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drymix.info Newsletter 166/2015; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 17. June 2015

1. Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting, 14. Sept. 2015: Programme; new Venue
2. SEADMA Reduces Annual Membership Fees for Manufacturers of Drymix Mortars
3. Poraver Announces Investment into Third Plant near Schlüsselfeld
4. Hornbach Announces International investments
5. Troy Acquires Biocide Activities from Ashland
6. Wacker Starts up Specialty Monomer Plant in Burghausen

1. Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting, 14. Sept. 2015: Programme; new Venue

drymix.info, The International Community for Drymix Mortars invites mortar experts from Central and South America as well as the Carribean to join The Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting. The event takes place on 14. September 2015 in México City. There is a slight change in location (a few hotels up but still in Zona Rosa, a cool place to be): we will meet in Sevilla Palace Hotel from 9 am to 3 pm. As always, our meetings will feature a comprehensive lecturing programme along with ample networking time. an industry showcase in the foyer and excellent foods for coffee and lunch.

Registration of delegates has already started. Online registration is available at drymix.info (Visa or Mastercard required). Regular Admission is 315 € (US$ 350), reduced admission for members of drymix.info is 260 € (US$ 290). An especially reduced admission is available for drymix mortar manufacturers they pay only 170 € (US$ 190).
Here are the lecturing proposals (sorted by lecturer's last name, programme is subject to changes without futher notice)
Stefano Carrá, Mapei: Pull-out Testing of Tile Adhesives: Analysis of their Statistics and Mechanisms
Henrik Halonen, Lahti: Special mortars and plasters for modern construction systems
Joachim Jung, J. Rettenmaier & Söhne (JRS): (working title) The Use of Natural Fibers in Drymix Mortars
Guillaume Lafay, Sofraden: A New Concept for an Innovative Mixing Plant of Dry Mortars and other Dry Products
Ferdinand Leopolder, drymix.info: Standardisation of Drymix Mortars as Socio-Ecological Component Using the Example ISO 13007
Dr. Michael Monz, Poraver: A Comparison of Llghtweight Aggregates in Drymix Mortar
Hector Munoz, Wacker Chemie: (working title) The Use of Calcium Formate in Drymix Mortars
Nancy Trejo, Evonik: Organomodified Siloxanes for Air Void Control in Gypsum Based Mortars

2. SEADMA Reduces Annual Membership Fees for Manufacturers of Drymix Mortars

During its meeting in Jakarta the Executive Committee (EC) of The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association SEADMA has made some important decisions concerning the structure of the annual membership fees: In the current phase, SEADMA is rapidly changing its character to an umbrella association, with many regional mortar manufactures as members. Also, SEADMA will support and provide a membership for the newly formed associations in The Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. Therefore, the EC of SEADMA has decided to lower the annual membership fee for drymix mortar manufacturers from S$ 3.000 to S$ 1.000 and to establish a membership fee for National Associations (“Chapter Memberhsip”) of S$ 1.000. In turn, the trial membership fee (was S$ 1.000) will be cancelled (those drymix mortar manufacturers willing to join SEADMA already in 2015 can still use the Trial Membership). The fee for raw material suppliers (“Partners”) remains at S$ 4.000 and so does the fee for Distributors of raw materials (S$ 1.500). The new fee schedule will become effective on 1. January 2016 for all members.

3. Poraver Announces Investment into Third Plant near Schlüsselfeld

Dennert Poraver GmbH, Schlüsselfeld, Germany, has recently acquired a 30.000 sq.m. plot of land for a new plant for expanded glass granulates near its headquarters. The new manufacturing facility will have a capacity of 160.000 cu.m.. After having permanently increased capacities at their locations in Postbauer-Heng, Germany and Innisfil, Ontario, Canada with technical optimization measures, the new capacity becomes necessary due to continually increasing demand for these functional fillers. The new plant in Schlüsselfeld brings the capacity of Poraver up to 500.000 ca.m. per year and is expected to be commissioned in 2019. It will employ 40 people.

4. Hornbach Announces International investments

Hornbach Baumarkt AG of Bornheim, Germany has announced that it will increasingly grow outside of Germany. Apart from 2 store replacements the group plans to open another 4 Hornbach construction and gardening materials outlets in Europe, namely in The Netherlands, Austria (2) and Romania. According to Albrecht Hornbach (CEO) the Hornbach EBIT in the past period (March 14 to Feb 15) has increased by 3 % to 165 mio Euro. Both turnover and Profit (margin) went up.

5. Troy Acquires Biocide Activities from Ashland

Troy Corp. of Florham Park, New Jersey , USA has reached an agreement with Ashland, Inc. , Covington, Kentucky, USA for the taking over of Ashland's industrial biocides business. This portfolio includes the dry film protection (tradenames Fungitrol, Nuosept) which are being used in the coatings and construction materials industries, it stems from International Specialty Products, Inc. (ISP) which Ashland had acquired in 2011. Ashland retains control over the biocides for personal care products (not part of the transaction). "As a smaller player within the industrial biocides market, Ashland has lacked the critical mass needed to be successful. Troy is better positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities within this segment and we are committed to working with them to ensure a seamless transition for our industrial biocides employees and customers." said Luiz Fernandes-Moreno, President of Ashland's Chemical Group. The transaction value was not disclosed, the transaction is still subject to the usual regulatory approval.

6. Wacker Starts up Specialty Monomer Plant in Burghausen

Wacker Chemie AG, Munich, Germany has recently started up a new specialty-monomer plant with an annual capacity of 3.800 tons at its main plant in Burghausen, Germany. The unit will produce vinyl neodecanoate and vinyl laurate, monomers which are being used as raw materials in the production of redispersible powders. They provide special properties such as hydrophobicity to the powders. Wacker has invested about 8 mio Euro in the new facility. “We have developed and patented our own novel process for the new plant based on vinyl acetate – a raw material that we actually produce ourselves on site”,  Bors C. Abele, head of acetyls business at Wacker Polymers.

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