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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
NOVEMBER
2015
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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Sika is further expanding its
supply chain in prosperous
markets. In Cordoba, Argentina,
a new production facility for
mortars and admixtures has
opened. The new plant, 700
kilometers northwest of the
capital Buenos Aires, is Sika’s
second production site in
the country. It is located in
the centre of a geographical
area that accounts for 25% of
Argentina’s GDP.
The new Cordoba plant and its ware-
house for finished products will improve
Sika’s access to the constructionmarkets
in Argentina’s northwestern provinces of
Tucuman, Rio Negro, Neuquen, Entre Rios,
Mendoza and Cordoba. Local production
will lead to significant cost efficiency gains
by reducing freight costs and increase Sika’s
competitive position in the region. The plant will
produce mortars (tile adhesives and grouts) and
concrete and mortar admixtures.
Favourable growth expectations
After years of modest growth, Argentina‘s
economy is expected to pick up speed and
grow by an average 3,7% over the next five
years, thereby stimulating demand in the
construction industry.
Several projects for transport, energy and
utilities infrastructure are scheduled to start in
2016. The Inter-American Development Bank
estimates that Argentina’s road network alone
requires investments of USD1,5-billion a year
for maintenance and upgrade and to eliminate
the existing expansion backlog.
“With the new plant in Cordoba, Sika is well
positioned to unlock further growth potential in
the northwestern provinces of Argentina. The
latest investment in our supply chain brings us
much closer to our customers in the region,
increases our service level and allows us to
optimise our cost base,” says José Luis Vázquez,
Sika regional manager, Latin America.
The concept was developed with the
aim of supporting sales efforts and to
assist inmeeting the demand to bemore
accessible to their customer base. The mobile
unit offers flexibility and can be stationed on
construction sites, in rural areas, at consultant’s
offices, builder’s merchants, trade events and at
tertiary institutions to name few.
The customised demonstration station is
not only visually impactful; it offers a range of
benefits as an onsite training facility.
It reduces any down time usually associated
with training work force, which ordinarily takes
place off site, training session cancellations
are reduced given the training ‘comes to you’.
Training can be done in areas much further
afield than Gyproc’s formal training facility, and
to this point many more contractors will have
access to the training being offered.
The training further affords the professional
team the assurance that installations will be
carried out in accordance with Saint-Gobain
Gyproc’s exacting standards.
The unit was recently unveiled at the
University of Pretoria where a class of 2
nd
year architecture students attended a two
hour demonstration on basic drywalling and
ceiling installations.
ARGENTINIAN
PRODUCTION
FACILITY
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MOBILE DEMONSTRATION TRAILER
With the growing need to facilitate onsite training and increase
accessibility and technical support to the Saint-Gobain Gyproc
product portfolio, the Gyproc technical team has conceptualised and
developed a mobile wall and ceiling demonstration trailer.
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