Interview to: Alfredo Radice (CEO Gale & Cosm) for Kosmetica
A new product with antioxidant and lightening properties derived from the upcycling processes of the highly appreciated blonde drink is destined to enrich the offering portfolio of a famous active distributor, this year now recognized as a national excellence.
by Roberto Carminati (Journalist)
The input of the scholar and essayist Gianni Proserpio was decisive over twenty years ago for the birth of the Milanese distributor of assets and raw materials for the cosmetics industry Gale & Cosm. The skills acquired during his entrepreneurial career were instead decisive in allowing the company to achieve increasingly ambitious and important goals. The most recent is represented by the mention in the 2023-2024 list of Italian Excellences drawn up by the Ministry for Economic Development; and from here the interview with the sole director Alfredo Radice began.
What does the recognition mean for Gale & Cosm and what impulses can it give to your business?
Being recognized as excellence at an institutional level is an incredible honor and a great satisfaction for us. After many years of activity, it certainly represents an important prize for us who operate both in Italy and, above all, abroad, where Made in Italy has always been synonymous with high quality. We expect that this certification will give full testimony to the excellent work we try to carry out towards partners and distributors worldwide and that this will lead to further strengthening the relationship of trust with collaborators and customers. This allows us to position ourselves distinctly in the market compared to our competitors.
How did you approach 2024 and what do you think are the main challenges to face now?
2023 was a year of significant growth for us and was a harbinger of considerable satisfaction. For this reason we entered 2024 with the expectation of improving ourselves even more both from the point of view of company expansion and from a strictly qualitative point of view. One of the most important challenges that the cosmetic world presents to us today is certainly given by sustainability, naturalness and attention to the origin of the products. For this reason we focus heavily on our all-Italian savoir-faire and on increasingly green and innovative solutions. Fortunately, our investments have been following this direction for some time, giving us solid expertise on the topic.
The work of Marcello Radice and the entire company team was essential in supporting these initiatives.
What new features characterize your participation in the main trade fair events of the year?
Our Research and Development department never stops and is constantly focused on new green, sustainable solutions completely aligned with market trends.
Therefore, this year too, and in particular on the occasion of the In-Cosmetics Global fair, the launch of a new raw material has been planned, the result of over a year of study and hard work. Thanks to the precious collaboration with the University of Pavia, we will present a product with antioxidant and lightening functions, derived from the upcycling of beer. The anti-waste idea behind its creation can only be the fundamental objective for anyone operating in the sector today.
Will the changes also affect the organization and strategies of your company?
located in Umbria, which complements the one already integrated in our operational offices. The new laboratory is called SALT and the person responsible is our Scientific Director, Doctor Guido Bregaglio. One of the goals we have set ourselves for the imminent future is the strengthening of the direct relationship with customers, who can count on us for all needs relating to technical and formulation support for specific training courses on the use of our products. The new laboratory in Borgo Trevi is intended to support R&D activity and therefore act as spokesperson for all the planned sustainability and naturalness targets, while at the same time focusing studies on new green raw materials.
When certification rhymes with exportation
Gale & Cosm has its registered office in Milan and its operational headquarters in Bollate (in the hinterland) where there is also a customer support laboratory. Another laboratory, which hosts refresher courses and research, has been opened in Borgo Trevi in the province of Perugia, while the plant for the production of certified organic snail slime is located in Tuscany. There are three warehouses: in Bollate, Lainate and Garbagnate Milanese. The company is expanding the range of Vegan, Cosmos and Halal certified raw materials, with the intention of consolidating its presence also on the international scene. To stay abreast of regulatory developments and industry news, it collaborates with research bodies and universities and is associated with acronyms such as Cosmetica Italia, Cosmopolo, SICC (Italian Society of Chemistry and Cosmetological Sciences) and AssICC, the Italian Chemical Trade Association.
OUR NUMBERS
8 million euros: the annual revenue for 2023
+15%: the annual growth of the last three years
16: the members of the operative team, 12 of which are internal