The Imprimerie Coopérative des Sucs (ICS) is doing rather well despite the health crisis. The company is now at about 80% of its activity compared to last year, which is rather positive given the context, says the CEO of the company Jean-Marc Marzona.
Business was maintained and the printing plant is pursuing its investment strategy with the acquisition of three new machines for its Saint-Romain-la-Motte site in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, acquired in November 2019 (read The scop ICS buys another printing company)
"?Nous are modernizing the machine park as we planned when we took over. By September, the printing plant will be home to a Stitchliner stitcher, a Horizon creaser, and a Xerox Iridesse 4-color digital press, gold, silver, and vernis?." explains Jean-Marc Marzona.
In addition, ICS continues to study other external growth possibilities and is looking for a sales representative on the Yssingeaux site in Haute-Loire where the Imprimerie Coopérative des Sucs is located.
Another novelty is that the printer has just introduced an antimicrobial varnish from Epple. " ?Nous offer our customers the antimicrobial varnish at cost price. As a scop and part of the SSE (social and solidarity economy), it seemed obvious to us to contribute as much as we could to the health of the population in the interest of général?" says the CEO.
Scop, a winning bet for ICS
In 2016, the Phil'Print printing works, which was placed in judicial liquidation, was taken over as a scop (Société coopérative de production) by some of the former employees.
Four years later, the cooperative model is bearing fruit. ICS did not close down during containment but uses short-time working, while providing top-up pay so that there is no loss of salary within the team.
For Jean-Marc Marzona, the advantage of scop can be felt above all through the dynamics of the whole team. In a scop, the employees are majority partners. When the company makes a profit, this profit can be shared.
At both sites, the printer has 42 employees and a total turnover of 4.2 million in 2019, with a forecast of 4.5 million this year.
