Sika AG
Sika AG, headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, is a 1910 based, global specialty chemicals company. Main customers are the construction industry and the manufacturing industry (automotive, wind and solar power industry ). 2012 Sika AG was represented in 80 countries and had 124 production and sales locations.
Sika AG is a holding company which is the national companies, Sika Technology ( research and development) and Sika Services AG (company- wide functions, the world support the national companies ) includes. The national companies are responsible for the local market development, such as Sika AG Switzerland, Sika Germany GmbH and Sika Austria GmbH.
Turnover
Annual sales of 2012 CHF 4'829 million ( 5.8 %). Gross profit increased to CHF 2 519.3 million (2011: CHF 2 304.6 million), representing a gross margin of 52.2 %. Net profit of CHF 281 million ( 30.9 %).
Market segments
Sika is active in the construction sector in the following market segments:
- Sealants
- Concrete production
- Elastic sealing / bonding
- Under Giessen / Secure
- Industrial Flooring
- Repairs / Maintenance of concrete structures
- Structural strengthening
In the industrial sector, Sika is a supplier in the following market segments, where:
- Automotive supplier industry
- Railway
- Shipbuilding
- Construction of solar plant
- Machinery and household appliances (eg, dishwasher)
History
The company was founded in 1910 by Kaspar Winkler. Winkler invented products for the protection and cleaning of granite ( Conservado, Purigo ). Winkler developed a product for accelerating the setting and hardening of mortar and concrete, which also seals the same.
1912, the first subsidiaries were established in Germany. A lack of management and an insufficient network made it difficult to further expansion. After hiring a director who took care of the expansion, from 1926 to 1928 companies in England, Italy and France were founded.
In 1918 found successful tests of the Swiss Railways ( SBB) and Sika place for sealing and the resulting possible electrical operation of the Gotthard Railway. As a result, 67 tunnels ( 59,000 m² vault ) were sealed from a mixture of Portland cement mortar and Sika.
Winkler's son Fritz Schenker operation from 1935 further expansion of the company. The Sika was represented before the Second World War in Europe, the Americas and Asia. 1971 Romuald Burkard took the leadership of the company. The crisis of the late 1960s brought Sika to the brink of bankruptcy.
1980, one-component polyurethane adhesive " Sikaflex " in the automotive industry, has been introduced. In the 1990s, Sika withdrew from the construction of robots.
In Kaspar Winkler's birthplace Thuringia in Vorarlberg, the company founder was honored with a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary, and in his honor unveiled a road board.
1990 occurred in an industrial flooring product in Germany to numerous complaints with the result of claims, loss of reputation of Sika and claims for damages in the millions.
In 2002 it was renamed the " Sika Finanz AG" to " Sika AG ". The " Sika Technology AG " was formed to combine the research and development activities of Sika, for enterprise- wide functions such as marketing, production and logistics, which was " Sika Services AG " was established. The Sika AG Switzerland became a new subsidiary whose sole function is the processing of the national market.
In the same year, Sika Taiwan a fraud case occurred. As a result, by Walter Grüebler (CEO between 2000 and 2004 ) means the daughter back to the holding company.
2012 was Paul Hälg, CEO of Daetwyler Group, was appointed President of Sika AG management. January Jenischhaus, longtime collaborator and former Head of the Asian business of Sika, Ernst Baertschi took over from CEO.