In a recent interview on CNBC’s “The Exchange,” Stephen Tanda, CEO of Aptar, provided a detailed outlook on the market for the company’s innovative pump and dispensing devices. Following a robust first quarter driven by increased demand from obesity drug manufacturers, Tanda expressed optimism about continued strong performance throughout the year, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector.

Shares of Aptar Group were up by 2%, a notable recovery aided by easing supply chain constraints that had previously hindered the company’s operations. “We used to have this supply chain bottleneck. That’s no longer happening,” Tanda stated, emphasizing the recovery and adaptation of the business. “Beauty has been a pretty strong segment overall. How much does pump and dispensing innovation factor into that? Considerably,” he added.

Discussing the technological sophistication behind Aptar’s products, Tanda shed light on the company’s high-tech manufacturing processes. “These are really high-tech products, assembled at high speeds—600, a thousand parts per minute. More and more [products are] sustainable and fashioned so they can be thrown away in the recycling bin and easily recycled,” Tanda explained. He highlighted the company’s response to consumer demands for innovation, particularly in sustainability.

“Our customer is driven by the consumer who demands innovation,” Tanda noted, elaborating on Aptar’s role in transforming everyday products with their dispensing solutions. “We were the ones that enabled it—sit-down sour cream and most recently dish soap—and the same in the pharma space, making drug delivery possible and pain reduction or antidepressants, and unfortunately, also Narcan.”

When asked how Aptar’s products compete with traditional drug delivery methods, Tanda illustrated the benefits of their technology. “Do you want to inject yourself with an EpiPen, or do you want just a nasal spray to take care of that? It’s a much more consumer-friendly way of administering drugs,” he asserted. This innovation allows pharmaceutical companies to extend the lifecycle of drugs that previously required injections, offering them through more user-friendly nasal sprays.

Tanda also touched on the resilience of Aptar’s market demand in the face of economic fluctuations. “When you think about a normal recession—if there’s such a thing—it really doesn’t scare us. People continue their daily routines, and clearly, COVID wasn’t the normal recession. But with COVID behind us, we are back to executing very well.”

Looking forward, Tanda discussed Aptar’s strategic global positioning and expansion. “We are actually a very global company. We’ve been around 30 years and 70% of our business is outside of the U.S.,” he said. He highlighted recent board activities and added, “The board was just in China for a week. So, we have a global company, and geographic growth is an important driver for us, especially in pharma and also in beauty and the food markets.”

Stephen Tanda’s insights underscore a clear vision for Aptar’s future, which is marked by technological innovation, strategic global expansion, and an enduring commitment to meeting consumer needs despite broader economic challenges.