E-Commerce Strategy Opens Door to National, International Markets

Q: How has El Crisol’s modernization and restructuration process advanced since 2018?
A: We opened three new offices in Guadalajara, Torreon and Merida. We have also been preparing to start exporting to the Caribbean and Central and South America. In terms of new projects, we are in the preliminary stage of developing a new distribution center. We have already bought the land and we expect it to be the largest investment the company has made. The distribution center will occupy 2ha and we are already analyzing the needed investment in technology and the logistics processes we will need to implement to serve the domestic and the export markets.
We have transformed our logistics operations completely and increased the amount of direct shipping we handle. We are also building an e-commerce platform to strengthen our domestic and export operations, which we expect to be ready by 2020. The platform will allow clients to analyze inventory levels and order online. For international clients, it will help to see purchases in US dollars and check product availability.
Regarding our offering, we launched a new product catalogue with around 1,000 new products in February 2019. We have organized an intense marketing campaign to position El Crisol as a supplier for laboratories in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical, mining and educational sectors, to name a few. Throughout 2019, we expect to continue positioning the brand as the leader in lab equipment in Mexico. The year will be challenging due to new NOMs being implemented but El Crisol has confidence in the industry and will continue investing in Mexico.

Q: What trends will impact the medical devices sector in the coming years?
A: Though nanotechnology has been used in medical devices for some years now, I believe the industry will continue advancing in this direction. Making devices smaller and easier to manage and operate is a must. However, there will also be a move toward making medical devices environmentally sustainable. This is part of the social and environmental responsibility that new generations are pushing and as businesses, we have to understand it as an investment and research opportunity.

Q: How is El Crisol including sustainability in its products?
A: Our last-generation products use state-of-the-art technology that considers environmental sustainability. For instance, our ultra-freezers have the best energy efficiency in the market. They can go as low as -86°C and use gases that are completely innocuous to the environment. These types of freezers are used to store mother cells or umbilical cords, which means that once the sample is there, the equipment must stay on at all times.  
We also have a strong focus on durability, so even though we cannot provide the most economical products, we do provide those with the highest quality. This is a key part in sustainability as well, since nonworking equipment becomes just more waste. The equipment manufacturers we work with are also using recyclable packaging solutions for their products and we are following their example.

Q: What potential clients would you like to attract?
A: Our client profile depends heavily on where our new commercial branches will be located. In Guadalajara, we focus on pharmaceutical companies, veterinary companies, the food and beverages industry and also the automotive industry. The Torreon office will focus on the mining and metal-mechanics industries, food and beverages and also water treatment facilities. In Merida, we believe the food and beverages industry, as well as water treatment facilities, will offer a significant opportunity. The research arena is also an interesting market, since many research facilities, such as the Scientific Research Center of Yucatan (CICY), CINVESTAV and UNAM’s research centers, are located in the area. Teaching activities will also be a strong commercial focus for all our branches.

El Crisol is a Mexican company with 57 years of experience in the commercialization and distribution of laboratory equipment for different industries. It has offices in Mexico City, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi and Monterrey, among others