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drymix.info Newsletter 167/2015; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 15. July 2015

1. Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting, México City, Monday, 14. September 2015
2. New drymix.info Shop Online: Instructions for Existing Clients
3. Upcoming Events and Publications Overview
4. JK White Joins drymix.info as Manufacturing Partner
5. Sievert Acquires Schwenk Putztechnik
6. Singapore: Use of Drymix Mortar Becomes Mandatory for Renovating HDB Flats
7. BASF Inaugurates Acrylic Acid Complex in Brasil
8. Sika Opens Mortar and Admixtures Plant in Paraguay
9. Schwarzwälder Edelputzwerke: Change in Ownership

1. Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting, México City, Monday, 14. September 2015

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. We will meet in Sevilla Palace Hotel (Av. Paseo de la Reforma 105) from 9 am to 3 pm. The Meeting features a comprehensive lecturing programme along with ample networking time, an industry showcase in the foyer and excellent foods for coffee and lunch. Spport for this meeting is coming so far from the following companies (in alphabetical order): Evonik, Frigmaires, J. Rettenmeier & Söhne (JRS México), Kerneos, Lahti Precision, Mapei, Poraver, Sofraden, Wacker. Thanks a lot!

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).

2. New drymix.info Shop Online: Instructions for Existing Clients

If you want to pay for the delegate admissions in Mexico or Brasil, you already will be directed to our new shop: we recently started this newly designed feature, which should eliminate some of the problems you had encountered with international credit card payments in the past. We have transferred the account information of our existing clients for your convenience. Only the password (which we do not log) has to be created newly. So when you enter the payment zone for the first time, just ask for a new password and it will be sent to your e-mail address.

Dear friends, this shop is only as good as your qualified feedback. If you encounter any problems with it, do send us an e-mail immediately.

3. Upcoming Events and Publications Overview

MEDMA/SEADMA Technical Bulletin 10 (layout phase has begun, we are still accepting articles and advertorials until 15. August 2015)

China Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2015/16 (layout phase has begun, we are still accepting articles and advertorials until 1. September 2015, please allow ample time for translations, if needed!)

Central American Drymix Mortar Meeting, México City, Monday, 14. September 2015 (see item 1 above)

POSTPONED! Third Advance Building Materials Middle East Conference ABME III (was scheduled in October 2015, is being moved to 2016)

Fourth Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc four, São Paulo, Brasil, 6. November 2015 (detailed conference flyer with contributors available on www.drymix.info, Delegate Registration has started already)

10th Anniversary SEADMA Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 19. November 2015 (Call for Papers expires on 31. July 2015; delegate registration starts 15. August 2015)

MEDMA Annual General Meeting, Dubai, UAE, 22. November 2015 (sponsors are welcome for this!)

MEDMA Technical Workshop during Big 5, Dubai, UAE (Programme almost complete, please contact us here at drymix.info)

4. JK White Joins drymix.info as Manufacturing Partner

JK White, Gotan, Rajasthan has decided to join drymix.info as Manufacturing Partner. The company, one of the major putty (skim coat) producers of India is part of J.K. Cement Ltd which in turn is an affiliate of the multi-disciplinary industrial conglomerate J.K. Organisation which was founded by Lala Kamlapat Singhania. For mortars, JK White has an installed capacity of 500.000 tons per year and is planning to install new capacities of around 800.000 tons per year by 2016 at two locations. JK White is also a major white cement producer with annual capacity of 600.000 tons in India and a newly added plant in Fujairah, UAE which can produce either 0,6 mio t of white or 1,0 mio t of grey cement per year. The J.K. Group opened the first grey cement plant at Nimbahera, Rajasthan in 1975. 2 more units were added in Mangrol and Gotan (Rajasthan). 2009 J.K.Cements set up a green-field unit in Muddapur, Karnataka. Today J.K. Cement has an installed grey cement capacity of 10.5 mio t per year.

We warmly welcome JK White to our community.

