Sika opens new dry mortar factory near Cluj in Central Romania

Construction materials producer Sika recently inaugurated its new dry mortar factory near Cluj, at Capusu Mare, its second Romanian production unit after the one opened in 2008 at Brasov, which makes additives. Sika bought the 2,000 – sqm production hall and equipment for two production lines from Deutek, and the factory has been operational since March this year. The new factory will produce 50,000 tonnes a year, with products destined for the local market, as well as for the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine and Hungary, according to Laurenţiu Ştefănescu, the general manager of Sika Romania. He believes the local market for mortars and adhesives was of EUR 180 million in 2013, a drop of 2 percent on the year before. This year, this niche should go up by 2 to 5 percent, according to Sika. The overall chemical construction materials market is estimated at some EUR 770 million. Sika’s business in Romania stood at some EUR 20 million, a growth of 10 percent on 2011, but last year the business was down 5 percent. For this year, Sika hopes to raise revenues by 5 percent, back to the 2012 level. editor@romania-insider.com