Experience, attention and care: this is Kimberly-Clark de México, Bajío

Maura Leonardi

Care for the product, attention to processes, passion for one's work, experience in the field are the features that one can use to trace the outline of the Bajío facilities of Kimberly-Clark de México. The Bajío plant is one of the most important for the production of the Pétalo^TM, Suavel^TM and Vogue^TM brands, three of K-C de México's cornerstones, very strong on the Mexican market, which in the past few years have registered an interesting sales volume growth.

The secret of these products' success, in particular as far as Vogue^TM is concerned, its the combination of different factors. Sold in packs of 4 ‘500-sheet' rolls, smooth, white and very simple, this toilet roll has conquered consumers with its optimal quality/price ratio, positioning itself in the medium segment of the market and reaping success with large retailers.

Heading the team that ensured the success of the Pétalo^TM, Suavel^TM and Vogue^TM products, is Gustavo Ortigoza, Converting Director, who for 39 years and with great passion, tenacity, strength and firmness, has been ensuring that the Bajío facilities embody a high level of production efficiency in full respect of safety in the workplace.

If it is true that the devil is in the details, Ortigoza knows very well every single production cycle, the strong and weak points of the 11 converting lines present at the facilities. A machine park that includes PCMC, CMG (Costruzioni Meccaniche Gambini) and the most recent purchase, the 11th converting line complete with packaging section for the production of toilet rolls and kitchen towels, a model FortyFive® line by Fabio Perini S.p.A.¹

"In many years of work, I have never seen a production line like the FortyFive®: in just three months, it has attained full regime, with surprising results in terms of production efficiency. I can certainly say that the line is optimized today with a production of 45 tons of tissue paper and margin for improvement in the course of the next months. At our Mexican facilities, no converting line has attained such high levels of efficiency. A unique result that we are very proud of and that has allowed us to pursue an important result for the production of Pétalo^TM, Suavel^TM and Vogue^TM," states Gustavo Ortigoza at the beginning of our interview.

"My working team and I are very pleased with the performance of this line, that unites technical qualities of the winding process - superior with respect to any other machine present at the facilities - with safety construction details that are perfectly in-line with our standards, and above all, it has an operator interface that is very simple to manage," continues the Converting Director.

The result of this excellent technology, as defined by Ortigoza himself, is the Vogue^TM product, sold in a pack of 4 rolls of 500 sheets. A shelf reference that has met with the appreciation of consumers, as confirmed by the record sales registered in this last semester. Very simple, but with a very high quality for a medium-range product, Vogue^TM ensures the Mexican consumer an optimal quality/price ratio. "The FortyFive® line is easy, immediate, productive, flexible; a unique line that has ensured our plant with production records never attained before. We can change roll winding, ensuring high production flexibility, while the machine is running," states Ortigoza.

Among the various aspects that have guaranteed the optimal results attained by this line in record times, we must underscore the importance of the time dedicated by Fabio Perini S.p.A.'s Training Division to our personnel training. A service that has allowed the staff of the Bajío facilities to acquire key notions for proper line maintenance and indispensible techniques for the resolution of problems typically found in the initial phases of the start-up of a new machine. Today, personnel training has become a focus point for companies in order to obtain optimal results and effectively utilize their resources. The combination of hands-on practice and theory allows saving time and money, as well as building confidence in those who daily manage the production line.

"Training of our technicians certainly constituted the key that has allowed us to attain optimal results, with the desire to continue enhancing the performance of this line and, hence, of the finished product. The Training Service of Fabio Perini S.p.A. has ensured us the attainment of the line's efficiency in record times. We plan to improve the product's embossing in order to enhance the appeal of our Vogue^TM roll. The Vogue^TM product is a roll that was born a few years ago from the intention to offer a bulky, simple roll, capable of contrasting the offer of American products. Today, Vogue^TM is one of our focus products and has conquered its position on supermarket shelves. It is ecological, made using a good percentage of recycled fibers and guarantees an optimal quality/price ratio. With this line, we have enhanced the quality level of the finished product. Noteworthy are also the technical features that we find on the line, such as the opening system of the soundproof cabins - details that allow operators to work in total safety. And working safely is for us a stronghold of our daily routine," continues the Converting Director.

A production with 11 lines at full regime, a team of technicians and operators working with pride and passion are the special traits that make the Bajío site, captained by an exceptional "gerente" like Gustavo Ortigoza, the pride and joy of Kimberly-Clark de México. The history of this facility begins in 1887 when a production site for the manufacture of writing paper was founded. Today, it is a facility that is working at full regime and includes both the production of tissue paper with 3 PMs (of which 2 for the production of normal tissue and the third for the production of UCTAD paper), as well as paper production.

"The product improvement philosophy undertaken in the last six years has led us to invest a lot in the realm of paper converting through the choice of machines whose technology would allow us to improve the quality of our products," states Laurentino Rodriguez Moreno, Plant Director at Kimberly-Clark de México's Bajío and Morelia facilities. "A total quality project aimed at strengthening the positioning of our products belonging to the Premium and medium segments - the two reference segments of our market. An objective that we have attained, as confirmed by the optimal sales results of Vogue^TM and Petalo^TM products. Today, the Mexican consumer recognizes product quality and is willing to pay more to satisfy his/her needs for quality," continues Laurentino.

The production site works in full respect of the environmental policy; an example of this are the water and air management systems. Attention also for what concerns paper production through the use of recycled fibers: 50% of their raw material derives from waste sorting performed in Mexico, and the rest is imported from the USA.

To use a soccer term, the team captained by Gustavo Ortigoza is a winner: determination, harmony and great teamwork make an optimal combination in the attainment of excellent results.