Quality Control Leads To Higher Productivity

Q: What impact has the merger between Malvern Instruments and Panalytical had on the country’s health-related operations?
A: Malvern Panalytical was formed through the merger of these two companies as well as two smaller companies named ASD and Claisse on Jan. 1, 2017. Before the merger, Malvern and Panalytical already worked together in overlapping industries. However, there was an opportunity to create something that would offer more options to clients and provide the advantage of cross-sales. The merger combined the expertise of Malvern in the pharmaceutical arena with Panalytical’s portfolio of analytical equipment for various sectors. The result is a more integrated and diverse line of solutions.
Q: How do your solutions help pharmaceutical companies in their manufacturing operations?
A: The pharmaceutical industry is known for its strict regulations and standards set by different authorities. These requirements define the form, size and composition of medication to ensure quality is maintained. Malvern Panalytical’s products allow clients to conduct accurate analysis of their industrial processes at various stages. This helps them deliver better products and increase productivity.
Q: How is your client portfolio divided locally and international and what challenges do you face in Mexico?
A: Half of our clients are Mexican companies and the other half are international pharmaceutical corporations. International clients are more familiar with our solutions but the local industry is a bit more complicated. Many smaller Mexican companies have limited budgets and often have their analytical work done by third parties or by universities. We believe investing in equipment like ours can provide a great deal of added value in the long term. However, entering this segment remains a challenge.
In Mexico, about 75 percent of the products we sell are from Malvern’s product line. We are trying to increase the share of Panalytical equipment, which is more centered on elemental analysis. In the area of medical devices, we are relatively small but do offer some highly specialized technology.
Q: What is Mexico’s contribution to the company’s global goals?
A: Our presence here is primarily focused on growing our position and brand in Mexico. We are already well-known in the area of particle-size measurement but that is not the case for our entire portfolio. Mexico is a door to the rest of Latin America and if our strategy proves successful here, we can expand to other countries in the region.
Q: Malvern Panalytical participates in various conferences, forums and workshops. What is your goal with these outlets?
A: We try to show that our company is more than just a product. We invite people to learn about material characterization and how it can be performed. Ultimately, we are a group of experts with a lot of experience in the pharmaceutical field. We often bring specialists over from the US and the UK to share their knowledge. We also take these opportunities to build closer relationships with our current and potential clients.
Q: What are Malvern Panalytical’s growth expectations for the coming year?
A: Our goal is to achieve 10-15 percent growth. We want to penetrate the market with the newest technology. Apart from our leading market products, we also want to push areas such as heavy metal analyses. If we can secure two or three projects in this area, we can use this experience as a reference for the future. Some technologies are still awaiting certification from authorities, which is an obstacle to building our brand in the market. Last year, we had a small dip in growth because several of our pharmaceutical projects were canceled or stalled. The underlying reason was the current political uncertainty. We expect this will improve as the situation stabilizes. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the pillars of the Mexican economy and will continue to offer great potential.