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drymix.info Newsletter 162/2015; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 27. February 2015

1. MEDMA Workshop on ETICS in Dubai, 16.3.15, FULLY BOOKED
2. Asia Summit, Mumbai, 24.3.2015: CHANGE OF LOCATION TO THE LALIT HOTEL
3. CBMA and drymix.info to Publish China Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2015
4. International Drymix Mortar Conference idmmc five, Nürnberg, Germany, 20. April 2015
5. Thai Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association Founded in Bangkok, 10. 2. 2015
6 . Bostik (Fortaleza) Opens New Plant near Rio de Janeiro
7. BASF Starts up Dispersion Plant in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia
8. Uzin Spins off Wolff Machinery Division
9. Saudi Readymix joins the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA
10. Kerneos and Elmin Acquire European Bauxite in Greece

1. MEDMA Workshop on ETICS in Dubai, 16.3.15, FULLY BOOKED

The MEDMA Workshop on External Insulation and Finishing Systems (ETICS) takes place at Wacker Academy in Dubai on Monday, 16. March 2015. It updates the community about the results of the MEDMA Technical Committee on ETICS and showcases an actual ETICS installation with a hands-on application demonstration. This meeting is intended to work towards an ETICS system certification and approval in the United Arab Emirates and exclusively intended for consultants, contractors, developers and legislators.

BASF, Caparol, Colmef, Conmix, Henkel, Litecrete, Premium Plaster, Vitrulan and Wacker have agreed to support the event. Since seating is limited, we are sorry to say that the event is fully booked already. Industry observers already registered may have to reduce their attendance to one delegate per company (we will contact them).

2. Asia Summit, Mumbai, 24.3.2015: CHANGE OF LOCATION TO THE LALIT HOTEL

The organizers of the Asia Summit are announcing yet another change of location: The Asia Summit on the Industrial Manufacturing and Application of Drymix Mortars takes place at The Lalit Hotel Mumbai, India (near the International Airport Terminal) on Tuesday, 24. March 2015 from 09:00 to 16:00.

The reason is that we found it absolutely essential to have two practical outdoor sessions showing drymix mortar application equipment and demonstrating its use like on a real jobsite (the former hotels denied us this hands-on demonstration after long negotiations). We apologize for any inconvenience caused in delegates' and sponsors' planning, but we are happy to have reached an agreement with The Lalit after all.

The Summit is presenting scientific lectures and demonstrations of machinery, equipment and raw materials for the production of volume dymix mortars such as renders ("plasters"), (thick) screeds and masonry mortars (bricklaying mortar). The summit is geared towards key executives of the drymix mortar industry in India and beyond. The summit is chaired by Dr. Sumon Chakravarty (formerly Ultratech Cement) and moderated by Ferdinand Leopolder. Sponsoring of course is still welcome, of course!

Online registration (recommended) is possible via our website (Visa or Mastercard required), regular admission is 220 €, reduced to 190 € for drymix.info members and there is a specially reduced admission for drymix mortar manufacturers which is only 120 €.

3. CBMA and drymix.info to Publish China Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2015

The China Building Materials Association - Drymix Mortar Branch and drymix.info, The International Community for Drymix Mortars have decided to jointly publish the China Drymix Mortar Yearbook (CDMYB)in the first half of 2015. The new book will combine technical articles on drymix mortar technology with a market outlook concerning our industry in China, South East Asia and the Middle East. The CDMYB will appear partly in Chinese and partly in English, thus accommodating the needs of aspiring Chinese companies to venture abroad as well as international companies to become more know in China. Publishing fees apply, detailed information is available for contributors at  drymix.info. Special conditions apply for contributors that already have published (the same) article in our "classic" Drymix Mortar Yearbook (please enquire with us).

A formal Call for Papers to publish is being issued today, 27. February 2015 to all members of drymix.info. Submission deadline is 31. March 2015 (date of review of submissions).

4. International Drymix Mortar Conference idmmc five, Nürnberg, Germany, 20. April 2015

The key drymix mortar scientific event is taking place for the fifth time in Nürnberg: The International Drymix Mortar Conference and Industry Showcase idmmc five, 20. April 2015, 09:00 to 17:30 at Kleine Meistersingerhalle, Münchener Strasse 21, 90478 Nürnberg, Germany. Prof. Dr. Johann Plank acts as the Technical Chairman. There is a (recommendable!) Delegate Welcome on 19. April 2015 at Barfüsser im Mautkeller (for which we still are looking for sponsors!). The Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2015 will appear on occasion of idmmc five. Admission is 440 Euro per delegate, reduced to 380 Euro for drymix.info members. There is a specially reduced admission available for drymix mortar manufacturers, it is only 250 Euro (please note, that all these prices include 19% German VAT!). Registration is possible online (see www.drymix.info).

