To put the reader in context, tell them about the origins of Plaginsa: how the company came about, founder, first products, manufacturing method…
Plaginsa has its origins in the entrepreneurial vision of my father, Gaspar Navarro, who began his professional career in the footwear auxiliary industry with various local businesses. In 1973 he started in the manufacture of rubber articlesbut it was at the beginning of the 80s when he went one step further and began to vulcanize the first rubber sheets, intended above all for the manufacture of vulcanized shoes. From that moment, the diversity of rubber sheets grew, until today there is a catalog in Plaginsa of thousands of different product references.
How has its evolution been since it started in 1983?
The rapid growth of the business and the specialization in the manufacture of all types of rubber sheets motivated the birth in 1983 of the Elche company Plaginsa. Offering since then from its factory in Crevillent, rubber and EVA plates shoe manufacturers around the world.
What lines of work does the company currently cover and what is its specialization?
Plaginsa specializes in the manufacture of rubber and EVA plates for various sectors, with a main focus on the footwear industry. In addition, we dedicate part of our production to the manufacture of rubber flooringmainly for gyms, and in sectors as diverse as agriculture, construction, the automotive industry, the naval industry, fitness and even childcare.
New technologies, and more recently Artificial Intelligence, are part of the production of all kinds of materials. How have you introduced these techniques for the creation of rubber sheets?
We have always opted for innovation and have incorporated new technologies, even from other sectors, to adapt them to our production processes. This has allowed us improve quality and efficiency in the manufacture of our rubber sheets, always maintaining the goal of constant improvement of our products.
Is worldwide production Plaginsa’s strong point?
At Plaginsa, all production is centralized at our facilities in Crevillent and we distribute our products worldwide through our centers logistics strategically located in important footwear producing regions.
Protecting the environment and humanity is an urgent priority for all of us. How does Plaginsa produce sustainably?
For many years, Plaginsa has already incorporated recycled materials in the manufacture of plates, also using a large part of the leftover materials from our own production. Nowadays the circular economy is fully integrated into our processes, promoting the reuse and recycling of materials for the creation of new products, as part of our commitment to sustainability.
Do you have new sectors to focus on in the coming years, open up new horizons?
We are always open to exploring new markets and we value proposals and ideas from new clients. We continuously work on the development of new products thanks to our R+D+I departmentwhich has been one of the great commitments of Grupo Plaginsa since its inception.
As CEO of Plaginsa, what challenges do you have to meet from a business point of view? And after 40 years of experience, what would you say is the key to success?
One of my biggest challenges is to continue to maintain Plaginsa’s security, solidity and growth, as well as to continue offering high-quality products to the market so that the Plaginsa brand continues to be synonymous with excellence. I believe that the key to the success of Plaginsa, after more than 40 years, lies in perseverance, dedication and continuous improvement, as well as having an excellent human and professional team of more than 180 workers, many of whom began to collaborate with my father from the beginning of the company.
Divisions of the Plaginsa group, a world leader in the production of rubber and eva sheets
Since its creation in 1983 the innovative spirit of its founderGaspar Navarro Mora, and business flexibility to satisfy its most demanding customers, it gradually created a diversification in rubber and eva sheet products to thus access new sectors beyond footwear.
In this way, the brand was born in 2006 PaviFLEXa division specialized in sports flooring for gyms and which today has become a world benchmark in the fitness sector with distributors all over the world and with thousands of installations carried out.
Another major firms and closely related to the previous one is Confortsonic®a business line with many years of research and development of materials for construction and acoustic insulation.
Knowledge also applied to the fitness sector that has managed to obtain excellent results and levels of soundproofing and impact reduction in sports facilities.
Investment in new technologies led to the online growth of Grupo Plaginsa, leading in 2015 to the creation of two new brands aimed at the final consumer.
Bootymats® makes almost 20 years of experience in the fitness sector available to everyone for training at home, with top-level and quality products made of both virgin rubber and EVA, for the practice of yoga, pilates and fitness at a level particular.
Lastly, it is worth noting Lubabymats®, which puts all the care of the company, raising the levels of quality and safety to the maximum for the smallest of the house. make a padded floor for baby care with all the certifications that make them leaders in the market and a benchmark in childcare and for professionals in the sector, being partners since 2019 of the National Association for Child Safety.
The trust placed by consumers in their brands and the rapid expansion to a global market, has led Grupo Plaginsa today to be Present in the main world marketplaces.
