Seeking new markets Siplast

standards and are given the same degree of expertise and priority whether they are for just one individual window or a major project.

Focus on the UK market

Germany remains the company’s biggest European market but it has also been involved in some of the UK’s most prestigious and innovative projects in the recent past. This has led to the strategic decision to build upon its reputation in the UK and establish a sales office there in the near future. One of the recent high-profile UK projects was its involvement in the building of Birmingham’s most distinctive modern façade, that of the commercial building known as ‘The Cube’. This 23-storey city centre land-mark building was completed in 2010 at a cost of more than £100 million and was designed by Ken Shuttleworth, the architect renowned for his design of the ‘Gherkin’ in the city of London’s financial district.

Haepp said, “The Birmingham ‘Cube’ project was a major UK contract for us where we worked in close collaboration with a German systems supplier for our extrusions. We specialise in contracts which can range up to €20 million and this one was close to €15 million, although many of our projects range between €500,000 and €5 million. Our company is also unique in that we are happy to produce individual, one-off items too such as special doors, windows and canopies.

“The UK is an attractive market for us and the construction industry is now seeing signs of strong growth in the sectors in which we specialise, which includes residential, industrial and government projects such as municipal buildings, schools and hospitals. We pride ourselves on the breadth of services we offer. These result in our clients getting better engineering standards and the most efficient installation, which can also mean the shortest installation periods.

“Another unique aspect of our work is the fact that because of our diverse steel fabrication facilities and expertise, we have an interface between primary steel and glass. These two elements have very different tolerances and normally a contractor will retain two separate companies to manage each element. We are unique in that we manage both and have all the facilities under one roof. We also have our own highly qualified engineering department and installation teams which are dedicated to each individual project so that we maintain overall control of the schedule

and the quality of the work involved. Again, most of our competitors will sub-contract this work to other companies, which can be a risky business if lead times are critical.

“This ‘one-stop shop’ philosophy also worked very well for us during the building of the ‘Cube’ in Birmingham and also in a major residential project ‘Milliners Wharf’ in Manchester recently. We are not tied to our European markets; in fact we are currently involved in a major project in Kuwait City. Whatever or wherever the contract might be, we attach the same level of importance to personal service, innovation and quality.

Haepp added, “We are currently rationalising our manufacturing processes and investing heavily in fully automated systems. We are also streamlining our production facilities so that our individual fabrication plants will be designed to specialise in one product range only rather than have the capability to manufacture our entire range of products. Savings achieved through this rationalisation process will be passed on to our customers. We see a bright future ahead and we are already recruiting façade specialists sales staff for our new move into the UK market.”

Value added services

Haga sees the UK market as playing a significant role in the company’s growth in the years to come. Furthermore, the valueadded services that are available also help to differentiate the company from its competitors. One important aspect of these services is its comprehensive maintenance contracts, which significantly extend the service life of any systems that the company installs. This in turn can provide major long-term benefits and savings for the owners of the buildings concerned.

Haga also takes its environmental responsibilities seriously with all its waste materials being 100 per cent recycled and energy saving systems installed throughout its five fabricating plants. n

For further information about Haga Metallbau’s innovative products and services visit: www.haga-metallbau.de

SEEKING NEW MARKETS

Siplast is a leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced roofing and waterproofing systems. Industry Europe talks to marketing director Eric Zimmer to find out more about its plans for growth and focus on sustainable solutions.

IN the late 1960s, Siplast Research and Development, working in conjunction with Shell Chemical of Europe, developed SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) modified bitumens. The company found that by properly modifying asphalt with SBS, it could produce a highly durable elastomeric blend with exceptional elongation/recovery properties over a wide range of temperatures. This technology laid the foundations for the company in its current form.

Siplast is now a leader in the development and manufacture of the world’s most advanced roofing and waterproofing systems. A member of Icopal Group, one of the world’s largest commercial roofing manufacturers, the company today employs a total of 400 staff in France.

Marketing Director Eric Zimmer explained that the company operates two distinct sales operations – one for the French market, and one for export. Through the latter, the company has a presence not only in Europe (in France, Italy, Spain and southern Europe), but also in the Maghreb, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and Japan. In France it has its headquarters in Antony, south of Paris, and it operates two plants – in Cormenon, in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France (focused on traditional bitumen membranes); and in Loriol-sur-Drôme, in the south-east of the country (specialising in adhesive products, breathable membranes and sound-deadening solutions).

“In terms of its commercial organisation,” added Eric Zimmer, “Siplast has four sales channels in France: two direct sales channels focused on roofing companies and civil works waterproofers; and two distribution sales channels dedicated to building merchants and DIY retailers (and selling under the Monarflex brand name).”

Production profile

Siplast’s main products are waterproofing membranes for flat roofs; roofing underlays and shingles for pitched roofs; sound deadening systems (under concrete screed and tiles); and building membranes (moisture and wind barriers) for wooden buildings. Applications cover both new construction projects and renovations, for both residential (collective and individual housing) and nonresidential buildings (artisan, storage and commercial buildings).

Regarding waterproofing membranes, Siplast is a commercial manufacturer which offer roof system packages that combines SBS-modified bitumen or synthetic membranes associated to complementary products which bring new functions to flat roof and allow to recover a “new” surface. These packages are generally developed in association with suppliers.

Amongst its key suppliers, the company has a strong relationship with Duflot, a French producer of technical non-woven materials, and expert in thermal and acoustical insulation. “We have worked closely with them to develop a product for the French and UK markets,” explained Eric Zimmer. “Therm’X is a reflective barrier