We’re starting 2026 with important news: Iñaki Estancona, who has built a solid track record within CMI Durango, has taken on the role of our new Managing Director. To mark this new beginning, we sat down with him to talk about this moment, the journey so far, and the challenges ahead.
We’re entering a new chapter at CMI Durango. How are you experiencing this moment, and what excites you most about your new role?
Honestly, I’m stepping into it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Taking on this responsibility is a significant challenge, but also an opportunity to keep building on what we’ve been creating together as a team for years. What excites me most is being able to work from a more global perspective—supporting the different areas and helping align everything we do toward a shared direction.
You’ve been part of the team for years and you know both the product and the people very well. What do you think makes us different as a company?
I’d say it’s the combination of two things: on the one hand, the technical expertise within the team; and on the other, the close, collaborative way we work with each customer. We don’t manufacture standard machines—we develop solutions designed for real processes. We get deeply involved in every project because we understand that a plant’s success depends on how that machine performs within its specific context.
At CMI we often talk about bespoke engineering, closeness, commitment… How do you see the way we do things?
I think it’s one of our greatest strengths. We don’t sell a machine and disappear—we support our customers from the very beginning through commissioning, and often throughout the entire service life of the equipment. We’re flexible, practical, and realistic. That’s something the industry values highly.
We’re growing beyond the Basque Country, reaching more countries and working with new partners. How do you see this international momentum?
I see it as a natural outcome of all the work we’ve been doing. We have a strong, competitive product and a way of working that fits very well with companies abroad. This year, for example, we’re strengthening our distributor network and closing very interesting collaborations that will allow us to keep expanding.
We’re also pushing hard on digitalization and sustainability. What challenges do you think we face in 2026?
Many—but also many opportunities. Digitalization will continue to set the pace, not only in terms of products, but also across processes and services. And sustainability isn’t an option—it’s a necessity, both from an environmental perspective and in terms of operational efficiency. That’s why we’re also strongly committed to industrial retrofitting, which helps extend the service life of machines and adapt them to new requirements.
And to wrap up, if you had to sum up in one sentence where we want to go as a team, what would it be?
We want to keep driving bespoke engineering that is close to our customers and focused on delivering solutions that combine advanced technology with a distinctive approach—ensuring precision, robustness, and sustainability.
Thank you, Iñaki.
We keep moving forward—new challenges, the same commitment… and the same drive to keep building.