A young, active company full of passion for their work. In 2013 it received the Excellency at Work award and entered the ranks of the 100 best companies to work at in Portugal. An important recognition to be proud of.
Maura Leonardi
We are in Portugal, in Vila Velha de Rodao, an ancient land, a point of break-off and of meeting, a prodigious territory crossed by the Tejo River. A municipality that counts 3,802 people and extends along a surface of 329.9 km2 in the Castelo Branco District. It is here that the adventure of AMS GOMA-CAMPS began in 2008 with a greenfield project that included an integrated paper mill and converting facility. A total investment of 50 million euro. The position is strategic, a neuralgic point for Spain, Portugal and Africa.
Construction was finished in record time. Four buildings on 30,000 m2: the PM was built and installed, as well as the converting section and parent reel and finished product warehouse. 155 employees, 41% of whom under 30 years of age and over 20% holding a university degree. We met the company’s CEO, José Miranda. “Our vision is very clear: to be acknowledged as the most efficient supplier in the Iberian market with a sustainable work base that reflects our ideas and our global guidelines”, states Mr. Miranda. “All this is possible thanks to our Mission, which is to meet the expectations of our shareholders through continuous improvement of our processes and the creation of added value”, he continues.
A young, active company full of passion for their work. In 2013 it received the Excellency at Work award and entered the ranks of the 100 best companies to work at in Portugal. An important recognition to be proud of. “IRR - Internal Return Rate - is an important financial index but it also stands for our values: Initiative, Responsibility and Respect. In putting our values into practice, we strive to maintain high levels of IRR in all our projects. Our values guide our activities daily and are the pillars supporting us in attaining our vision. We want to distinguish ourselves from the rest”, continues Miranda.
Initiative guides them towards new permanent challenges and leads them to exceed expectations. Their responsibility in carrying out their roles with the necessary care, always keeping into account the expectations of their internal and external customers, is emblematic. Respect means working honestly, always being well aware of how their actions can have repercussions on others.
“We are oriented towards a management that has people as its primary consideration because they are our main corporate asset. Our collaborators are involved in the decisions and make themselves decisions when it comes to operational activities. Management handles the strategic vision pursuant to the guidelines, while middle management has a daily and operational vision and can solve problems. A down/top approach. To reach our objectives we must have a clear vision of the steps to be taken and correct any deviations through a clear and accurate action plan. All this is possible if we involve people, making them participants. At AMS Goma Camps every person feels part of the company.”
And this philosophy soon begins to bear its fruits. In 2013 turnover was 47.8 million euro with a 14.1% market share in Portugal and 1.2% in Spain, on the rise for the coming years. AMS’ main business is the consumer segment with the supply of private label products, while it is present in the Away From Home segment with its amOOs brand - the word for “love” in Portuguese - synonymous of AMS’s dedication and passion.
Let’s talk about numbers. In 2013 the company converted 33,000 tons of tissue paper that were then exported to Spain, Morocco and in Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa (PALOP). Interesting markets for growth potential. Per capita consumption in Africa is very low but forecasts expect growth. The country has an interesting potential to be kept under close watch because the middle class’s buying power is increasing and so are its economic resources. In Portugal, per capita consumption has witnessed an enormous increase in the last few years: if we analyze 2010, it was around 13.51kg while it was 5.44 in 1991, and Spain has gone from 7.07 kg in 1991 to 15.20 kg in 2010 (Sourse: RISI Outlook for Tissue Business 2011-2012). Forecasts are on the rise for the future because the gap with countries of Northern Europe that are registering average consumptions in the area of 19.3 kg has to be filled. Economic growth, increase in quality and a change in consumption traditions and habits will be the main drivers for the immediate future.
The financial crisis has also affected the AFH field that has witnessed a small decline in demand while consumption of PLs has increased enormously in the course of the years: from 42.4% in 2006 to 70.9% in 2010.
Kitchen towel rolls reigned supreme with a 5.5% increment in the last five years compared with 3.5% for toilet rolls (same period). “In our forecasts for the 2010-2020 decade, we expect a 2% growth for toilet rolls and a 2.5% growth for kitchen towels. This product is very sensitive to users’ habits and to their financial resources; in periods of crisis the cloth towel came back into use to replace paper. Surely we will see an increment in large rolls similar to the industrial size because the price-quality ratio is certainly positive”, says the CEO.
“The market is constantly changing and today consumers are looking for high quality at a convenient price. This is the real issue for converters, because it is not always easy to enhance quality while decreasing price. Today the trend is: more quality at a reduced price”, sustains Miranda.
To satisfy the market, AMS has a precise strategy: understanding the demands of their customers and offering the products they want.
Thanks to constant market research together with new product development, they are able to promptly and precisely answer the needs of retailing. As far as technology goes, they have put their trust in Italian partners: Toscotec for the paper mill systems, Fabio Perini for converting and packaging and Elettric80 for palletizing. “We chose the best technological partners.
We have no room for failure so this choice was strategic for us and aimed at sourcing suppliers who are a guarantee of excellence and success. Our key word is passion, thanks to which we have attained important targets and will continue to do so in the future”, concludes José Miranda. *