“El Prat production plant is a guarantee for the future"
Demetrio Carceller Arce has taken advantage of the visit to thank the effort and commitment during the Covid-19
The Damm El Prat production plant was visited by Demetrio Carceller Arce, the company's executive chairman, who toured the facilities to mark the completion of the industrial expansion project started in 2017 to increase the factory's production capacity from 5.3MHl to 7.2MHl per year. He also met with a representation of the El Prat team to thank them for their commitment, recognise the work carried out in recent months and highlight the key points that have positioned the factory among the most modern, efficient and sustainable in Europe.
Carceller Arce started his speech by acknowledging the work done by all the people who work at the El Prat production plant: "The situation at the El Prat production plant was one of the most critical in the group. The response was exemplary, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their commitment, communication, teamwork and collaboration". He also proudly referred to the enlargement and the investments made: "It has been a very big project. We have made very important investments. This factory is a source of pride and a guarantee for the future."
One of the keys to the organisation functioning properly during the crisis has been digital transformation. Carceller Arce listed artificial intelligence, remote working and data management as vectors for the future. He also stressed the importance of continuing to aspire to be a leader in product innovation, trying to find a balance between the development of innovations and production efficiency, and pointed out that "efficiency must always be accompanied by a sustainable attitude". In this sense, he defined sustainability as "a vital stance" and insisted on the need to use resources more responsibly.
Carceller Arce also emphasised the importance of continuing to grow internationally: "We have all the ingredients to continue creating a brand in other countries; the Mediterranean, the flavour, the quality,... these assets are ours and they are unique".
Damm's executive chairman closed his speech by focusing on people management. "There must be an evolution in how we manage people in the factory. We are facing a new revolution in labour relations", and he highlighted the organisation's ambition to continue growing and, in particular, to continue investing in the factory: "This factory is our flagship. The goal is to further increase our production capacity and efficiency".
Carceller Arce took the opportunity to send a message of support to the hotel and catering industry: "We live symbiotically with the hotel and catering industry. In the coming months, we will have to see how the sector will be affected, especially the SMEs, but just as we managed to pull ahead in El Prat during the toughest months of the pandemic. We united and looked for solutions. I am confident that the sector will recover because we are resilient".
