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"When you step into the shoes of a CEO - suddenly everything is up to you. The whole system depends on you and all employees look at you: the decisions, the achievements, the successes and also the failures. You understand that you have a lot of weight on you, a lot of families who need to end the month with dignity - and this is in a shaky reality of a pandemic, changing foreign exchange rates, budgetary changes and more. It's a big challenge. Still, there's nothing like getting up in the morning and knowing that you're going to work with the added value, one that saves lives. It keeps you motivated on good days and on rough days as well," states Amichai Glattstein, CEO of IDenta, a company that specializes in the production of testing kits for the detection of drugs and explosives.
Glattstein grew up within the company, which was a kind of family business. His father, who was the Israel Police Research and Development Officer in the field of chemistry, established IDenta together with a partner who managed it for about two decades. With the retirement of the previous CEO, Glattstein stepped into his shoes after having held several management positions in the company over the previous decade. Since then, he has made significant changes, making the company profitable after many years of struggling financially. He currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area, where the company's headquarters is located.
- What important moves have you made in the past year?
"Until recently, the company's products were intended solely for the government (police-military) market. In 2022, we changed strategy and started selling in the civil-retail market under the 'Touch&Know' brand. We concentrated on the market segment of concerned citizens and the home testing market, which gained significant momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also the year we opened the American office, after a long period of having our office located only in Israel. With the opening of our American office, we were able to start significant activity in the US market, in addition to our already significant activities in the European and Asian markets. We have expanded our product portfolio from a single line of products to many dozens. We have developed and registered a number of technological patents around the company's products and listed the company to be on the OTCQB Exchange, which is traded in the United States."
- How is your field of activity relevant to the civilian market?
"As a result of the serious drug problem in the U.S., civilian customers are also interested in our test kits. Last year, more than 100,000 people died in the country from overdoses, especially from the dangerous drug fentanyl. We decided that the civil/retail public also would benefit from buying the same kits that the government institutions purchases. I'm sure that's how we've saved many lives in the U.S. with our home drug tests. Concerned parents can identify their children's drug use and thus address the problem discreetly at home, without immediate outside intervention."
"We will always take responsibility, even when it comes to something that is not necessarily related to us"
Despite IDenta's strong international activity, it is careful to function as an Israeli company, producing all its products in Jerusalem and marketing the company with Israel's blue and white colors. It also employs people with disabilities, pensioners, ultra-religious, and new immigrants. "Even with all the costs and challenges surrounding it - this is something that is important to us, it is our contribution to Israeli society and we are proud to do so," says Glattstein.
- What have been the main challenges your industry has experienced in the past year and how have you dealt with them?
"The biggest challenge in the past year was the fall of currency rates against the Israeli Shekel. Because most of our receipts are in foreign currencies and most of the expenses are in Shekels, we suffered greatly from this. In addition, the price of raw materials has increased dramatically. We coped with the help of shekel loans from local banks and saving foreign currency for future use. Unfortunately, we also had to raise the prices of products. In a competitive market, such an action is not welcome, but we had no choice."
- What are your guidelines in routine and crisis management?
"In my routine, I make sure to remain optimistic, smile and try to open up multiple possibilities at the same time. In the world of production there are countless crises of various magnitudes on a daily basis: malfunction of production machines, problems with the supply of raw materials and transportation, defective products and also problems with customers. When it comes to the latter - the most important thing is to always give the customer the feeling that he is right and that we will do everything to satisfy him. We will always take responsibility, even when it comes to something that is not necessarily related to us. A crisis must not be ignored. It is important to recognize it, to understand it and to solve it together with the relevant parties. It is important to work rationally and find the right people to help resolve it. The nature of human beings is to help and support, certainly in the world of industry, which is a kind of broad family of people who want the best for you and your success - because your success is also their success."
IDenta Products
- Drug Identification Kit: A kit that identifies 30 types of drugs serving both government users and retail customers, as well as educational institutions and families. Beyond the functionality in the kit, it also conveys to parents that the school is aware of the problem of drugs, fights it, and understands that it is necessary to address the issue. In families raising adolescents, the assessment can be used to identify the problem discreetly and to treat it internally without external intervention. In addition, it also conveys to the adolescent children that the parents are aware of the danger and thus serve as "see and be seen".
- Explosives Detection Kit: One kit that can detect 21 different explosives. The kit identifies explosives by producing an immediate color change. In this way, the security officer has real-time certainty about any suspicious material and the degree of danger in it. These kits, which are widely used in many airports, airlines, and militaries around the world, help increase security and literally save lives.
"The combination of these two kits provides security personal with the ability to identify over 95% of all the suspicious materials circulating in the world. This is a unique solution offered by our company that covers a huge variety of materials," says Glattstein. "Therefore, my vision is that every security professional in the world will be equipped with IDenta products as an integral part of a comprehensive security solution in the field. At the same time, I aspire that in every school and in every home in the world where there are adolescents, there will also be our drug detection kit, which will make it possible to keep children safe and secure."
Details:
Amichai Glattstein – CEO, IDenta
Age: 41
Marital Status: Married with 4 Children.
Place of Residence: Formerly: Jerusalem. Currently: Washington, D.C. area, USA.
Education: B.A., Logistics and Economics.
Past Positions: Production Manager, Chief Operating Officer.
Hobbies: Soccer, Basketball, Skiing, Singing.
Leading Motto: Don't postpone anything for tomorrow.
A personal dream that wants to come true: Learn to play the piano.
Government Site: www.identa-corp.com
Consumer Site: www.touch-know.com
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