Entrevista a

Miguel B. Jiménez - Eguizabal

Interview with

Miguel B. Jiménez - Eguizabal

“We need to get closer to the end customer and deliver competitive, high-quality products directly.”

Miguel B. Jiménez Eguizabal returned from the IFA Berlin trade fair with a clear perspective on Walter Pack’s business opportunities. Alongside valuable insights and first-hand feedback, he also came back with renewed ambition about the organization’s potential. In his view, Walter Pack not only has the right technology to enter new markets such as beauty devices, sports equipment, gaming peripherals, and drones, but it is also time to take a step forward: reaching the end customer directly, cutting out costly intermediaries, and offering first-class solutions at competitive prices.

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IFA Berlin remains the beating heart of the home appliance and consumer electronics ecosystem. Did you come across any new trends or technologies that caught your eye?

In the home appliance segment, I was struck by how many brands are now betting on washer-dryer towers — a single integrated unit that saves a lot of space. Another trend is the move towards flat surfaces. We’re leaving behind the era of detergent drawers, control panels, and rotary dials. Now, the design centers on a fully flat surface with an integrated screen.

Along the same lines, I saw washing machines specifically designed for childcare and delicate garments, with different compartments: one main drum, a lower space for shoes, and two smaller ones at the top — one for women’s underwear and another for baby clothes. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this.

As we move closer to 2030, sustainability is becoming increasingly urgent. Is it already a basic market demand?

Surprisingly, sustainability was not a big theme at this year’s fair. Given the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda, I expected it to be front and center. Instead, only one Turkish brand highlighted it, showcasing mid-range appliances made with recycled panels, bioplastics, or composites using coffee grounds, hazelnut shells, and similar materials.

It was striking that none of the big players — Samsung, LG, Bosch, and others — used sustainability as a selling point. Instead, the focus was on artificial intelligence, connectivity, and the smart home.

“Suppliers are asking us for the carbon footprint of our parts, but sustainability has stopped being a sales argument or a marketing pitch.”

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So, does this journey towards sustainability — one Walter Pack has already embarked on — remain a differentiating element in your value proposition?

It’s still very much present in the internal policies of major brands, especially when it comes to choosing suppliers. We regularly receive RFQs requesting the carbon footprint of our parts, mainly for environmental accounting purposes. But I do think it has stopped being a sales argument or a marketing hook.

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Carbon footprint is one of the cornerstones of sustainability. Does it continue to play a role in Walter Pack’s competitiveness?

Absolutely. We’re already seeing a trend of European manufacturers reshoring production from China. They present it as a commitment to the 2030 Agenda and sustainability goals, but it’s also driven by rising costs in China — transport, tariffs, and even political risks. Still, they frame it as alignment with sustainability commitments, and European manufacturers in particular are asking us to reduce carbon footprint.

“Color&Trim is becoming a short- and medium-term differentiator: it opens doors and gives us more of a TIER 1 status than a simple molder.”

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What role does the Color&Trim department play in Walter Pack’s turnkey value proposition?

An increasingly important one. What began as basic color matching has evolved into a full-fledged capability to develop projects from scratch, thanks to a team of specialists in color, design, and form. In the short to medium term, Color&Trim will be a major differentiator.

Whenever we showcase the department’s work, we spark a lot of interest. It has become both our calling card and a door opener. Instead of being “just another plastic molder,” we present a product catalog, realistic renders, and designs tailored to client needs — even in digital format. This elevates us from a simple supplier to a TIER 1 partner.

“IME reduces space requirements, protects electronics in humid environments, and simplifies assembly and production.”

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Walter Pack is a benchmark in processes like IMF and IME. Are these the most suitable for integrating technologies such as artificial intelligence and other trends?

In-Mold Forming (IMF) has struggled in recent years due to competition from IMD, a cheaper but less robust process. Now, however, many major brands are returning to IMF because, at large volumes, it proves more cost-effective.

As for In-Mold Electronics (IME), everyone wants it — and for good reason. Encapsulating electronics between plastic layers ensures protection, which is critical for appliances exposed to heat, steam, moisture, or cold. And while IME makes the part itself more expensive, it reduces overall costs by saving space and simplifying assembly and production processes.

“Walter Pack’s processes can bring value to beauty, sports equipment, gaming, and even drones.”

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IFA Berlin goes well beyond home appliances and consumer electronics. In what other sectors can Walter Pack enter with its processes?

Beauty peripherals are a huge opportunity — facial care devices, electric brushes, UV-light glasses for wrinkles… There’s an endless variety of products with massive success in the market.

Sports equipment is another growing segment, especially as devices increasingly connect to smartphones for tracking activity and performance. These products rely on connectivity and usually feature large screens.

And then there are drones, which are commercially booming despite geopolitical tensions. Both leading brands and countless smaller manufacturers had a strong presence at IFA. I saw this market starting to take off in China a decade ago, and now it’s experiencing a full boom. Add gaming peripherals to the mix, and you have several highly attractive sectors.

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Which processes position Walter Pack to succeed in these sectors?

Primarily IME. For handheld devices, weight and size are crucial. Integrated electronics mean lighter, more compact products with better protection against moisture and impact.

In sports equipment, resistance is key — both to user-generated humidity and to routine cleaning. Drones and peripherals demand ultra-lightweight components. And in beauty and cosmetic devices, customers expect powerful but lightweight tools. IME fits all of these requirements perfectly.

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What role will cover lenses play in the electronics of the future?

It depends on the appliance. In small appliances, there’s a clear surge — coffee machines, blenders, toasters, mini cookers. For larger appliances, the trend is shifting more towards flat glass panels. But in small devices, cover lenses remain essential.

Has attending IFA Berlin reshaped Walter Pack’s sectoral focus?

It has certainly opened our eyes to new opportunities. Sports equipment was already on our radar, but we need to reinforce our presence there. Beauty devices, on the other hand, weren’t really considered attractive before, but now they’ve become mainstream. Treatments that once required a clinic or spa can now be done at home with affordable devices. That’s a real opportunity.

“Having end-to-end processes in-house is Walter Pack’s greatest value-add: it means competitive prices and exceptional quality.”

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How does Walter Pack’s fully integrated process chain — printing, decoration, thermoforming, cutting, and injection — contribute to competitiveness?

To me, this is Walter Pack’s biggest differentiator. Competitors often split their processes across multiple suppliers, which increases costs and complexity. For example, some buy decorative foils from us, mold elsewhere, and then ship the parts abroad for electronics integration, before finally returning them for housing and assembly. All these steps increase costs, delays, and carbon footprint.

By keeping everything in-house — and now adding IME to the mix — we ensure competitive pricing and outstanding product quality.

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Did IFA Berlin spark any new thoughts on how Walter Pack could improve its competitiveness?

Yes. After talking to several brands, I realized how little awareness manufacturers often have about the technologies behind their products. That’s why I believe we need to push harder to reach end customers directly, instead of producing through TIER 1 or TIER 2 suppliers. Intermediaries often cut corners to maximize their own margins, which undermines the true value of our work and reduces everything to a matter of price.

For example, we once bid on parts for a high-end coffee machine brand through a TIER 2 supplier. We didn’t win because the TIER 2 underbid us. Later, their product managers admitted they were facing major assembly problems due to poor-quality injection. They didn’t even know the parts weren’t produced by the supplier they had contracted.

This is why we need to get closer to the end customer: to showcase the true quality of what we offer and remain competitive without being filtered through third parties.

“We can be just as competitive — or even more so — than TIER 1 and TIER 2 suppliers, because they buy from us, assemble, and resell, while we do everything in-house.”