Sika has acquired a majority stake in Index Construction Systems and Products, a leading manufacturer of roofing and waterproofing systems headquartered close to Verona, Italy. The company generates annual sales of CHF 115 million. By acquiring Index, Sika will extend its product range and significantly strengthen its position in the Italian market.
Index is a well-established, family-owned company with a highly regarded brand and a loyal customer base. Its product portfolio consists of technologically advanced bituminous membranes for roofing and waterproofing, products for thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as waterproofing and repair mortars. The company mainly serves customers in Italy, but also in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Index was established in 1978 by Luigi Carlon, who has owned and run the company since then. To ensure a smooth transition, he will keep a minority stake and continue to contribute to the management of the company as the Chairman of the Board of Index.
Thanks to the acquisition Sika can profit from Index’s know-how and expertise in bitumen technologies when further developing its business in Southern Europe and North Africa. By combining both companies’ products, Sika will become a full-range supplier offering all available technologies in the roofing and waterproofing market. Furthermore, access to the broad sales network of Index will provide significant cross-selling opportunities.
Luigi Carlon, founder of Index: “I am very proud to have found in Sika a partner who will support the growth of Index. Together we will advance our market position as the Italian market leader for roofing systems, and further develop our business. Thanks to the worldwide presence of Sika, I am especially glad that Index can continue to grow and in the future bring even more innovative products to our customers.”
Paul Schuler, CEO of Sika: “We are delighted to welcome the Index employees into the Sika team and look forward to expanding our joint business operations. Index is a proven industry leader and together we will hold a strong number one position in the Italian roofing market. On account of its high research and development competence, and expandable production capacity, Sika will establish the new site as its Southern European production hub for bituminous systems, with potential to also serve the Middle East and Africa.”
Source: Sika
3M and Dow have announced they are cutting thousands of roles from their global workforces in response to economic pressures. Dow has said it will cut 2,000 jobs across its global workforce (around 5%) in a bid to save US$1bn in 2023. The company says it will also cut costs by shutting down “select assets”, though it did not note where it would halt operations.
Sweden’s state mining firm has discovered what could be Europe’s largest rare earths deposit, and says it could help the bloc reduce its reliance on imports of minerals needed to manufacture clean technologies and meet climate targets.
Henkel and Avantium have been partners since 2019, when Henkel joined the PEFerence consortium. This consortium of partners, coordinated by Avantium, aims to establish an innovative supply chain for FDCA and PEF (polyethylene furanoate).