The professionals at Silac AG are experts in their field: they develop and construct innovative packaging techniques, closures and tools of the highest precision from plastic. We spoke to Managing Director Peter Birchler about online marketing, Switzerland as a business location and the current discussion around plastics.
Peter Birchler, CEO from Silac AG
Mr Birchler, what is your area of specialisation?
Silac AG is active in the field of plastic injection moulding.
Our focus is on closure solutions, multi-component (2K) applications and precise technical parts made of thermoplastics and thermosets. With our very modern production facilities, we can also creatively implement and realise unusual customer requests. We’re always looking for the perfect solution and are happy to advise our customers individually.
Your production facilities are in Switzerland...
Yes. And that fact sometimes results in negative preconceptions on the part of customers: many of them fear that our location alone will render our services very expensive. Of course, that’s not really true – if you look at the total cost of ownership (TCO), we’re actually doing very well. And our performance includes not only consistent quality and technical precision, but also advice, logistics and delivery reliability.
When did Silac AG come into being?
As a local employer, we have now been active in the industry since 1942. We are a family business and are constantly growing – most recently with our new extension in Euthal. Over time, you naturally acquire a lot of knowledge and experience.
Today, plastic has the worst possible image. How do you deal with the current discussion surrounding it?
The plastics industry as a whole currently has to fight hard against this image. It is often overlooked that plastic packaging protects goods, ensures a high standard of hygiene and, for example in the food sector, also makes a valuable contribution to combating food waste. The ecological score of plastic is even better than that of other materials such as glass, cardboard or aluminium.
The coronavirus crisis clearly shows how indispensable plastic is in the field of healthcare (containers for vaccinations, medicines, closures, etc.).
In addition, our plastic products in the tool sector are of course deliberately intended for long-term use. This is another way we can set a counter-example against a society that produces immense waste – high-quality materials simply need to be replaced less often.
Speaking of waste: what is your own attitude to sustainability in your company?
First of all, we are ISO 14001 certified and thus meet the international standards for environmental management. We handle production waste responsibly and generally avoid waste as much as possible. The recycling of plastics is of course a major topic for us – there will certainly be exciting developments in this area in the future.
Why did you choose Visable and “Wer liefert was”?
The internet is indispensable for our sales; it is often the first point of contact with the customer: that is why we decided in 2007 to have a presence on “Wer liefert was”. In recent years, online marketing has become more and more important, and Visable offers excellent consulting services in this area. In addition, we have also been using Google Ads from the Visable Online Marketing Services portfolio for some time.
How does Google Ads help your sales team?
Most users find the search tool via Google and then come across our company via “Wer liefert was” listings. Our Google rankings are also quite good – we’re satisfied with them.
What’s your most important marketing project at the moment?
At the moment, we are concentrating strongly on the area of personnel marketing.
Mr Birchler, thank you so much for talking to us.
