Conmix Limited, one of the largest quality manufacturers of ready-mix concrete and dry pre-mix plaster products in the Middle East, recently expanded its product range with the introduction of construction chemicals, a new division with technical support of an international company. 

The company also introduced insulation system and heritage plaster - Conmix CHP, which is a premixed, pigmented, mineral-based decorative plaster for internal and external application. Various types of finishes are possible using different application techniques.
“With CHP we can replicate the traditional appearance of Arabian houses combined with the reliability that comes  with modern building materials,” said CEO Lothar Hellenkamp.
The construction chemicals that the new division is manufacturing include admixtures, waterproofing, flooring, coatings, grouts, concrete repair mortars, joint sealants, bonding agents and tile adhesives .
The division has the technical support of Cormix International, Bangkok.
The company had an “exceptional” 87 per cent increase in business in 2004, said Hellenkamp,
 He said the outlook for 2005 was promising, and the company expected even better growth during the year.
The UAE is a major market for the company while nearly 22 per cent of the production (pre-mix plaster, and construction chemicals) is exported to the GCC, South Asia, East Africa and Near East regions.
 The UAE is a major market for the company while nearly 22 per cent of the production (pre-mix plaster, and construction chemicals) is exported to the GCC, South Asia, East Africa and Near East regions.
 Established in 1975 in Sharjah, Conmix’s product range covers ready-mix concrete, cement and gypsum lime plasters decorative plasters, acoustic and insulation plasters, tile adhesives and grouts, surface treatments, repairs and specialised mortars, as well as construction chemicals.
  The company’s current production facilities comprise six fully computerised concrete batching plants with a combined capacity of 500 cu m of ready-mix concrete per hour and three dry mix plaster plants, out of which one is in India. Support equipment includes sand drying ovens, screening units, de-dusting plants, packaging machines, overhead conveying systems and storage silos. There is  sufficient warehouse space for bagged plaster products.
 Delivery of ready-mixed concrete in the UAE is ensured both promptly and accurately through logistically efficient use of its fleet of about 100 transit mixers, as well as almost 20 Putzmeister mobile and stationary concrete pumps, whereby the mobile pumps can reach up to 43 m of height.  In addition to this, the company can provide hydraulic concrete distributor booms whenever required.
 All through, customers are guaranteed superb international quality standards.  Conmix complies with the ISO 9001:2000 Quality System Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing. 
 Each factory has a fully equipped laboratory where experienced professionals carry out strict checks on product quality. These laboratories also collaborate with customers to develop products tailor-made to meet their specific requirements.  Its products meet all the relevant BS, ASTM and DIN standards. Incidentally, Conmix is one of the first companies to bring “self-compacting concrete” to the UAE (self-compacting concrete is a high-flow, yet stable, concrete that can be spread into place and fill the formwork without any vibration).
One of the major difficulties facing the industry is the increase in the cost of products. “As most of our chemicals are imported from Germany, a strong Euro increases the product costs,” said Hellenkamp,
 Conmix is a joint venture whose owners, apart from the Bukhatir Group, are German-Gulf Enterprises, Sharjah, and Karl Epple GmbH & Co KG of Germany, which is nearly 100 years’ old and is internationally acclaimed as a pioneer in the fields of ready-mix concrete and dry pre-mix plaster technology.