Healthcaring à la France

It’s an impressive success story: three plastics processing companies in France, each a pioneer and reliable partner to the healthcare industry, have built up an excellent reputation over decades. Competent, innovative and efficient in the development and production of medical subcomponents and disposables for the pharmaceutical industry. Four years ago they formed the SGH Healthcaring Group: STI Plastics, ROVIPHARM and ESKISS Packaging.

The SGH Healthcaring Group portfolio includes product solutions in four main areas: Dosing (dosing syringes, measuring cups, measuring spoons, single doses, pipettes, pill dispensers), Respiratory (spacers, nasal aspirators), Diagnostics and Preanalytics (transport of biological samples). The fourth area – eHealth – includes applications supporting modern information and communication systems in patient treatment and care.


Jérôme Empereur, CEO of SGH Healthcaring

Monsieur Empereur, SGH Healthcaring is the result of the merger of three companies that have built a strong reputation over 30 years. What are the benefits to each company from this alliance?

“SGH Healthcaring was founded on the recognition that unity is a source of strength and that multisite production ensures security of supply. All of our customers are very large, the famous “big pharma.” Most of our suppliers are also big, especially in raw material. So if we want to be competitive and remain attractive, we also need to get bigger. SGH is our project to become one of the leading players in Europe in the field of medical plastic products. However, further acquisitions are currently on hold, thanks to very dynamic organic growth.”

In June 2020, you bought the first Zhafir machines. That was in the first wave of the pandemic. Wasn’t it very brave to introduce a new machine series in such hectic times?

“We have known Haitian International for some time and have some colleagues and competitors equipped with these machines and we have received good feedback. Based on a very good offer from the French Haitian representative, we decided to test a few machines in our three plants.”

The current political situation puts the energy issue in a new, critical position. What has been the importance of energy costs in your company so far, and what measures are you discussing to cushion further cost increases?

“You are right, energy is becoming a big issue and is one of the most important components of our costs. Although we save energy quite efficiently with modern equipment and machinery, we will initiate some research to save more energy. For example, with electric machine concepts. Nevertheless, we need to make some price increases at this time if we want to keep our profit margin and save our business model.”

How many injection molding machines are therein the group in total?

“Currently it more than 80 machines, of which 13 are now Zhafir Zeres series electric machines, with 40 to 360 tons. Most of them are equipped with a medical package and produce at Rovipharm in a clean room. All machines are fully automated.”

Your website says, “SGH Healthcaring is targeting sales of EUR 100 million to achieve the critical mass sought by our laboratory customers and to manage the structural costs associated with regulatory requirements.” Can you elaborate?

“I attach great importance to compliance with laws, regulations and general ethical principles. We believe that such a corporate culture is essential: we must be able to guarantee that we always act with integrity. We will therefore increase our sales – while at the same time demonstrating the clear will of the organization to incorporate social and environmental considerations into its decisions. But we will also consider the impact of its decisions and activities on society and the environment.”

Healthcaring à la France

Founded: 2018
Employees in the group: 230
Current turnover/year: 40 million EUR
• A total of 14,500 sqm of production facilities, two of which are ISO 13485, ISO 15378 and 14001 certified sites
• 4 injection molding plants, 2 of which produce in clean room ISO 8
• 3 production facilities for IML and further assembly
• 1 ESD-protected manufacturing for electronic device assembly