Fifty Years of Screening Solutions Focused on Customer Needs

Q: What factors spurred you to start the company and what challenges did you face?

A: There was a lack of quality screens at the time and those that were available often came lose, openings were not consistent and they wore out rapidly. I began as a customer, working in the steel furnace, where initially there was no issue with constant screen changes. But as we started increasing our consumption, it became a real challenge. I spoke with the owner of the company supplying us the screens at the time, asking him to improve his quality and was discouraged by his lack of proactivity. I realized that our suppliers were not going to change and something needed to be done.

We started importing our screens from Germany with the belief that screens should be made to suit the customer’s needs and the customer must always be satisfied. I had over 20 years of experience using screens at the time, meaning I could use my first-hand knowledge of what worked and what did not in order to provide the best solution for the client.

The company started small, manufacturing screens that were initially difficult to sell. Companies did not want to pay a higher price for our screens until we could prove that they were losing more money by continuing to use poor-quality screens than if they bought our screens. We were able to show them they were losing millions but our screens were able to decrease these losses by about 20 to 30 times.

Q: As Cribas has expanded, what have been the challenges associated with this and what are the highlights for the company?

 A: Our greatest challenge has been maintaining reliable coverage of our markets as the company has expanded, as we refuse to compromise on quality or service standards. Excellence in customer service has always been the goal for Cribas. Our motto is to treat our customers as I would have liked to be treated as a client many years ago.

One of the highlights for the company over the last five years has been the full integration of all our product lines. We can now offer all types of screening media for any and every application, screening machines, accessories, technical support for screening issues and installation. We have become a one-stop shop to solve all screening issues. Our greatest strength is the people that make up the company.

Q: To what do you attribute the success Cribas has enjoyed?

A: First, it was a market that lacked a product, so we trained ourselves to become screening specialists, both in manufacturing them and in their application. We started using different materials for different types of screens and applications. One of our first steps was to make perforated plate screens. From there we branched out to all other types.

When I started, I used the catalog from a German company as my guide. This company was a pioneer in screen media manufacturing and I believed that to be successful, we had to replicate the quality found in the best screens in the world. I did not know how much time this was going to take us but we knew the direction in which we were headed and we have been heading steadily toward that goal.

We became experts in what we do. Our goal has always been to manufacture screens of the best quality and at competitive prices. Ultimately, companies will spend more in labor and wasted time because of a poorly made screen. The last five years have involved the full integration of all our product lines. We can now offer screening media for every application, including screening machines, accessories, technical support for screening issues and installation. We have become a one-stop shop for solving screening issues.

One of the most important components of our success has been that the people working with me have adopted the company’s spirit that we must do things correctly, carry out quality work and produce quality products. Importantly, we do not compromise on quality or service standards. We started as a small company selling to other small companies. Throughout our growth and the growth of Mexico’s mining industry, we have challenged ourselves every day to maintain the same standards we incorporated from the outset.

The company is growing at a steady pace. We have been filling the gaps that we had as a small company and making steady improvements. Even though we are still not a large company, we are not small anymore. This growth has allowed us to provide screening solutions to different industries in Mexico, while staying focused on our core, which is mining. We are highly invested in Mexico’s mining sector and this industry moves with the price of metals. When prices are high, mining companies are willing to invest and this keeps us active.

Q: Following the company’s high-carbon wire, rubber and polyurethane screens, what comes next in terms of research and innovation?

A: Our focus has always been to produce screens at a competitive price and with the best materials. This goal has already been met so it is now up to the newer generations to set goals for the years to come. We have always stayed ahead of the industry in material technologies because we try to follow the example of the best in the industry.

We have been focusing on the virtualization of our processes, as well as plant and screen-performance simulations. This gives us the ability to understand the issues the customer is facing in the field and to be able to customize a solution for the client’s exact needs.

This year we launched our polyurethane screen line, which has helped customers obtain better solutions for some of their specific problems. No single screen media can solve all problems, which is why polyurethane gives us one more option to offer our customers.

Q: What strategies are you following to break into other markets and where do you see the most opportunities?

A: We have analyzed the petrochemical, recycling and power-generation sectors and find they are closely linked to the screening we do in mining but they are all very different industries. We have reached out to PEMEX and have installed some screens for ethanol production. We have also proven ourselves in the recycling industry with our screens being used to recycle car batteries.

Cribas should be among the top 10 screening companies worldwide within the next 10 years. Screen fabrication is not an industry where our competitors experience a lot of growth because for most of them, this is not their main product. We have had big competitors that have stopped manufacturing screens to focus on other more profitable products. We are dedicated to this business and will continue to be.