For Alien Bolivar Mejías from Mariela, it is his first experience in the Special Development Zone. In a center dedicated to the manufacturing and marketing of plastic items and molds, which was just beginning its journey, he began the path, opening the way to new opportunities for learning and professional development.
ECOPLASTS.A.—a Cuban company with 100 percent foreign capital and the first user of the ViMariel Industrial Park—, welcomed the man who would become the operator of its modern equipment (injection and blow molding machines), and would also serve as shift manager.
This was his first experience with an industry of this type. “I learned everything I know from the centre’s technologist, who has been training us and evaluating our behaviour in front of the machines. He gives courses from time to time and the daily experiences also give us greater skills,” he says.
In this Portuguese-owned company, which he has been a part of since last November, when it was launched, he says he feels like part of a family and hopes to continue getting to know the industry in depth.
The company is not only authorized to manufacture and market, on a wholesale basis, plastic articles and molds for their transformation, paper, cardboard, rubber and other materials, in addition, to offer mold repair and maintenance services, as well as to provide maintenance services. maintenance, repair, reconstruction and recapitalization of industrial machinery related to the manufacture of plastic articles and their molds.
Interiors of a factory
With the slogan Packaging beyond plastic, every day this company – which has a total area of ten hectares – consolidates its work, and can market its products and services both in the national market and for export.
At this moment they are producing 33 milliliter, half liter and one liter bottles, as well as one-quart, half and one liter pots, and one, four, ten, 15 and 20 liter buckets.
In the case of four-liter buckets, for example, they manufacture three types, a more resistant one designed to store paint, and others used for ice cream and yogurt.
On the other hand, they obtain plastic boxes from production chains; these are assembled and disassembled, so that when they are transported empty they take up less space. Meanwhile, for the summer season they intend to make a set beach toys, which includes nine pieces.
They also plan to produce drums and among their plans they have considered venturing into paper: they will start with three-measure cups.
From this center, a team of eight workers linked to the production part guarantees the consistency of the process, working in three shifts 24 hours a day, from Monday to Friday; while on Saturdays they take advantage of part of the day.
About equipment and more
According to Sergio Miguel Da Costa Nicolau, vice president of ECOPLAST SA, “We are currently producing with four machines: two injection machines and the same number of blow moulding machines, which are automatic and semi-automatic, respectively. We are trying to grow with the former in order to increase production.
“With the current demand for knobs, we can only have one blow-molding machine working, but we will need more injection machines. Later, we plan to incorporate extrusion and blow-molding machines; this is the next step we want to take,” he adds.
“With the number of molds we have, we can change them on the machines and manufacture various types of products. The priority will be to produce according to demand.”
As for sales, he says they need to be made more dynamic.
“Until now we have focused mostly on Havana, since the issue of transportation affected us. As we already have our own van, we can look for clients in other parts and even reach the east of the country, also reaching that market, through greater development in the transportation of goods. “In this way, we will have autonomy in that sense, which we did not have until now, facilitating the delivery of finished products,” he adds.
And although the aspirations are greater, they already have more than 20 clients, “among these Provari, Conserva, Apicuba, Lácteo, Vitral. We are also approaching SMEs.”
Beyond Portugal they only have a presence in Cuba; In the European country, they have accumulated 21 years of experience in the production of metal molds. “This new company established in the Special Zone, we can say that it is a continuation of what we do in Portugal,” comments Da Costa Nicolau, who has always worked in the field. Precisely, the resin used in the manufacture of plastic products arrives from that nation.
“The transit time was 15 days, but when we changed the maritime route, it now became one month,” he details. After the initial investment, they are working to recover and then move on to the second phase of the project at the end of this year, which includes a new warehouse. In this way, ECOPLAST will gradually grow, while contributing with its productions and services to the development of different sectors.
