IMA is increasingly becoming a major player in the world of Beauty & Personal Care automation. The Italian giant, a world leader in the design and manufacturing of automatic machines for the processing and packaging of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food products, as well as in industrial process automation, formalized their acquisition of OMAS Tecnosistemi, a Milan-based company specialized in solutions for fully automatic filling and capping lines, a few weeks ago at Cosmopack Bologna. Their goal is to become a “one-stop shop” for filling and packaging lines. It was a move that was quickly heard about all around the world and one that opens the doors to new possibilities for the cosmetic industry (and beyond). Cosmopolo interviewed Thomas Fricke, Commercial Director of the Pharma IMA Group.
What are IMA Group’s ‘future’ goals for the Beauty & Personal Care sector?
Although IMA has been operating in the beauty & PC sector for some time, our Group was still missing a significant portion of technologies. Considering that OMAS lacked the secondary packaging part, it’s even more obvious how the two entities complement each other perfectly. Our future goal stems naturally from our collaboration: together, we will be able to provide complete lines, from processing through filling/capping to packaging, and even all the way up to the positioning of products in cases on pallets. Thanks to this arrangement, we can offer a complete solution where the responsibility for each and every machine on the line and the functionality of the entire system is handled by a single operator. From this collaboration, we expect significant growth in this sector from both sides.
IMA now has the most expansive portfolio in the industry, capable of offering all the machinery to work with liquid and semi-solid products, ‘dry’ products such as powders, tablets, and other solid forms, wet wipes, face masks, and refill pouches.
What can customers expect from this acquisition?
In addition to the aforementioned turnkey solution, we will continue to provide small and stand-alone machines for smaller customers as well as startups. We offer a special service to help these customers start a new business or simply test a new product: a contract packaging facility where we can fill and package our customers’ products. Larger customers can take advantage of this opportunity to start the production of a new product and wait for sales growth, while startups can use it to produce their first product without being forced to invest immediately.
Let’s talk about the acquisition: what were the technologies missing from IMA and how do the two companies mesh?
The goal was to cover all the technological needs of customers in the Beauty & Personal Care sector. IMA already had a wide range of machines, but, for example, was missing mixers. Machines for mascara and lipstick represent another area in which IMA was lacking. In addition, we now collaborate much better with OMAS to offer the right machine solution for special needs. With a much broader portfolio in terms of speed, execution, and functionality, we can fine-tune our solutions to match the customer’s specifications, ensuring they are neither too extensive nor too limited.
How do the two companies work together?
We have just started and are still in the ‘honeymoon phase.’ Our work climate is characterized by enthusiasm and motivation. It’s a work in progress that we’re building together day by day, step by step, but I can say that we are constantly finding new opportunities in the exchange of technologies and, speaking with customers, discovering new and interesting cooperative advantages.
What added value can OMAS offer to IMA?
OMAS has been acquired by IMA, but this does not mean that we’re acting like the ‘superior players’ in this game. OMAS has so much experience in this field that it provides added value related to knowing customer needs and dedicated market solutions. Building on these elements and with OMAS’s additional solutions, we will continue working towards our goal to become the one-stop supplier in the beauty industry.