"Covid-19: Our focus on the pharmaceutical industry helped us achieve record sales".

1. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, La Silesia was able to produce large quantities of dry ice for the pharmaceutical industry. What is the situation with competitors in Colombia, and how have you managed to position yourselves? 

Due to the lockdown, we had a very difficult month in March, as our customers were almost exclusively in the food industry. It was clear to us that we needed to expand our target customer base in order to continue selling dry ice. We therefore focused on the pharmaceutical industry, which would undoubtedly be the leading sector in terms of dry ice consumption in the coming months. Colombia faces a difficult challenge in terms of road transport due to a lack of infrastructure and geographical complexity. This makes dry ice the most suitable option for maintaining cold chain requirements in un refrigerated lorries over a long period of time. We therefore directed our efforts towards this sector, as we knew that a massive number of COVID-19 tests would be required, and these could only be processed in major cities.

We were able to position ourselves effectively primarily because we focused on the availability of dry ice; a key factor for laboratories and pharmaceutical companies. Given the shortage of dry ice producers, we knew that the ability to supply dry ice around the clock would give us an advantage over our competitors. Our ASCO A120P dry ice pelletisers enabled us to successfully implement this strategy.

2. How much dry ice does the ASCO A120P pelletiser produce per week, and what is your forecast regarding production capacity over the coming months?

It is still uncertain how the market will develop, so we are being extremely cautious when determining an exact figure for production capacity planning. In fact, we recently ordered a new pelletiser, but not based on current consumption figures – which we regard as temporary – but rather on the basis of our strategic planning, which includes dry ice blasting as an extension of the dry ice business.

3. COVID-19 aside – what are your plans and projects for the coming year?

As I mentioned earlier, we see a huge opportunity in dry ice blasting in the short term. Regulations in the food industry requiring companies to clean thoroughly whilst using less water are definitely an opportunity we must not miss. Not to mention the large number of companies in our region operating in the plastics industry, foundries, energy generation and other sectors linked to dry ice blasting.

Furthermore, we are working on a project in logistics that will have many applications, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The COVID-19 vaccination programme will pose a major challenge for this industry due to the extreme demands placed on the cold chain. We intend to offer a comprehensive solution based on dry ice to assist logistics companies, laboratories and even the government in the effective distribution of the vaccine. In South America, transport infrastructure is generally concentrated in major cities, so it will be crucial to find ways to ensure the availability of vaccines across the country, particularly for isolated communities. This is not merely a commercial initiative, but also an effort to help during the COVID-19 crisis, which will benefit us and the economy in general.

4. What are the most common applications of dry ice in Colombia? What is the dry ice market generally like in Colombia?

The food and pharmaceutical industries stand out from the rest. However, we have done significant work to diversify our market. We have identified significant opportunities in areas such as medical cannabis, supercritical fluids using solid CO₂, and metalworking via cryogenic contraction. Dry ice has huge potential in a country like Colombia, but we still have a major task ahead of us in educating consumers so that all our existing projects can be realised.

5. Please give us a brief introduction to La Silesia!

We are a Colombian company founded in 2018 by three entrepreneurs. Our company was conceived around three core pillars: data, technology and environmental sustainability. We are committed to innovating responsibly and creating new business opportunities.

Right from the start, we found a trustworthy partner who has supported us every step of the way. ASCO technology was definitely one of the best decisions we have made. Reliability and good service have been crucial to our development. We look forward to a long and successful business relationship with ASCO for many years to come.