From a pure machine manufacturer to finished products supplier

From a pure machine manufacturer to finished products supplier

Weckerle's machines fill and print cosmetics products. The German cosmetics producer supplies all the main companies within the branch, such as Dior L'Oreal, Gemey or Max Factor. A subsidiary has recently taken over the business in Switzerland.

When ladies make up their lips, 90% they are using a product filled and printed by Weckerle machines.
Four manufacturing sites do provide today for the cosmetic products' supply on the spot: the mother company in Pressenberg (Germany), a factory in Los Angeles (USA) and San Paulo (Brazil) and - the youngest in the family – the production site in Le Locle in Switzerland. Why just Le Locle?

"We were looking for a location where German is not spoken" explains Thomas Weckerle, Weckerle Cosmetics' managing director. Le Locle lies three kilometres away from the French border and is therefore excellent to reach the active French market", and adds, "Moreover the choice of the location was encouraged by the extraordinary economic demand of the Neuenburg canton". Not so positive was his report on the recruitment of the workforce from the region; actually it is very difficult to find sufficient specialists when houses of the rank of Cartier, Montblanc, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Bulgari and Ebel are the more or less immediate neighbours. This is the reason why Weckerle is going to coach its own plastics technologists in the future, first in Switzerland and successively in Peissenberg too.

As it always happens when a new factory starts operating, apart from progressively minded people, even machines- and peripheral suppliers do take advantage of the situation. In the Weckerle Cosmetics' case, Demag and SB Conveyors, as well as Mapag (from Bern) with its complete solution, have taken their chance. 10 new Demag machines with a clamping force ranging from 25 to 60 tons are placed within the production shed in Le Locle, and there is still room! Only the slim sticks (in PP) and the newest product by Weckerle house, namely the cosmetic crayon with the counter clockwise rotating mine, are manufactured in Switzerland. This last product's palette includes around 200 colours, all fluid colours. By the end of the year a laboratory should be set in the productive seat in Le Locle :" This shall enable our faster reaction to customers' demands", explains Thomas Weckerle. "Colours depend strongly on fashion: make a planning in advance is very difficult. Therefore, staying close to customers' wishes is everything in this profession.