We spoke with Ricardo Roca, General Manager of Packaging Color Manufacturing (PCM), to learn more about the journey of a family-owned company that has successfully evolved alongside the changing needs of the cosmetics and fragrance industry.
In this interview, he shares how the role of packaging has transformed over the years, the value PCM brings as an industrial partner to brands, and the key challenges shaping the future of decorated packaging. A conversation about innovation, manufacturing processes, sustainability, and the ability of packaging to communicate far more than just a product.
Name, Position and Company
Ricardo Roca, General Manager at Packaging Color Manufacturing (PCM).
Tell us about the company you work for. What is its story?
Our origins date back to a small family workshop primarily dedicated to industrial powder coating. Over time, we identified a growing demand within the packaging industry, particularly in cosmetics and perfumery, where packaging was becoming increasingly important as part of a brand’s identity.
From there, we naturally evolved into the field of packaging decoration, incorporating new techniques such as screen printing and hot stamping.
Today, more than 50 years later, we remain a family-owned business. The company is currently led by the second generation, with the third generation already actively involved. Throughout this journey, we have maintained a strong commitment to technological innovation, sustainability in industrial processes, and providing technical support to our customers.
Our goal remains the same: to help brands transform their packaging into elements that not only contain a product but also communicate, differentiate, and create value.
What does your day-to-day role involve?
My day-to-day work combines several areas of responsibility. On one hand, I focus on strategy, analyzing how the industry is evolving and how our company should adapt to continue delivering value to our customers.
On the other hand, a significant part of my role involves coordinating our technical, commercial, and production teams. In an industrial company like ours, ensuring that everyone is aligned is essential.
What makes your company different?
Our main differentiator is that we do not see ourselves simply as packaging decoration suppliers, but as an industrial partner to our customers.
We support brands from the technical definition of their packaging decoration through to full-scale production, helping them transform an initial creative concept into a sustainable and industrially viable solution.
We combine three key strengths: technical expertise, manufacturing capability, and aesthetic sensitivity. This enables us to develop premium-quality projects while ensuring the consistency, repeatability, and efficiency required for medium- and large-scale production.
What challenges do you think you will face over the coming years?
The decorated packaging industry is undergoing significant transformation. On the one hand, brands are demanding greater visual differentiation, as packaging has become a key tool for market positioning.
At the same time, expectations regarding sustainability, traceability, and manufacturing efficiency continue to increase.
For companies like ours, the challenge is to successfully combine visual impact, industrial feasibility, and sustainability. In other words, helping brands create packaging that is both attractive and capable of performing efficiently in large-scale production.
What does being part of the Beauty Cluster bring to your company and to you as a professional?
Being part of the Beauty Cluster is a valuable opportunity to stay closely connected to the industry’s ecosystem.
It allows us to engage with brands, laboratories, manufacturers, and other stakeholders across the packaging and cosmetics value chain. These environments encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation.
For us, this is especially valuable because decorated packaging sits at the intersection of design, branding, and industrial production, and the Cluster provides the ideal platform to foster dialogue between these disciplines.
Returning to you, how did you enter the beauty industry?
In my case, it began when we shifted the company’s focus and specialized in decorating packaging for the cosmetics and fragrance industries.
Over time, I came to understand that every package represents much more than a physical object. Behind it lies brand strategy, perceived value, and complex technical decision-making.
The beauty industry is unique because packaging is an integral part of the product experience. That means our work has a direct impact on how a brand presents itself to the world.
Speaking of “beauty,” how would you define it?
For me, beauty is closely linked to authenticity—to the things that are attractive because they convey something genuine.
I also believe beauty is deeply connected to the emotions it evokes. It is something that captures your attention and leaves a lasting impression.
Very often, beauty lies in the details, in simplicity, or in the harmony between different elements. When something is thoughtfully designed and well executed, people naturally recognize it without the need for explanation.
Do you have any hobbies, hidden talents, or passions you’d like to share?
One of the things I enjoy most is running along the beach and spending time in nature.
It’s a way for me to disconnect from work while reconnecting with myself—something that can be difficult to achieve when you’re constantly busy.
Being outdoors, running, or simply walking by the sea helps me clear my mind. I believe these moments of disconnection are essential for maintaining a healthy balance.
What’s the last book you’ve read or film you’ve watched?
One of the latest books I’ve read is Why Does Soup Get Cold? by Santiago Pumarola.
I found it particularly interesting because it reflects on how, throughout life, we often find ourselves torn between following our own path and fulfilling the expectations others place upon us.
I also had the opportunity to meet the author personally, which gives the book special meaning for me. When you know the person behind those reflections, you gain a deeper understanding of the perspective from which they were written.
Business is based on…
For me, business is built on trust.
This is especially true in industrial sectors like ours, where projects involve significant investment, planning, and large-scale production. When a customer trusts you to decorate their packaging, they are also trusting that the entire process will be executed flawlessly.
That is why we believe the foundation of every strong business relationship is transparency, reliability, and a long-term commitment.
