Published in RHF (Revue Hospitalière de France)
In a context reshaped by the health crisis, Oxy’Pharm has demonstrated its agility and resilience by increasing its productivity and supporting the French economy. Its Managing Director, Romain Rouleau, tells us more in this interview.
Oxy’Pharm is a specialist in bio-disinfection. Tell us more about your positioning and your added value.
Founded in 2003, our company is the result of a desire to fight against hospital-acquired infections while following an approach that is eco-responsible and 100% made in France. We manufacture and distribute machines and biodegradable products for automated airborne surface disinfection. Our processes leave no residue and therefore prevent bacteria and micro-organisms from developing resistance. Our products are formulated solely on the basis of hydrogen peroxide, and allow us to be a real player in the Green Tech sector. We are also present in 115 countries around the world, where we conduct 90% of our business. To strengthen this position, in November 2019 we acquired Sanivap, which has 25 years of experience in steam cleaning and disinfection in several sectors: health, community, food, industry, transport, etc. We are therefore a pure player in biodegradable cleaning and disinfection.
How do you see the disinfection sector in this context of growing demand?
As everyone was lacking the tools to fight the pandemic, there was a growing interest during the first lockdown in all disinfection solutions, especially those marketed as effective against COVID-19. With the 2nd lockdown, we found that people were doing more research before buying a disinfectant. This marked a shift from emergency management to more long-term management. Despite the growth in demand that has been beneficial to us, there has been opportunism on the part of some new players who have exploited this need to market unsuitable and ineffective products. This has led to a certain distrust towards disinfection solutions. To address this lack of confidence, we provide efficacy testing tools that scientifically verify how effective our processes are against bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores.
What organisation did you put in place to deal with these developments?
As our orders quadrupled, we decided to open a new production site with a surface area of 2,500 m², to increase our supply capacity and to recruit almost 30 people. By opting for a new organisation, we have managed to deliver our machines and their consumables in an efficient manner while avoiding stock shortages. In the continuity of this, we offer commercial support for all our customers, particularly for the installation of machines, the definition of disinfection protocols, etc.
To conclude, what are your prospects?
We are seeking to sustain this growth and optimise the allocation of our resources in order to maintain our position in France and on the international market. In order to achieve this goal, we need to strengthen our presence in sectors such as health, food and pharmaceuticals. In addition to these markets, we will benefit from promising new prospects in other sectors such as tourism, the hotel industry, transport, the entertainment world, etc.
Key figures:
- Created in 2003 in Champigny-sur-Marne
- A team of 50 employees.
- Fourfold growth in 2020.
- A 100% made in France ASD biodegradable range.
- Approximately 90% of the turnover is achieved through exports to 115 countries.