A coffee with… Ferran Vaqué, Private Label Business Director at PROQUIMIA

Ferran Vaqué Bover is Director of White Label Business for the Domestic Division of Proquimia, a chemical company specialising in hygiene and cleaning solutions. He holds a degree in International Business & Economics from the University of Barcelona and an Executive MBA from Esade, and has completed his training with exchange programmes at internationally renowned institutions such as Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (Japan), American University in Dubai, Babson College and MIT (United States). His career combines business development and key account management with a clear focus on innovation and sustainability. He stands out for his global vision, his commitment to business transformation and his ability to anticipate trends in order to offer valuable solutions in a changing environment.

Empack: Ferran, tell us briefly about your role within the company and what your day-to-day work is like managing the Private Label area.

Ferrán: In my day-to-day work, I am fortunate to work in a very dynamic area, where every day is different. My main responsibility is to lead the strategy and business development of the private label brand, an area that requires us to be very close to our customers, both nationally and internationally, in order to understand their needs and translate them into customised solutions.

My work combines direct management of key accounts with internal coordination of the various departments involved: R&D, production, marketing and quality. Together, we develop products tailored to each customer, ensuring that the proposal is innovative, sustainable and competitive. In addition, I devote a significant part of my time to closely following global consumer trends, which allows us to anticipate the market and launch solutions that make a difference.

This balance between external relations and internal momentum is what makes my role so rewarding. I am motivated by the knowledge that, from this position, I can have a direct impact on our clients’ strategy and, at the same time, contribute to Proquimia’s international growth and consolidation as a benchmark in innovation and sustainability.

Empack: The chemical sector plays a key role in many industries. What value do you think PROQUIMIA brings through its hygiene and household cleaning solutions, especially in the private label channel?

Ferrán: The chemical sector plays a fundamental role in everyday life, as behind many essential products there is a chemical process that guarantees safety, hygiene and well-being.
On this basis, in the private label sector, our commitment is to offer our customers hygiene and household cleaning solutions that not only meet the highest standards of quality and effectiveness, but also integrate criteria of innovation and sustainability from product design to packaging.

In this regard, we develop advanced formats such as ultra-concentrated water-soluble capsules, which are a clear example of how innovation can combine practicality, effectiveness and respect for the environment.

Furthermore, at Proquimia we have the capacity to adapt to different distribution formats: from retail to e-commerce channels. This versatility, combined with great agility in our processes, makes us a strategic partner for customers seeking to differentiate themselves in an increasingly demanding market.

Ultimately, what our customers value most is that Proquimia not only responds to current needs, but also anticipates them, providing solutions that combine effectiveness, innovation and environmental responsibility.

Empack: Packaging is key in chemical and cleaning products, both for safety and sustainability. What advances are you seeing in packaging adapted to this very specific sector?

Ferrán: Packaging is a critical element in the cleaning sector because it must guarantee both user safety and product preservation and, increasingly, meet sustainability criteria. In recent years, we have seen very significant advances in this area, many of which we are already applying at Proquimia.

On the one hand, we work with recycled materials, use single-material structures to facilitate recycling, and develop weight and volume reduction projects that contribute to reducing the carbon footprint in transport and logistics. These are improvements that, although they may seem small, have a significant impact on a large scale.

On the other hand, European regulations set a clear path, especially with regard to safety: child-resistant closures, CLP-compliant labelling, pictograms, etc. This sometimes poses practical challenges, such as in small-format packaging where it is difficult to include all the required legal information.

To address these challenges, at Proquimia we believe in collaborating with external specialists (from packaging manufacturers to technology partners) who enable us to integrate innovation, safety and sustainability into a single package. Packaging thus ceases to be a simple container and becomes a strategic element of added value.

Empack: What role do professional events such as Empack and Logistics & Automation play for a company like PROQUIMIA, which works in synergy with sectors such as distribution, the food industry and logistics?

Ferrán: Professional events such as EMPACK and Logistics & Automation play a key role in our sector. For a company like Proquimia, which operates in constant contact with industries as diverse as distribution, food and logistics, these events offer a unique opportunity to create synergies and keep up to date with the latest innovations.

On the one hand, they are a privileged networking space: they allow us to approach potential customers, strengthen relationships with current ones and, at the same time, establish links with suppliers or collaborators who may become strategic partners in the future. On the other hand, they give us the opportunity to identify new trends and technologies that we can then transfer to our products and processes, enriching our value proposition.

Furthermore, participating in these forums is also a way of raising awareness of Proquimia’s vision and commitment to sustainability and innovation, sharing the projects we are working on with the sector. In short, they are platforms that not only strengthen our position in the market, but also inspire us to continue growing and remain at the forefront in an ever-changing environment.

Empack: And to finish off this coffee… what motivates you most about working in a science-based company like PROQUIMIA? What excites you most about the future of the sector?

Ferrán: What motivates me most about working at Proquimia is feeling that every project has a real, positive impact on society and the environment. A clear example of this is our ultra-concentrated water-soluble capsules, which enable more sustainable production, use ingredients with a lower environmental impact, significantly reduce weight and volume in transport (which translates into lower CO₂ emissions) and still maintain exceptional quality.

Looking to the future, I am particularly excited about the technological potential that is emerging in our sector. I am convinced that tomorrow’s detergents will be much more personalised and digitised, with packaging and formulas tailored to the specific needs of each consumer and with increasingly innovative and sustainable materials.

But beyond technology, I believe that the key will lie in collaboration between science and industry. Through strategic alliances and a global vision, we will be able to face the challenges ahead and lead the transition towards more responsible consumption models. And on that path, at Proquimia we want to be a leading player, providing solutions that combine quality, innovation and sustainability.

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