5. Thai Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association Founded in Bangkok, 10. 2. 2015

Invited by The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA (and sponsored by Lahti Precision), the Thai drymix mortar industry united for the founding meeting of The Thai Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association (Thai DMMA) at Sukhothai Hotel on 10. February 2015. The SEADMA Executive Committee had prepared this meeting and was present almost completely. Ferdinand Leopolder (President, SEADMA) had prepared two presentations on standardisation and the formation of an association and led the discussion.

In the presence of Bostik, Cormix, Fast-Mix, Parexgroup, Saint Gobain Weber, Siam City Cement, Sika, TPI Polene and U Bau (Beemortar), the assembly formally decided to found Thai DMMA, with Pairat Pipattanaboon acting as its first President. Founding members are Bostik, Cormix, Fast-Mix, Parexgroup, Siam City Cement, Sika and U Bau, all other quality mortar manufacturers of Thailand are warmly invited to join within the next two weeks. Thai DMMA is to be an association focussed entirely on the promotion of quality goals and standards for the mortar industry and thus allows only mortar manufacturers active with production or substantial sales in Thailand as its members (fees and charter have not been decided yet). As a first initiative, the new association will submit an expert advice to The Building Materials Committee of the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) concering the use of ISO 13007 as standard for Cementitious Tile Adhesives (CTA).  The next meeting will take place on 25. March 2015 (location tbd.).

6. Bostik (Fortaleza) Opens New Plant near Rio de Janeiro

Bostik, headquartered in Paris-La Défense, France, namely its Brasilian subsidiary Usina Fortaleza, has opened a new powder plant in Queimados, close to Rio de Janeiro. The new facility manufactures cementitious tile adhesives (CTA) and grouts for both internal and exterior use, and is said to have an annual production capacity of 100.000 metric tons. In addition to its manufacturing activity, the Queimados site has a distribution center covering the entire Rio de Janeiro State, and also incorporates a quality control laboratory. This is the third production facility operated by the Fortaleza, and its fourteenth distribution center. With the Football World Cup in 2014, and the Olympic Games in 2016, Rio de Janeiro has become a hotspot with an ever-increasing demand for sophisticated construction products

7. BASF Starts up Dispersion Plant in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia

BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany has recently started production at its polymer dispersion plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. The new plant, conveniently located near Singapore, has been erected at an existing BASF site in the Johor Free Trade Zone. It is BASF's third polymer dispersions plant in the region, after Jakarta and Merak (both Indonesia). The new plant will use acrylic monomer from BASF Petronas Chemicals, Gebeng, Kuantan. It is focussed upon the production of polymer dispersions for the decorative coatings, construction and adhesive industries for the entire ASEAN region.

8. Uzin Spins off Wolff Machinery Division

Uzin Utz AG of Ulm, Germany has recently restructured and spun off of its construction machinery division (branded Wolff). In the same re-organisation, production, research and development of Wolff (as well as the Hermann Frank brand products) are being bundled together at the new location in Ilsfeld, Bustadt-Ost, Germany as Wolff GmbH & Co. KG. Wolff develops and produces professional machinery for flooring applications such as power strippers, polishers, trimmers as well as application tools and supplies. Jürgen Rehmann and Julian Utz will head this new company. Julian Utz said: „By bundling and focussing our activities in the machinery field, we strengthen our market "punch" and enter a path to sustainable growth (...) production is planned to increase by 25%.

9. Saudi Readymix joins the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA

Saudi Readymix, headquartered in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, has decided to join the Middle East Drymix Mortar Association MEDMA . Saudi Readymix produces ready-mixed concrete, concrete building blocks, hot-mix asphalt and aggregates for the use in concrete, asphalt and mortar. I has recently started a pilot-produciton of drymix mortars in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Readymix was established in 1978 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Khalid Ali Alturki & Sons, also based in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, an investment and development company. Most of the company's factories are officially approved as suppliers to major governmental and industrial authorities in Saudi Arabia (sas Aramco, SEC, SABIC, the Royal Commission, MoDA). Saudi Readymix employs over 3.000 people all over Saudi Arabia.

MEDMA warmly welcomes Saudi Readymix as a new member.

10. Kerneos and Elmin Acquire European Bauxite in Greece

Kerneos SA of Neuilly, France and Elmin Hellenic Mining Enterprises SA, Athens, Greece have announced the 100% acquisition of European Bauxite, the bauxite operations of Silver & Baryte SA (S&B Industrial Minerals SA). S&B started the mining of bauxite in 1934, today, S&B mines about 1 mio t at various locations in Greece and its reserves stand at several tens of millions of tons. Kerneos has acquired a majority (controlling) interest in Elmin in 2012. It is intended to merge Elmin with European Bauxites in the near future. "This operation represents a significant step in the upstream integration strategy of Kerneos, which began ten years ago", said Jean-Marc Bianchi, Chairman and CEO of Kerneos.

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