Interview with Jorge Todolí, Managing Director of Luiso
Connected to the plastics processing industry since 1965 — he was the founder of Italprensas Sandretto SA — the family-owned group of companies comprising Luiso, Haitian Ibérica, Baurtek and Pneulec has undergone constant evolution to reach its current position as an engineering company specialising in turnkey solutions, distribution, representation and technical support for the leading brands in the sector in Spain. Throughout this journey, the company has successfully adapted to the pace of an increasingly technological, automated and sustainability-focused industry. Once again, the company is supporting the organisation of Equiplast — whose organising committee Jorge Todolí, Managing Director of Luiso, has been part of since its inception — where it will participate as a Global Partner.
What have been the main strategic challenges Luiso has faced in recent years, and how have you overcome them?
Anticipating what the new industrial scenarios would look like and understanding where energy trends were heading has been fundamental in our decision-making process. Although, of course, luck has also played a part in the outcome.
On the other hand, building strong teams and ensuring generational succession has been essential. We already had to address this some time ago, and we brought together people from different generations with specialised engineering backgrounds, alongside our partnerships with educational and training institutions across the country, which allow us to introduce trainees and develop future technical professionals.
What sets Luiso apart from its competitors in today’s market?
Working with leading companies across different industrial sectors forces you to evolve and adapt to their demands. Ultimately, it is all an exchange. The client always helps you grow, and their requirements push you to improve.
We have been very fortunate with the suppliers we have historically selected, and we have also made the right choices when replacing others. Maintaining this constant renewal, both in terms of our team and the brands we distribute, has been crucial.
What really makes the difference is the financial capacity to support certain operations and back the customer, and above all, having independence from the directives that may be imposed by a multinational corporation.
How is the company approaching digital transformation and innovation in its processes?
We have been part of Industry 4.0 for several years now, with automation systems and robotics fully implemented. We work with information flows from different machines into software platforms that not only manage the data but also analyse and adjust processes. In the current landscape, AI represents a new field in process management, enabling us to automatically correct certain parameters such as rising energy consumption, material management, and more.
Internally, we use a range of programmes that help us respond more quickly to customer needs. Technical support management is particularly critical because when a machine or any peripheral equipment affecting production stops, it becomes a major issue for the manufacturer. Being well organised and efficiently managed is therefore essential.
In a context of growing concern about sustainability, how is your approach to plastics processing evolving towards more recyclable or circular solutions?
I believe it is essential for the recycled plastics industry in Spain and across Europe to continue evolving and developing a strong infrastructure, so that the raw material we can obtain through effective plastic waste management can be recovered and put to good use. This way, we will not depend exclusively on energy sources and oil.
In this regard, Luiso has been working for the past couple of years with Amut Ecotech, one of the pioneering and most recognised brands in recycling, precisely because it offers comprehensive solutions and allows us to gradually position ourselves within that sector.
At the same time, it is important to highlight that plastics processing has significantly improved production processes, and we are now achieving extremely high standards in precision, automation, energy consumption and product traceability measurements.
Plastics processing is probably the area that has undergone the greatest revolution within industrial processes because, being involved in virtually every sector, it has benefited from the evolution of all of them.
What role is Luiso playing in the current climate of change?
We must provide customers with the information they need to continue evolving. We offer the best products and brands, giving them access to the tools currently being used at the highest level worldwide.
What does participating in Equiplast mean for the company, and what objectives have you set for this edition?
We have been part of the exhibition committee since the very beginning of the trade fair. Being part of Equiplast is a tradition for us, especially because it gives us the opportunity to welcome customers as if they were guests in our own home. That is why we will have a stand covering more than 500 m². Personally, I enjoy it because I like sales, interaction and exchange, and the team working with me feels the same way.
The essential value of a trade fair is that customers can compare solutions in person and visitors can see the people behind your company. In our case, it is also an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to assemble and commission a small factory within three or four days, showcasing the latest innovations from the brands we represent.
Why should professionals from the plastics industry visit Equiplast 2026?
It is the most important trade fair for the sector in Spain, allowing visitors to have everything at hand, see it, touch it and make comparisons just in time. Almost all company information can now be found online, and you can speak with customers and suppliers via video conference… but at Equiplast you can truly see a company’s strength, its responsiveness and the products it is bringing to the market.
This edition will feature some very interesting new developments, such as the evolution of the Rethinking Plastic space, which will include a conference programme focused on sustainability as its central theme.
Just as watching a football match in the stadium is not the same as watching it on television, attending a trade fair allows you to experience the atmosphere first-hand. You step outside your usual environment and gain a sense of the industry’s overall mood. Moreover, the current climate of uncertainty makes attending Equiplast and exchanging views on what is happening even more necessary. Ultimately, it is about taking a moment to pause and scan the horizon.
