Unrivalled agrochemical expertise SKW Piesteritz

designed to improve comfort levels in hot conditions, and to complete a classic winter insulation solution. Duflot provides us one of raw materials, we manufacture the others in our Loriol facility and in one of Icopal SBU (Sturovo) and Duflot assembles the components in its plant”

Investment in new production line

The company’s business strategy is not necessarily to extend its basic product range or capabilities. “Rather, we intend to focus on our existing core product range, and to maintain our specialisation in these key areas, enhancing our range with accessories, for example (including edge metal, roofing fasteners and sealants designed to work with Siplast’s membranes). And while we aren’t planning any new facilities or production units, we are working to improve our production processes within our existing plants. For instance, we have installed a new production line (for polyethylene and polypropylene products) in Cormenon earlier this year, for the production of foundation panels. Our Cormenon plant now produces 23 million square metres of membrane a year, and produces 440 different products, while our facility in Loriol produces 24 million square metres (including breathable membranes) and produces 207 products.

“Our primary focus is on the renovation industry, and this has stood us in good stead in recent years, through the slowdown in the construction industry in Europe. Our turnover has held steady, and reached 166

million euros in 2013 (130 million euros in France, and 36 million in export sales). France, Italy and Spain remain our most important markets, but we also see significant opportunities in developing markets, and are already working on huge civil works and building projects with partners in Africa and the Middle East.”

Looking to the future, Siplast’s aim is to develop more sustainable products. It already offers dedicated solutions for water management, depollution, green roofs, etc., and plans to develop more dedicated solutions of this type. Following Icopal’s recent buyout of a resins manufacturer (Siloflex) it is also currently working on a new liquid product. At the same time, it is working to develop new synthetic membranes within the wider Icopal group, and is continuing to develop new accessories to complete each of its existing ranges.

“We intend to develop organically, to establish ourselves as a leading supplier of waterproofing solutions in bitumen, liquid and synthetic, with market-leading solutions against water (waterproofing bitumen and synthetic membranes, liquid solutions, foundation panels and so on), wind (breathable membranes for walls and roofs), and sound (sound-deadening systems for floors and walls). All of the market segments we operate in are extremely competitive, but we differentiate ourselves from our competitors by focusing on production, rather than installation. Another of our strengths is our ability to produce innovative solutions, not to mention the fact that we are such a long-established company with 50 years’ experience in our business.” n

UNRIVALLED

AGROCHEMICAL EXPERTISE

SKW Piesteritz has been developing its core competences and expertise for almost 100 years and today is the largest producer of ammonia and urea in Germany. The company has a diverse product portfolio which includes a wide variety of highly specialised agrochemical and industrial chemical products. The Piesteritz industrial site has been a focal point in Germany for the chemical industry since 1915, which enables SKW to draw on expertise that stems from almost 100 years of product research and development, even though it has only been in its current corporate form since 1993.

Today the company is a major producer of nitrogen fertilisers for the European agricultural chemical industry and it also supplies basic chemicals such as ammonia, urea and nitric acid. SKW’s state-of-the-art production facilities enable it to continuously enhance products to meet its customers’ changing specifications. In addition, its research department is one of the largest in the world among chemical companies of a similar size. SKW has over 850 employees at its headquarters near Leipzig in Germany with more than 70 of them dedicated to chemical research, agricultural application research and analytics.

Proven nutrition feed solutions

SKW Piesteritz supports farmers by providing proven nutrition solutions for livestock, with high quality feed grade urea. The new brand name for this advanced product is Piarumin®. The practical use of Piarumin® supports protein intake for livestock due to their fore-stomach system where ruminants can build protein from both naturally occurring sources of nitrogen, as well as artificially produced non-protein nitrogen sources such as feed grade urea. This product can be combined with mixes and premixes, as well as being added to high performance feed and used in the manufacturing of cereal straw pellets.

Feed grade urea along with fertilisers, is among the large range of specialised products produced at SKW, which the company develops in the interests of its customers and end users. Piarumin® is Fami-QS certified, which is an internationally recognised standard for the feed industry that fully controls feed ingredients for ruminants. SKW products have been closely orientated to the changing requirements of both crop producers and the environment. Today traditional urea-based solid fertilisers are produced in a new form that suits recent agricultural developments where modern spreading equipment allows high performance per unit area. The new composition also helps to protect the environment because no dust is produced during the product’s handling and spreading operations.

SKW Piesteritz is a global technology leader in the development and manufacture of agrochemicals such as nitrogen fertilisers. Philip Yorke looks at a company that continues to expand its product portfolio and increase its market share.

Continuous development programme

SKW’s plans for future growth include a programme of continuous development that encompasses both new product development and its manufacturing facilities. The company continues to optimise its existing product lines to meet its customers’ needs and to develop products that are characterised by their environmental and economic viability. At the same time SKW is actively involved in the commercialisation of the