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A Group of 30 persons from the IMS (Intelligent Manufacturing Systems) has visited the facilities of Dinamic in Santpedor as part of an industry visit in Catalonia and Spain.MS is an industry-led, international business innovation and research and development (R&D) program established to develop the next generation of manufacturing and processing technologies. Companies and research institutions from the European Union, Mexico, Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America participate as core partners in this program.

Following the IMS International Steering Committee and Sec meeting on 19-20 September, 2011, 26 high level industry representatives from Korea, Canada, USA, Mexico, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Switzerland and Spain have been in Dinamic led by representatives of the Catalan Government agency ACC10 and the technological center ASCAMM.

Mr. Joan Pericas (President of Dinamic) hosted and guided the visit trough the facilities in welding, press break, painting and shot blasting, assembly and new product development.

The capacities of Dinamic in R+D (research and development) in manufacturing and new product development, and the flexibility of our industrial processes have been highlighted by these industry representatives from IMS.

Dinamic personnel has been happy to host such a visit, and encourages industry representatives to approach us. “We share our heart with those who approach us”, said Mr. Joan Pericas (President), passing on, with this words, the company spirit.

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He assures that the dream he had when he was 14 years old (to have a factory with 200 employees) has now come true. Joan Pericas, aged 50 years, is Chairman of Dinamic Grup, a company operating in the metallurgy sector, based in Santpedor (Barcelona).  The company now has 235 employees and in 2009, its turnover was 37 million euros, thanks to gradually implementing a process of innovation and internationalisation that has vastly improved its positioning in the sector. The company’s motto is: "If you try to generate wellbeing all around you, you will soon harvest the fruits".

Power ideas:

> To achieve international expansion with global clients, we must treat them as our partners and get them involved in the project.

> The innovation process must be accompanied and supported by internationalisation. The drive of developing new products, cooperation with technological centres and internal innovation processes are all key elements.

> It is necessary to constantly invest in next-generation equipment in order to innovate in patentable products.  It is also important to recruit the necessary staff to develop relevant know-how in the company.



- Dinamic has become a specialist in metallic constructions. Where do your business opportunities arise?
 

I started working in welding in an oven workshop at the age of 14. At the age of 15, I told my father that I wanted to set up on my own, with 30,000 pesetas (180 euros) I opened up a workshop in Manresa, in a basement.  My idea was to manufacture handrails, but I have only made one in my entire life. At the age of 20, after welding parts for the automobile industry for two years, I started working in the plate, folding and punching sector. My aim was to sell metallic constructions to other companies. I dreamed of having 200 workers, and now I have 400, although this figure has been reduced by half due to the economic crisis.
 

- Has this changed your business lines?


We have three business lines: the intralogistics business (i.e., the internal transportation of objects such as suitcases to airports or parcel services, the automobile sector and the building sector. With respect to this last field, we have lost an important client for whom we manufactured formwork systems. We expected the decline in this sector to be around 60%, but not 100%. Despite this, there are opportunities around every corner that must be seized. Failure doesn’t exist, it is just a result. A decision that doesn’t seem positive now could bring success in ten years’ time.

 - You have the name of the companies with which you worked on the façade of different buildings in the factory. Is it true that internationalisation starts at home?
 

We operate in a global environment. In fact, we export 70% of our products to Brazil, Argentina, Italy and the Ukraine. We want our clients to feel they are our partners, and that they are part of our project. We have signed a global agreement with the Dutch firm VanDerLande Industries, which has 60 years’ experience in implementing logistics solutions that has allowed us to open a small plant in China, where 24 employees work, and prepare to land in the USA, specifically in Atlanta, Georgia.

 - How does the company view tackling the USA market in the current situation, with a strong euro and a more protectionist US industrial policy?

All you really need is excitement and enthusiasm.  To successfully start up a project, you must believe in it. It is true that we are undergoing a very difficult time, but this is precisely the time when we should be doing things. I know it is tough but it’s not impossible. There is always some amount of uncertainty when you take on an adventure such as this, but it forms part of an enterprising spirit and I find it thrilling. The US is an expensive country but there they work 2,000 hours a year and offer specific benefits for employers. We had thought of sending two or three people there to set up a management team and hire about thirty staff. Obviously, we would have losses the first year.  During the second year we hope to break even, and during the third year we expect things to start improving. However, nothing is every controlled 100%. If that were true, I would not be in business.  On the other hand, the Chinese market is even more protectionist than the US one, even though it doesn’t appear to be. We are there to purchase materials and bring them here and become more competitive, and also because China is a huge market, with important plans for building new airports.
 


- In this respect do you think that innovation should be focused more on processes or on the contrary, on developing your own products?
 

We have developed both sides. For many years we were committed to innovation in machinery. Since 1986 we have been using laser technology. In fact, we were the first company to have a laser machine in Catalonia. However, we also think that at this time, to compete in a global market, it is necessary to innovate in products. Dinamic is committed to innovation in manufacturing products for the airports, logistics and distribution sector.
 

- What kind of products?

For example, we have created a system of extensible devices for loading and unloading, which according to VanDerLande represent a value of 12% of all the installations they are implementing in the distribution and logistics market.  As for airports, we have designed a more complex product for the internal transport of suitcases: belt curve conveyors (for conveyor belts). Last year the European market purchased 50 million euros and our objective for this year is to sell between 1 and 2 million euros and reach 5 or 6 next year. The stable cooperation between our company and ASCAMM Technological Centre (the TECNIO network) was one of the keys to our drive in innovation, since it helped us progress more quickly and further in designing new products. Lastly, we have also created a filtering system for airports, in collaboration with Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), which is now operating on a test basis in Majorca.  It prevents the formation of long queues in the security controls area.

In short, we are studying the creation of new products that can be patented.  This requires having relevant know-how in the company and this is what we want to consolidate. We have been experiencing years in which things were done without applying common sense and projects were completed within three or four years. I have the impression we are lacking in know-how and saturated with respect to information.

- What is necessary to acquire that know-how?
 
I believe the world must change. I don’t know what the solution is for achieving this, but I try to ensure that what I do is for the benefit for everyone. If you try to generate wellbeing all around you, you will harvest the fruits. Future industrialists must be honest, loyal and humble, they must believe in effort and speak at least three languages. I am an industrialist, and I will fight to the end to continue being one.