Swiss specialty chemicals company Sika is bringing on stream new plants in Russia for concrete admixtures to meet high demand and further increase its market share.

In Volgograd, southern Russia, a plant to produce concrete admixtures, as well as a mortar factory, are being opened. In addition, a new plant to manufacture polymers for concrete admixtures is starting up at Sika’s existing site in Lobnya, north of Moscow.

Sika said that its sales have increased considerably over the past three years, and grown faster than the market.

Sika also operates plants in Saint Petersburg and Rzhev and these, together with the Lobnya facility, will supply customers in northwest and central Russia. The Volgograd plant will supply product technology to the construction industry in southern Russia.

Paul Schuler, Sika’s regional manager Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), said: “Despite cautious forecasts for 2015, Sika is confident that there is long-term potential in Russia’s infrastructure and industrial construction sectors. The new production facilities will contribute greatly to improving our cost structure in Russia, as transport costs and import duties will be eliminated. This means that Sika is very well positioned to consolidate its long-term market leadership, in particular for concrete admixtures, and to gain further market share.”