drymix.info News 144/2013

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drymix.info Newsletter 144/2013; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 6. December 2013

1. Russian Mortar Days 2014, Moscow, 29. January 2014: Programme
2. New Executive Committees for MEDMA and SEADMA
3. Carve-up of Praktiker Continues with Bauhaus and Hagebau Taking over Stores
4. Henkel Starts up New Plant in Stavropol Region, Russia
5. Wacker Expands RDP Capacity at Nanjing Plant

1. Russian Mortar Days 2014, Moscow, 29. January 2014: Programme

The Russian Mortar Days 2014 is a cooperation of The Russian Federation for Factory Made Mortars SPSSS and drymix.info with Moscow Technical University MGSU (MCU). The event takes place at MGSU on 29. January 2014, check-in starts at 08:30. Recommended accomodation to beat Moscow traffic is Cosmos Hotel, although we have no special rates there. Admission is 295 Euro for international Delegates, please book online at www.drymix.info/shop (drymix.info members are eligible to a 50 Euro discount). sponsoring spaces are still available and any support is welcome. The programme here is subject to change without notice and sorted by the lecturer's name:
R. Akopyan, Wacker Chemie: Polymer Modified Self-Leveling Compounds: The Interaction with HAC and CSA for Development of High Quality Mortars
M. Aleksandrya, ANFAS: Standardization – a necessary condition of existence of the ETICS civilized market
E. Botka, Ag. Stroy Informace: The Market Situation of Drymix Mortar in Europe with Special Focus onto Russia
Y.V. Gonta, Knauf: Formulation of High-Quality Spackeling Compounds for Interior and Exterior Applications
T. Ivasheko, Kharkov National University of Construction and Architecture: Dry Construction Mixes on the Basis of Phosphite Gypsum
V. Kodrakhin, Samara Plaster: The Use of Alpha-Gypsum in Factory-Made Mortars
K. Kremer, Avebe: Working Mechanisms of Starch Ethers in Drymix Mortars
S. Litvinenko, UST Rus: Designing of Rheological Properties of Construction Mixes
D. Llado, Nubiola: New Ultramarine Blue Based Colours for Dry Mortars
I. Moeseev, Interey Chemical Production: A Technology for the Maintenance and Repair of Processing Equipment in Drymix Mortar Plants
A. Montianov, Henkel Bautechnik: Research of Durability ETICS in the Russian Climate
S.V. Nefedoc, Sibelco: Aggregates for the Use in Dry Construction Mixes
D. Niepmann, Kerneos: The Influence of the Different Binders on Final Properties
A.C. Normatovich, Saint Gobain Weber: Drymix Mortars for Mounting ETICS at Low and Subzero Temperatures
X. Philibert, Sofraden: Performance Improvement of Drymix Production Plant Enabled  by an Efficient Control System.
A. Pustovgar, MGSU: Dry Mixes for Oil Wells
J. Roy, Air Products: Novel Powder Defoamer for Specialty Drymix Mortars
A. Thomé, Akzo Nobel: Gypsum-based Leveling Compounds: Increasing the Utility of Alternative Gypsum Sources
(tbd.), Intertech: Calorimetry of the Reaction Phase of Drymix Mortars

Important notice: seating is limited and the event is almost sold out, we do recommend all international delegates to register before year-end, this is also recommended for the delegations of our sponsors.

2. New Executive Committees for MEDMA and SEADMA

In November, both The Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA e.V and The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA held their Annual General Assemblies (AGM) in Dubai, respecitvely in Kuala Lumpur. New Executive Committees (EC) were elected in both AGMs:
MEDMA: Mohammed Sanaobar (President, Technical Chairman), Roland Jansen (Vice President), Ali A. Ammar (Treasurer), Munther Al Amad, Ahmed Bayaa
SEADMA: Sujit Ghosh (President), Nurlijan Noerjanto (Treasurer), Hong Fang Chen, Chong Choong Fee, Fun-Tee Chen, Pairat Pipattanaboon, Terence Yong.

Ferdinand Leopolder remained Secretary General of both Organisations.

3. Carve-up of Praktiker Continues with Bauhaus and Hagebau Taking over Stores

After the bankruptcy of the leading construction and garden materials outlet chains Praktiker and Max Bahr (we reported earlier), the remains are being distributed amongst competitors. Shelves, handling machines and other business equipment not needed by individual buyers are being sold off in a public auction (running until 31. Jan 2014). Bauhaus and Hagebau acquired several stores: Bauhaus, Mannheim, Germany, will take over 22 Max Bahr and some Praktiker retail outlets, pending approval of the Anti-Trust authorities. Due to the fact, that most of the Max Bahr markets are being owned by the real estate fund Moor Park (bankrupt, too), an earlier attempt of Globus to buy 66 Max Bahr stores had failed. Also Hagebau of Soltau, Germany will take over markets from the remains of the Praktiker Group: seven Max Bahr and nine Praktiker markets will be taken over (pending anti-trust approval) as well as the three Bâtiself outlets in Luxemburg. Heribert Gondert, CEO of Hagebau expects total sales of the newly acquired markets to be over 100 mio Euro in 2014.

Prices of the transactions were not disclosed by either buyer, both companies promised to keep most of the former Praktiker and Max Bahr staff after the re-branding of the outlets.

4. Henkel Starts up New Plant in Stavropol Region, Russia

Henkel KGaA & Co. KG, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany has started up its fourth production location in the Russian Federation in the Stavropol Region, which is strategically located between the Black and the Caspian Sea as well as North of Georgia. The region is well known for the availability of high quality sands for the production of building materials. The new plant is focussed on the manufacturing of Henkel's drymix mortar portfolio (Tradenames Ceresit and Thomsit as well as Econ). The plant has six independent production lines and an overall capacity of 160.000 t/a. It also features a logistic centre with a floor area of 8.500 sq.m, the workforce is exepcted to be 120 people once in full operation.

5. Wacker Expands RDP Capacity at Nanjing Plant

Wacker Chemie AG of Munich, Germany announced plans to expand its production capacity for redispersible powders (RDP) at its Nanjing (China) site in 2014. The plan foresees a productivity increase and a de-bottlenecking of existing facilities which is expected to yield a doubling of the current capacity of  30,000 metric tons per year. The work is scheduled to start immediately upon issuing of the necessary permission by the local authorities.

“The market demand in China is continually growing, in particular for residential construction. The increasing trend towards construction of pre-decorated housing is also driving demand for ceramic tile adhesives, which require high-quality dispersible polymer powders...", says Arno von der Eltz, President of Wacker Polymer Systems.

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. Please also check our Chinese Edition on www.drymix.info.

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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder