Page 30 - HW Oct 2022

glues, silicones & sealants
PRICE INCREASES – WHO DARES WINS?
And in terms of price increases for raw materials? “The market seems more settled in general,” says Melanie Reid, who is “hoping for less raw material cost price impact for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 – although there can always be something unexpected!”
Despite having pushed ordering of raw materials as far out as possible, Tony Smith at Sika NZ is less positive about supplies and the supply chain coming right short term and that the promise of global manufacturing capacity freeing up, especially around silicon, is simply wide of the mark.
Expect more price increases from different brands, is the consensus, some of which will be because some suppliers have so far chosen not to put through big enough price increases to cover the costs of raw materials and shipping.
Indeed, some players tell me margins on some products have been halved and some reveal they are selling some products at
A flexible approach to sticking
Soudal’s newest addition to the Gorilla FixALL range is FixALL Flexi multi-use, mould-resistant adhesive. Specially formulated for those tasks where flexibility is required, FixALL Flexi comes in a new cartridge that contains recycled plastic! Gorilla’s FixALL sealant and adhesive product range has a solution for every job and is available in cartridges and a new packaging format that requires no application gun.
www.soudal.co.nz/product
Sika e-learning spreads the knowledge
Sika NZ has been working hard on its locally orientated Sika Knowledge Center during this year.
A separate site and with its own URL from Sika NZ’s main New Zealand site, the Knowledge Center covers local products (and NZ industry standards) with short, interactive online product knowledge training sessions that are applicable equally to building and design professionals or store team members and come with LBP points to boot.
Sika NZ’s Tony Smith says the facility has already proven
very valuable and promises more to come, while Julie Pike, the company’s Marketing & Comms Manager, says it’s about trying to be more accessible with handy information, for people to make their choices.
Look out for more on this front as the months unfold.
https://nzl.knowledge.sika.com/
Soudal seeks to simplify
product selection
Soudal has a new online product selection tool (see the URL below). Simply select if you want to “stick”,“seal” or “fill”, if you’re working indoors or outdoors, and the surfaces you’re working with. Soudal will then recommend a product for the job or connect you with their technical helpline! “This new online tool is all about empowering you with the information to be up to it!” says Soudal.
https://selector.soudal.co.nz/selector-tool
28 NZHJ | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022
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