5. Sievert Acquires Schwenk Putztechnik

Sievert AG of Osnabrück, Germany (mother company of Quick-Mix) has recently acquired all activities and assets of  Schwenk Putztechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Ulm, Germany along with the company's shares of business in Switzerland. Schwenk Putztechnik operates 7 plants, mainly in Southern Germany producing masonry mortars, renders, flooring compounds, decorative renders and External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS). The company has an annual turnover of 100 Mio Euro and 370 employees. According to Quick-Mix, all plants of Schwenk will continue to operate and no lay-offs are planned. The business locations combine well with existing Quick-Mix operations: while Quick-Mix is mostly active in Northern  Germany, Schwenk was focussed on the South. Says Prof. Dr. Hans-Wolf Sievert „... (by integrating) Schwenk Putzechnik our market presence in Germany and Switzerland are (well) realigned (...) With this transaction, a plan is being fulfilled that I personally have pursued for a long time." After this spin-off, Schwenk is entirely focussed upon cement and concrete production. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.

6. Singapore: Use of Drymix Mortar Becomes Mandatory for Renovating HDB Flats

Until today, the Singapore Housing and Development Board (HDB) is by far the largest single real estate developer of the Nation. The HDB market share in new construction (mainly: single family flats, but also community development and commercial real estate) is between 55 and 60%. These flats are prepared for (usually) 50 yr leases for Singapore Citizens and there is a vivid after market for the re-sale of the flats. Since most of these flats are in multi-storey (almost high-rise) buildings, some complexes housing over 1.000 flats, renovation of the individual flats causes regularly great aggravation amongst tenants. This trouble is even being increased by small contractors still mixing sand and cement on-site for these little renovation jobs. This does not only yield inferior, low quality installations, but also creates a lot of dust and debris on the entire respective floor.

In order to preserve their investment, HDB has now issued regulations on when (after how many years) and how the flats must be renovated. Effective 1. June 2015, HDB has issued a ban on jobsite mixing and thus makes the use of drymix mortars mandatory on all renovation jobs within its properties. SEADMA is supporting this initiative and its members have already arranged for contractor training and education on the use of drymix mortar in renovation jobs in cooperation and agreement with HDB.

7. BASF Inaugurates Acrylic Acid Complex in Brasil

BASF SE of Ludwigshafen, Germany has recently inaugurated its production plants for acrylic acids, butyl acrylate and arylics-based superabsorbents in Camaçari, Bahia, Brasil. The new chemical complex, located just North of Salvador has a capacity of 160.000 tpa of acrylic acid, the investment was over 500 mio Euro. BASF will in turn convert its butyl acrylate plant at its Guaratinguetá, São Paulo site to produce 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, which is a raw material for the adhesive and coatings industries. Production there is expected to start in 2016 and will be based on acrylic acid produced in Camaçari.
According to Ralph Schweens, President of BASF in South America “this complex will secure national and regional supply of products that are currently imported,” said. “ The construction of the new complex started in March 2012. The three plants at the complex have created 230 direct jobs and 600 indirect jobs in the region.

8. Sika Opens Mortar and Admixtures Plant in Paraguay

Sika AG, Tüffenwies, Switzerland, by way of Sika Corp., Lyndhurst, NJ, USA has recently started up a drymix mortar plant and production facilities for concrete admixtures and liquid  membranes in Asunción, Paraguay. The unit will become fully operational within this year. In 2013, Sika had entered the market in Paraguay by acquiring Inatec SRL.

9. Schwarzwälder Edelputzwerke: Change in Ownership

Schwarzwälder Edelputzwerke GmbH, Ottersweier, Germany (Schwepa) has recently announced that shareholder and CEO Lothar Baumgärtner  has decided to retire from the company and transfer his shares to Haering GmbH, Untergruppenbach-Unterheinriet, Germany, a manufacturer of paints and lacquers. In turn, Mr. Baumgärtner will also step down from his position of CEO. Since Haering and Baumgärtner had held all shares of Schwepa, the company now is under full control of Haering GmbH. The transaction value was not disclosed.


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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder