José Luis Martín Guinea

CEO, HC CLOVER

It has been 10 years since you launched your first gelatin capsule. How has the company evolved since then?

The company was established 11 years ago, and the first two years were all about testing the idea and seeing how the market would respond to our products. We started in Portugal, not Spain, and when we saw the idea could be sold, we began to develop dietary products. In 2010, we began manufacturing soft gelatin capsules in Italy. In 2010, we were selling 150 million capsules and decided to build a small plant in Spain. With the support of an ICO loan, we rented two industrial areas. We were extremely successful, and in 2018 we started our sixth line of production and improved the production process. We are currently in a great market position, exporting to more than 40 countries. We sign a confidentiality agreement with each client and manufacture for them directly. In the beginning, we only manufactured dietary products, though we started to manufacture products for pharma laboratories in 2012. About 80% of our sales come from the pharma industry.

What have been the biggest challenges thus far?

When we started, we were not sure what to do, though the market has helped us significantly. One important change was giving HC Clover PS a strong technological base. The technology for soft gelatin capsule is not easy to find, and we had to develop it ourselves. We have launched more than 900 different products for our clients from different cultures and countries, or about 140 new products every year. Every month, we export nearly 7 million capsules to Israel, Arab countries, Lithuania, as well as Latin American countries such as Mexico or Chile. We are about to launch a product line in Brazil, where we have a great partner.

What is the role of R&Dat HC Clover?

We do not do research; it is not something we are ready for. We just do development. We manufacture products that are not soluble. We use generics to develop new products in gelatin capsules. One product that we developed ourselves is a capsule that dissolves in the intestine and not in the stomach.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

Our main focus is on technology, which we have to continue to improve. We are concerned about having the best technology available for our clients. We are a young company, and our employees are young too, around 32 years old on average. We have hired many young talents and want to continue to train them. In 2019, we will manufacture 1.1 billion capsules. We are a small player, though the large ones neglect many areas where we can offer an excellent service. Our goal is to continue with the development of the company at a personal, technological, and managerial level.