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• The Galician Association of Moldmakers, Toolmakers, and Related Industries (Agmma) brings together about twenty companies that generate five hundred jobs and have a turnover of 50 million euros. Agmma celebrates its 20th anniversary this year defending a sector "key in the manufacturing of almost any product," says its president Carlos Alves, manager of the firm Demsu, located in Mos.

• What importance do mold and die companies have in the value chain of the manufacturing industry?

• Molds and dies are tools from which practically all plastic and metal parts used by industries such as automotive, appliances, packaging, or toys come out. Our sector is very important globally; without it, almost nothing could be manufactured.

• What work forecasts do you have for this year?

• We depend a lot on countries like China, and last year, as it was closed, most of the projects stayed in Europe, causing the Spanish and Portuguese markets to collapse, and part of the work we have now is part of contracts we made last year. Now that China has reopened its doors, the second quarter is expected to be somewhat low, but we hope to return to normality in the second half.

• How does the increase in raw material prices and energy costs affect you?

• The crisis hit us hard first with the factory shutdowns due to the pandemic. There we were forced to implement temporary layoffs to maintain employment since our workers are the most important resource we have. When things improved, the conflict in Ukraine occurred, along with the rise in raw materials and energy costs, and since we work with already closed budgets, we cannot pass these costs on to the customer, so the extra costs go directly to the companies' operating accounts.

• Is there a shortage of qualified labor in this sector?

• It's a chronic issue, always has been. I don't know of any formal education or training in the molds sector. We have to train the people who work with us. From the first day they enter until they can be considered professionals, it takes about five years on average. And that's in the best-case scenario.

• Do you need more workers?

• Yes, but now there's an added problem, which is that we used to rely on people coming out of vocational training schools, and every year there are fewer. That's a serious problem we face.

• Is it a sector that guarantees a steady workload?
• There's stability. Our staff is one hundred percent permanent.

• How many workers do you need?
• There's demand; people retire, there are leaves of absence, and we need to replenish personnel, but it's difficult.
• What sectors do you work for?
• Ninety percent is automotive, which requires a lot of tooling. Sectors like toys and appliances have gone to China for their productions.
• The automotive industry has been heavily affected by the microchip crisis for years. Does this affect you?
• We work two years before the vehicle comes out, so it doesn't directly influence us. But if cars aren't selling, of course, it affects us.

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