Press Release: SIKA FURTHER EXPANDING PRODUCTION IN FRANCE AND POSITIONING ITSELF FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

SIKA FURTHER EXPANDING PRODUCTION IN FRANCE AND POSITIONING ITSELF FOR

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

Sika has started production of shotcrete admixtures at its main plant at

Gournay-en-Bray, north west of Paris. The set accelerator marketed under

the Sigunit(R) brand is used primarily in tunnel construction. The

market potential in France and beyond is considerable -- in western

Europe alone, tenders have been issued for tunnel construction projects

with a combined length of 900 kilometers, with these projects set to

come on stream over the next few years.

A crucial factor in shotcrete as it is applied in mining and tunneling

is high early strength development. Admixtures in the form of a set

accelerator ensure that the shotcrete bonds to rock and concrete, thus

facilitating overhead spraying.

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS OF CHF 750 BILLION IN EUROPE ALONE

Europe alone is currently planning infrastructure investment programs

worth some CHF 750 billion, with tunnel construction included in these

programs. Thanks to the many years of experience acquired in demanding

large-scale projects such as the Gotthard tunnel and the Brenner base

tunnel plus a high-performance portfolio of products, Sika can guarantee

the durability of its technologies.

Ivo Schaedler, Regional Manager EMEA: "The infrastructure construction

market is generally characterized by a high level of resilience in

crises. Even in 2020 capital spending remains strong. With the

commissioning of the new facilities at the Gournay-en-Bray plant, our

aim is to tap into business potential in France and in north and western

Europe and facilitate challenging shotcrete work in mining and tunneling

projects with our specialty products. At the same time, we are

strengthening our supply chain and competitiveness thanks to a sizeable

reduction in logistics costs."

STATE INVESTMENT DRIVING GROWTH

COVID-19 has sparked a contraction in France's construction sector this

year. A recovery is forecast for 2021, with growth of more than 4%. An

important driver of this growth will be the government stimulus program

worth the equivalent of an estimated CHF 105 billion. This program will

include investment in the country's rail infrastructure and in extensive

building renovations. Europe's biggest transport project is already in

the implementation phase with the "Grand Paris Express", a network

comprising six automatic metro lines in the Greater Paris region. More

than CHF 37 billion in investment will be channeled into the project by

2030.

CONTACT

Dominik Slappnig

Corporate Communications &

Investor Relations

+41 58 436 68 21

slappnig.dominik@ch.sika.com

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SIKA AG CORPORATE PROFILE

Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the

development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing,

damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor

vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 100 countries around the

world and manufactures in over 300 factories. Its more than 25,000

employees generated annual sales of CHF 8.1 billion in 2019. At the end

of 2019, Sika won the Swiss Technology Award for an innovative new

adhesive technology.

The media release can be downloaded from the following link:

Media Release

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 09, 2020 01:00 ET (06:00 GMT)