one umbrella. It is in other words a onestop shop in tablet technology, providing customers with design, industrialisation and marketing services. With a permanent staff of 200 and between 20 and 50 temporary employees, the Group reported sales of 35 million EUR in 2008. Ten percent of staff work in the innovation division, creating numerous new references every year. While Eurotab INNOVATION technically contributes only 3.5% to turnover, 50% of sales comes from products designed by Eurotab INNOVATION within the last three years. Specifically, its tablets are used in detergents, disinfection products, powdered food, water purification products and industrial additives.
Headquartered in Saint-Just-Saint- Rambert near Saint Etienne, the group has five sites in France and Spain. It is controlled by the two founding families, who own 95% of the shares. The investment fund SIPAREX took a minority holding in 2001. Eurotab serves detergent manufacturers such as Henkel, Unilever, Colgate Palmolive as well as private label retailers. Its key target groups are the global players who have the funds to invest in R&D and who promote tablets through pull marketing.
The Group is the market leader for chlorine tablets in Europe and one of the leading European producers of dishwasher tablets. It recently launched the first roast and ground coffee tablet. “We launched a tablet containing seven grams of ground coffee compressed in a king size coffee bean, which is placed directly in the filter of traditional coffee machines,” says Mr. Desmarescaux. The tab developed by Eurotab and Sara Lee required new compression techniques, and its technology is protected by several patents. While radically simplifying dosage, the tab preserves and even enhances the flavour of coffee. The French group recently also introduced a new phosphate free tablet for the in-depth cleaning of espresso coffee machines. When used on a regular basis, it neutralises unpleasant tastes and eliminates hard-to-dissolve residues such as oils, waxes and tannins. “No matter whether a company invests in a plant or whether it subcontracts production, we are a technology provider offering the best solution,” concludes Mr. Desmarescaux.
