Sika, a multinational specialty chemical company, recently announced that it will acquire Hamatite, the adhesives business of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. Hamatite is a provider of adhesives and sealants to the automotive and construction industries in Japan.
Sika also recently acquired DriTac, a U.S. flooring adhesive company.
This acquisition will significantly strengthen Sika’s market position, increasing market access to all major Japanese OEMs, and notably extend the product offering for sealing and bonding applications in the construction industry.
Hamatite’s product portfolio comprises various technologies — such as polyurethanes, hot melts, and modified silicones. The Hamatite brand has been a preferred solution among Japanese automotive OEMs for glass bonding and hot-melt applications. The main application area in the construction industry is sealing and bonding solutions for exterior facades.
“The global manufacturing footprint will increase our ability to serve our automotive customers worldwide – both at a global and a local level,” said Paul Schuler, CEO of Sika. “We warmly welcome the successful team from Hamatite into the Sika family and are excited to work together in the future.”
Hamatite operates five plants, the main site being in Hiratsuka, Japan. Additional manufacturing facilities are located in Japan, China, Thailand, and in the United States.
Aside from ensuring a seamless business transfer to all valued customers globally, Sika expects to further expand its relationship with and widen its offering for global Japanese car manufacturers when operating in other countries. The combined business will offer an extensive global production footprint, delivering long-term supply chain advantages to all automotive OEMs.
“With Hamatite we will significantly expand our network of talented sales people and customer relationships in the Japanese market,” said Mike Campion, regional manager Asia/Pacific Sika. “Together, we will provide our customers with an extensive range of high-quality products and first-class service…we are looking forward to the Hamatite employees joining our team and to developing our joint cross-selling potential.”
Filed Under: Fastener industry news