An integrated approach to quality and production

César Molina has been leading the NutraResearch production plant in Barberà del Vallès since January. He is committed to a unified vision of all processes and team management as keys to success.

César Molina, the plant director since last January, faces the challenge of managing the rapid growth of all activities at these facilities.

Having been linked for many years to the quality department in a pharmaceutical laboratory, he finds NutraResearch attractive as a place that maintains the same quality standards as the pharmaceutical world, while focusing on the dietary supplements sector, it leads a significant innovation process in this field.

He recalls that initially, when he got to know NutraResearch internally, he was surprised. “When I went down to the production plant, the facilities struck me. You can immediately see the pharmaceutical spirit behind it,” he shares. NutraResearch “is the link that connects food and pharma. We have the best of both worlds, and this leads to great opportunities to do very interesting things,” he acknowledges.

Managing Growth
These opportunities have led the company to exponential growth that “must be well managed to not die of success,” considers the plant director. In three years, NutraResearch has gone from being a small company to operating three shifts and having more than a hundred workers. “Professionalizing all activities, transforming roles according to the company’s growth, is one of the main tasks. It’s like changing the car’s wheel while it’s moving,” Molina explains graphically.
His formula is clear: “we empower the young, leveraging all the know-how of the more experienced staff, so they grow with us, our values, and our culture,” he values.

Under his command are the areas of production, maintenance, purchasing, logistics, and quality. “I have always experienced the quality process separate from production. They are two worlds that in many companies do not communicate but are actually fully linked. The goal at NutraResearch is to generate the necessary synergy among all departments so that they function with the sole objective of providing the market with high-value products for the consumer,” he reflects. His position now allows him to optimize all operations to ensure the best results.

Autonomous Team
However, he considers that while “technological issues are easier to address,” the real challenge lies in people management. Already leading teams in previous responsibilities, his curiosity has driven him to train in leadership and team management. “A good leader is one who, if absent one day, everything goes well. The execution falls on the team and it must be empowered to function autonomously,” he believes.

The production plant director is aware that he leads a “demanding” task due to its intense pace. However, for him, “helping to grow this project is enriching,” as it represents a unique opportunity to innovate and make a significant difference in the industry.