Sika, a leading Swiss manufacturer of specialty chemicals (including concrete admixtures, mortars, sealants and adhesives) has signed a lease agreement with TechnoPark, an Economic Zones World subsidiary.

As per the pact, Sika will construct a modern manufacturing and technical facility on a 30,000 sq m area, over the next year to develop, supply and support product sales in the Gulf region.

The site will also house a Regional Technical Centre for the entire Middle East, India and Africa (IMEA) region.

Sika is a specialist in high quality construction chemicals including concrete admixtures, mortars, sealants and adhesives, structural strengthening systems, flooring and waterproofing membranes for basements and roofing, and adhesives, damping and reinforcing material for vehicles and building components.

Although the company’s products have been available in the Gulf through suppliers for over 40 years; Sika has expanded its presence in the region and set up a base in the UAE recently.

Abdalla Al Banna, vice-president of commercial sales (UAE Region) TechnoPark attended the signing ceremony with Iven Chadwick, the head of Sika in IMEA and Rene Ruh, Sika UAE general manager.

“We are pleased to welcome Sika to TechnoPark,” Al Banna said. 'The company’s decision reflects its increasing interest in this market which also coincides with our policy of encouraging operations and industrial sectors that are relevant to this region.'

'The new facility will be well positioned to serve Sika’s growing customer base in the region,' he added.

Sika had established its new regional headquarters in 2007 in Dubai to focus on the Middle East, India and Africa market.

The company is also constructing a SR50 million ($13.4 million) chemical production plant in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, which will have an initial chemical production capacity of 50,000 tonnes.

Sika has already established two companies in the UAE. The first services the home market with products and services, while the second serves as a corporate branch with the regional management and business development team for the entire IMEA region, Chadwick stated.

'From the new Technopark facility, Sika aims to provide outstanding levels of service to customers and to supply products specifically engineered to meet the rigorous conditions in the region,' he observed.

'Sika’s growth strategy for the next few years includes increasing sales locally and region-wide in various segments and gaining market share while making quality and service our number one priority,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service