Witte y Solà has returned to the path of growth after some difficult years marked by the pandemic.
The family company, founded in 1968, is specialized in the production of aluminum tubes for creams and other substances in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. It also produces plastic caps and nozzles through a subsidiary called Amfer.
Despite being a consolidated business for decades, Witte y Solà has seen its structures shake due to the pandemic. “The health crisis caught us squarely at a time of heavy investment aimed at increasing production capacity. Although we stopped the growth plan, sales fell and productivity decreased. All this led us to borrow significantly through ICO loans”, says Javier Solà, general manager and third generation at the helm of the business.
At the end of 2022, the company managed to redress the situation by closing an agreement with financial institutions to restructure the entire debt. The family prefers not to share the amount or the conditions of the agreement, through which they hope to leave behind the years of turbulence.
“Raw material prices have normalized and demand has recovered. This year we expect to enter 20 million euros, compared to the 16.8 million we invoiced last year. In addition, we are going to put losses behind us and we expect to obtain a gross profit (Ebtida) of 1.3 million”, assures the CEO, Xavier Solà, who belongs to the second generation.
In addition, the company has managed to raise 3.3 million public aid, which will be invested in the automation and improvement of the production process. “These investments are very necessary because they will allow us to assume all the demand. Now we are forced to reject orders because we cannot keep up with it”, acknowledges the CEO. The ambition of Witte y Solà (which owes its name to the German partners that existed at the beginning of the business) is to become the reference factory for aluminum tubes in southern Europe. From the municipality of Sant Fost de Campsentelles (Vallès Oriental), it sells to local and international companies. It exports 38% to companies in countries such as France, Italy, Algeria, Germany, Mexico and Colombia.
With the involvement of eight family members (including managers and board members), the company employs a total of 135 people. It is a lower figure than the 160 that came to be before the pandemic, when the factory opened two production shifts that are still paralyzed.
