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drymix.info Newsletter 206/2018; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 22. March 2018

1. admmc six, Chicago, IL, USA, April 26, 2018: drymix.info Club on April 25, 2018
2. MEDMA Invites to its Annual General Meeting on Monday, 7. May 2018 in Dubai
3. The 2nd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting, 21.8.18, Intercontinental Hotel, Medellín, Colombia
4. MEDMA Initiates Series of Contractor/Consultant Workshops in 2018 and 2019
5. SEADMA Vietnam Kick-off Meeting in July 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City
6. HeidelbergCement Sells its Stake in Lehigh White Cement to Aalborg and Cemex
7. Brenntag Acquires Distributors ConQuímica and SurtiQuímicos in Colombia
8. Kolb Completes Takeover of Elementis Specialties Nederland
9. Argos Cement Expands Capacity in Honduras

1. admmc six, Chicago, IL, USA, April 26, 2018: drymix.info Club on April 25, 2018

Registrations are running strong for the 6th American Drymix Mortar Conference and Industry Showcase admmc six in Chicago, IL, USA on April 26, 2018. Due to the vivid interest we might have a record attendance (thanks a lot!). Please note that we have a room block at Hyatt Regency Hotel McCormick Place (from 259 US$ + Tax, no breakfast included), and there are a few rooms left. We close this block on April 2, 2018 (for details: please enquire with us).

We are happy to announce that there will be a drymix.info club event (= Delegate Welcome and Pre-Registration) on the evening before our conference at Hyatt Regency Hotel McCormick Place, this casual get-together is being sponsored by Cementos Molins and drymix.info (additional sponsors welcome!), so if you have already arrived, please join us in the Hotel Lobby from 6 pm to 8 pm for cocktails & snacks. Also, please use the chance to pre-register and save us some trouble the next day in the morning ;-).

To register, please use our website if you can (Visa or Mastercard required). Admission per person is 350 Euro, reduced to 270 Euro for drymix.info members. Drymix mortar producers pay only 150 Euro per person.

2. MEDMA Invites to its Annual General Meeting on Monday, 7. May 2018 in Dubai

The Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA e.V. invites all members and partners to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 7. May 2018, 16:00 at Wacker Academy in Dubai Silicon Oasis (thanks a ot for the support, Wacker Chemie!). The Executive Committee will review 2017 during this events as well as present its outlook into 2019 and 2020 to the members. A financial report will be given and a schedule of events and workgroups will be presented (see also item 4 below). Sponsoring support by the supplying industry is welcome.

The AGM is free of charge for members and partners (max. 2 persons per member/partner, additional delegates from mortar manufacturers pay 150 € per person), industry observers pay 350 Euro (reduced for members of drymix.info, MEDMA or SEADMA to 270 Euro per person). Pre-registration is absolutely mandatory by e-mail to info@drymix.info.

3. The 2nd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting, 21.8.18, Intercontinental Hotel, Medellín, Colombia

The 2nd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting takes place on Tuesday, 21. August 2018 - right before Expo Camacol - at Intercontinental Hotel, Medellín, Colombia. Our Call for Papers has recently expired, we will publish the lecturing program in our next Newsletter. Colombia has enjoyed robust and continuous growth since the turn of the century, the building activity is continuing strongly in 2018. The 2nd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting gives drymix mortar experts the ideal occasion to meet, chat, network and grasp future trends for our industry. Sponsors are still welcome!

Admission to the 2nd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting is 350 Euro, reduced to 270 Euro for members of drymix.info. Mortar Manufacturers pay only 150 Euro. Online registration (visa or Mastercard required) is available on www.drymix.info. Special rebates are available for delegates of drymix mortar producers flying in from other Central American Nations, please enquire with us!

4. MEDMA Initiates Series of Contractor/Consultant Workshops in 2018 and 2019

The Executive Committee of The Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA e.V. (MEDMA EC) has decided in its meeting last Sunday to start a series of application-oriented workshops, to which MEDMA members are entitled to invite contractors and consultants. Although drymix mortar technology is quite well-known in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the products offered in the markets are mostly inferior in quality and do not conform with standards (e.g. ISO 13007 for tile adhesives in all GCC countries and EN-998-1 ff for renders and plasters in KSA). This lack of performance, combined with the absence of trained installers leads to many product failures and increased maintenance right after completion throughout the entire region. MEDMA and its members will address this situation by offering special application specific half-day meetings with construction experts, during which advice on specifying products as well as assessing installation quality wil be given to the target audience. The preliminary schedule has been fixed as follows:
7. May 2018, 14:00, Wacker Academy Dubai Silicon Oasis (members only): Kick-Off Meeting to determine the contents and member support.
20. September 2018, 10:00 to 14:00 (location tbd.): First MEDMA Contractor/Consultant Workshop with Focus on Construction Adhesives
29. November 2018, 10:00 to 14:00 (location tbd.): Second MEDMA Contractor/Consultant Workshop with Focus on Repair mortars and Concrete Repair
24. January 2019, 10:00 to 14:00 (location tbd.): Third MEDMA Contractor/Consultant Workshop with Focus on Flooring Screeds
(coming in 2019): Fourth MEDMA Contractor/Consultant Workshop with Focus on Renders (Plasters) and Machine Application of Mortars

MEDMA members interested in supporting and/or contributing to these workshops are asked to voice their interest by 8. April 2018, they will then be invited to the kick-off meeting on 7. May in Dubai.

