PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2010

REGIONAL MARKET REPORTS 22 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 10/10 www.petpla.net P.D.G. Plastiques S.A.S. in Malesherbes is Netstal’s biggest PET customer – with 9 PET systems, Hofstet- ter hot runners and Hofstetter moulds (as well as one ageing injection moulding machine for caps, soon to be replaced). Alain Viron recommended PDG for PETplanet in order to see the Netstal over-moulding process at work, i.e. one dark PET layer over-moulded with one white PET layer for bottling milk. As a matter of interest it should be mentioned that Netstal’s total number of machines installed in France is, to date, 1,450, mainly in heavy moulding, packaging and thin wall applications. This business is directed by the Netstal subsidiary in Paris with some 25 people for sales and service. March 23, 2010 P.D.G. Plastiques in Malesherbes PDG – specialising in specials Francois Defretier, PDG, left, and Alain Viron at the PDG plant Francois Desfretier is second generation owning and directing, running and living this mid-sized preform and bottle making company PDG, set in the idyllic rural land- scape of Malesherbes, south of Paris. PDG is an independent family-owned company. With 43 workers on the shop floor and only 6 multi- functional people in sales, engineering, administrative and managerial functions PDG enjoys the leanest organisa- tional structure we have seen in the PET business so far. Francois Desfretier – mechanical engineer – is, he tells us, fascinated by the business: “We concentrate on our essentials such as – selecting limited market segments and excelling in niches  foreseeing trends, being right in decisions and sticking  to them no experiments, no technology adventures, no financial  adventures total commitment of management and team to the com-  pany and to their customers. There is a live connection between the managerial culture and growing value of the company for all concerned (externally and internally) i.e. customers, employees, and even the PET market as such, since innovation belongs to everybody and the supplier of machine tools, such as Netstal’s PET systems, is a part of the scenario. Francois Desfretier says, “The conductor needs an orches- tra. Managers need players. Innovation is not driven by unilat- eral decisions and managerial edicts, but by motivated staff in a democratic system. The human factor is all important.” Desfretier sees his own prime role in customer contact and developing the company’s technological direction. He is PDG’s public face, and as in many well-organised private businesses the finances are controlled by his wife. History of company PDG Plastiques was created in 1948 in Paris (plastic packaging by injection). 1962: PDG received Packaging Oscar for the plastic crates. Moved to Malesherbes. 1981: Jacques Desfretier bought the company. Develop- ment of base cup for CSD PET bottles. 1990: Start of PET preform activity in new modern plant. 2000: Start of PET bottles activity. 2006: 2 Packaging “Oscars de l’Emballage” for PET pre- forms (2.4g Nestlé Dairy product). 2008: Packaging “Oscar de l’Emballage” for Prelactia pre- forms (UHT milk bottle). Products and production The plant in Malesherbes covers 6,000m 2 production area and 2 x 2,500 m 2 storage. Preforms:  585 million PET preforms representing 75% of turnover 9 Netstal PET Systems + Hofstetter 48 cavity moulds (8  cavity mould for small runs) Bottles: PET bottles: 56 million units representing 25% of turnover  8 blowing machines, 2 and 4 cavities (7 Sidel and 1  ADS) 4 single-stage injection blowing machines (ASB Nissei)  Markets PDG produce standard preforms in the larger volumes and “specialises in specials” in comparatively small to medium volumes for commodities such as water, dairy and UHT milk, and fruit juices, wine. Water business with Intermarché, St.Amand, Wattwiller,  Ogeu. Dairy business with LSDH, Novandie, Nestlé.  Juice business with Andros, LSDH.  Specific preforms with special neck, weight or dimen-  sions. Also special bottles between 5ml and 10l.  For PDG’s blowing activity preforms are bought from other converters, including from APPE (barrier preforms), also from Resilux and SGT. Apparently PET converters in