European production and competence center for flooring and waterproofing systems starts operations
Since January 2015, BASF’s new European competence center for flooring and waterproofing systems at Oldenburg, Germany, has been fully operational. Manufacture of the Masters Builders Solutions products has been relocated from Schaffhausen, Switzerland. This relocation was the key step in the continuing development of business following the sale of the CONICA Sports Surfaces business and the Schaffhausen, Switzerland, facility in July 2013.
Besides Production, Customer Order Management, Sales, Marketing, Product Management, and Research and Development departments are now located at Oldenburg which has proven to be the right choice due to its location in the EU, the good infrastructure, and the competence of its employees.
“Our new center underlines our commitment to sustainable, long-term expansion for our flooring and waterproofing system segments. In addition, we are reinforcing our position as a reliable, innovative partner to our customers and providing support for them through individual solutions,” says Philipp Kley, Senior Vice President of the Construction Chemicals Europe Business Unit. “Oldenburg is very well positioned thanks to the technical competence and experience of its employees and its infrastructure,” completes Mark Paßkowski, Oldenburg site manager.
The relocation of production equipment from Schaffhausen to Oldenburg took place in two stages to minimize negative impact on production operations. BASF has invested in logistics, facilities, production equipment, research and development. The added roll out of the tinting hubs (machines to color the floor systems) in Europe, increases flexibility, brings supply efficiency close to the customer and will improve the professional service significantly.
The professionalism, knowledge and experience of the Master Builders Solutions experts are highly valued in the industry and to that end a fully equipped new Master Builders Solutions training and knowledge center on the site has been created. “We now have the opportunity to train our customers on one central site in Europe, welcoming also colleagues from outside the region,” says Luc Van Eldere, Head of Business Segment Management Performance Flooring Europe. The pathway chosen in Oldenburg, to further focus on the development of environmentally friendly solutions, has already lead to the successful launch of new solutions for the flooring market. “Over the coming years we will keep on focussing on development projects for high-quality and sustainable solutions”, continues Luc Van Eldere.
Developments that have been launched during the last few years are for example the water based topcoats MasterTop TC 442W for industrial use and MasterTop TC 417W for commercial facilities. Both products offer a unique combination of water based polyurethane technology and high technical performance thus creating applicator friendly floor systems that guarantee optimal indoor air quality for the end user. A further new development is the polyurethane systems MasterTop 1327FLR. It complies with even stringent requirements in sound insulation and is still – in comparison to existing solutions on the market – easy to install. Another highlight is the combination of MasterTop wall coverings with its correspondent floor systems enabling the user to install floors and walls in just one application without joints. This is very well suited for areas with the most stringent requirements of hygiene, cleanability and maintenance.
The Master Builders Solutions experts from BASF are continuously working towards the development of new products and improvement. For example the further development of MasterTop 1327 with improved sound deadening characteristics is to be launched this year.
Innovative solutions for flooring and waterproofing systems
Under the MasterTop brand, BASF offers a broad portfolio of innovative flooring systems for a wide range of applications. The requirements faced by each individual floor are different – therefore products have been developed in such a way that they can be tailored individually to meet specific performance criteria, the technical and aesthetic requirements, as well as allowing fast, cost-effective application. The non-solvented MasterTop flooring systems feature low emissions, high strength and low maintenance expenses combined with high durability. Thanks to the wide variety of colours available and liquid application, these flooring systems also allow individual seamless floor designs with respect to shapes and colours.
The MasterSeal range from BASF includes high-performance impregnation and waterproofing products to protect structures against the undesired ingress of water, moisture and contaminations from their surroundings. The products include rapid-hardening waterproofing agents for manual or sprayed application that can be used for the refurbishment and protection of many different types of buildings. These market-leading innovative technologies are suitable for the waterproofing of all types of structures, including car parks, road surfaces, industrial plants, water treatment and wastewater plants.
You will find further information on our products and system solutions on the Internet at: www.master-builders-solutions.basf.co.uk
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
About the Construction Chemicals division
BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemicals solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures: Our comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair & protection systems, performance grouts, performance flooring systems, tile fixing systems, expansion control systems and wood protection solutions. The Construction Chemicals division’s 5,700 employees form a global community of construction experts. To solve our customers’ specific construction challenges from conception through to completion of a project, we combine our know-how across areas of expertise and regions and draw on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies, as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make our customers more successful and drive sustainable construction. The division operates production sites and sales centers in more than 50 countries and achieved sales of about €2.1 billion in 2013.
Master Builders Solutions from BASF
Under the Master Builders Solutions® brand, BASF bundles its advanced chemical solutions for new construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures. Master Builders Solutions is built on the experience gained from more than 100 years in the construction industry. The comprehensive portfolio under the brand encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing solutions, sealants, repair & protection solutions, performance grouts, and performance flooring solutions. Master Builders Solutions is backed by a global community of BASF construction experts. To solve our customers’ specific construction challenges, we combine the suitable elements of our portfolio, our know-how across areas of expertise and regions, and draw on the experience gained in countless construction projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies as well as our in-depth knowledge of local building needs, to develop innovations that help make our customers more successful and drive sustainable construction.
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