5. SEADMA Vietnam Kick-off Meeting in July 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City

During its meeting in Nusajaya Johor, Malaysia, this past November, the Executive Committee (EC) of the South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA Ltd. has decided to focus on Vietnam (and Malaysia) in 2018, with the intention of holding the 14th Annual SEADMA Conference in 2019 in Vietnam (probably in Da Nang). During last week's meeting in The Philippines a kick-off meeting was decided upon which will take place in Ho Chi Minh City in July 2018 (the exact date and location will be published in our next Newsletter). To this meeting all interested drymix mortar producers (skim coats, renders/plasters, tile adhesives, specialty mortars) are being encouraged to join and exchange thoughts on the formation of SEADMA's local chapter for Vietnam. Industry support is highly appreciated for this meeting, please enquire with us.

6. HeidelbergCement Sells its Stake in Lehigh White Cement to Aalborg and Cemex

HeidelbergCement AG, Heidelberg, Germany has announced that agreement has been reached to sell its 51% position in Lehigh White Cement Company (this stake was held by HeidelbergCement's US subsidiary, Lehigh Cement Company LLC). Lehigh White Cement has production units in Waco, Texas and York, Pennsylvania with a combined capacity of 255.000 t/a. The HeidelbergCement stake is being purchased by the former minority shareholders Aalborg Cement Company, Inc. (New York, NY), part of Cementir Holding, Rome, Italy, and Cemex, Inc. part of Cemex Sa. de CV., Mexico City, Mexico. The transaction value was said to be 114 mio Euro (USD 140 million). After completion of the sale, which is expected during the first quarter of 2018, Aalborg/Cementir's share in Lehigh White Cement will be 63,25%, the remaining shares (36,75%) will be held by Cemex.

7. Brenntag Acquires Distributors ConQuímica and SurtiQuímicos in Colombia

Brenntag Ag, Essen, Germany, has recently acquired 2 chemical specialties distribution companies in Colombia: in December SurtiQuímicos SA*, Bogotà (also operating a warehouse in Medellín) and with lab facilities in Bogotà was acquired, with an annual turnover of 13,1 mio Euro. Recently, the acquisition of ConQuímica SA, Medellín was announced, this company has an expected annunal turnover of 39,3 mio Euro.  ConQuímica operates offices and warehouses in all major metropolitan areas of the Nation. Both companies are focussed mainly on the distribution of industrial and specialty chemicals and formulations for the paint, food, textile and construction industries. Transaction values were not disclosed. The acquisition of ConQuímica SA is still subject to regulatory approval. Germán Torres, COO of Brenntag Latin America welcomed the new activities.

* Not to be confused with Surti Quimicos, Guatemala City.

8. Kolb Completes Takeover of Elementis Specialties Nederland

Kolb Distribution Ltd., Hedingen, Switzerland, a wholly owned subsidiary Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK, Malaysia) has completed the takeover of Elementis Specialties Netherlands (ESN, Delden). ESN Delden produces non-ionic tensides and other specialties for the use as emulsifiers, stabilizers, viscosity modifiers or foam control agents. In Delden, ESN operates coninuous and batch-type reactors to complete chemical reaction for products that go (amongst others) into the coatings, paper, construction, textile and home care industries. The takeover was completed by Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian, CEO of KLK  and Paul Waterman, CEO Elementis in early March 2018.  ESN Delden was founded in 1928 and employs 210 people. The company name will be changed to KLK Kolb Specialties, a long-term supply agreement was signed with Elementis. Kolb is part of KLK since 2007, the company has production plants in Switzerland and The Netherlands and employs 280 people.

9. Argos Cement Expands Capacity in Honduras

Argos Cement Honduras, part of Grupo Argos, Medellín, Colombia will expand its cement production capacity in Choloma, Northern Honduras by adding a new grinding plant. The new milling unit will boost Argos' capacity in Honduras by 30% (nameplate capacity is 440.000 t/a). Argos Honduras will employ an additional 200 people at Choloma for the new operation and plans also to use this Northern Honduras operation to export to Central America and The Caribbean.

The drymix.info Newsletter is being sent exclusively to registered subscribers and all members of drymix.info. Editor-in-Chief: Ferdinand Leopolder. Back issues will be published on www.drymix.info.

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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder