Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. The company carries out its worldwide activities according to regions which determine the segments of the reporting. The regional breakdown is based on unified economic areas and supply chain structures. Overarching leadership responsibility ensures integrated management from production to the customer.
In the 2021 fiscal year, Sika performed impressively in a challenging environment, recording significant growth in all regions. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and general difficulties in procuring certain raw materials, business activities were continued at a high level and Sika was able to strengthen its position.
An economic recovery took hold in the entire Americas region in 2021. Following a prolonged negative growth phase of –6.8% in 2020, Latin America bounced back with positive growth of 6.3% in 2021. Economic growth in the United States and Canada amounted to around 5% and 6%, respectively. The Americas region recorded growth in local currencies of 21.0% (previous year: 1.0%). In the USA, Sika gained substantial momentum. Growth was driven primarily by large-scale refurbishment projects and new-build projects in the area of distribution and data centers. Furthermore, Sika has successfully positioned itself to participate in the large state-sponsored infrastructure projects. E-commerce platforms and direct sales channels also recorded strong growth, as working from home increased and consumers were keen to invest in their apartments. Due to the strong demand for raw materials, the mining sector also developed dynamically. Strong growth rates were achieved in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile. In the Americas region the strategic focus of business activities on big cities and metropolitan areas again paid off, as did the concentration on major infrastructure projectsand the targeted realization of cross-selling potential.
Key figures 2021:
Net sales: CHF 2,427 mn
EBIT: CHF 446 mn
EBIT margin: 18.4%
Employees: 6,002
Key investments in 2021:
Sika acquired DriTac, a US-based company with a strong market position in wood floor bonding.
A manufacturer of mortar products in Brazil was brought into the Sika Group in the form of BR Massa.
The company also acquired American Hydrotech Inc. in the United States and its Canadian subsidiary Hydrotech Membrane Corporation.
Sika also acquired the family-run company Bexel Internacional S.A. de C.V., a leading manufacturer of tile adhesives and stuccos in Mexico.
Following a phase of economic downturn, the Eurozone exhibited robust consumer-driven growth in the spring and summer when the pandemic-related restrictions were eased. However, the economic recovery lost some of its momentum from the third quarter onward as new waves of the COVID-19 virus weighed on consumer sentiment and certain manufacturing activities had to be scaled back. Sika performed well in this challenging environment, benefiting from – among other things –implemented and planned state investment programs. These will continue to stimulate the Eurozone construction economy over the coming years. Sika’s sales in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) were up by 16.1% in local currencies (previous year: 4.4%). As in 2020, growth in distribution and renovation business outstripped growth in the other business segments post doubledigit growth. Nearly all countries in the region achieved double-digit growth rates. The United Kingdom and the countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe benefited from an upsurge ingrowth. In general, purchases of Sika product solutions via e-commerce platforms saw an above-average increase.
Key figures 2021:
Net sales: CHF 4,071 mn
EBIT: CHF 691 mn
EBIT margin: 17%
Employees: 11,243
Key investments in 2021:
Sika acquired a leading manufacturer of mortar products in Russia in the form of Kreps LLC.
Various countries in Asia/Pacific benefited from the onset of a wide-ranging recovery in the year under review. With economic growth of 8.1%, China developed positively thanks to a strong export economy. India likewise displayed positive momentum and was able to benefit from public sector stimuli in both infrastructure and manufacturing. Australia and New Zealand recorded GDP growth of 3.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The construction economy of Southeast Asia gained a certain momentum in the first half of 2021, although a number of countries in the region then recorded a slowdown in the second half as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold again. Sika managed to increase sales in local currencies in the Asia/Pacific region by 19.4% (previous year: 12.6%). China in particular benefited from the ongoing strong momentum with double-digit organic growth rates, and successfully expanded its infrastructure and distribution business. India continued to see a dynamic development, while the countries in Southeast Asia gradually recovered from the severe lockdowns in the last quarter of the year. The trend in Japan remains challenging. Investment activity in the country’s construction market is still subdued.
Key figures 2021:
Net sales: CHF 2,081 mn
EBIT: CHF 349 mn
EBIT margin: 16.8%
Employees: 6,976
Key investments in 2021:
Sika acquired Hamatite, the adhesivesdivision of Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. Hamatite.
In China, Sika acquired Shenzhen Landun Holding Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of a comprehensive range of products and technologies for building waterproofing.
Following a year-on-year decline of 16.2% in 2020, the number of globally produced new vehicles rose by 2.5% in 2021, thereby recording a slightly positive growth figure for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The automotive industry continued to experience major bottlenecks in the electronic parts supply chain. Whereas forecasts at the beginning of the year predicted a strong recovery in the volume of new vehicles manufactured compared with the previous year, there was in fact a sharp decline in the second half owing to the lack of availability of semiconductors. In the Global Business segment, Sika achieved growth in local currencies of 4.3% (previous year: –11.4%) while at the same time further expanding its position in a difficult automotive market. Sika grew faster than the market thanks to the marketing of its product range on new model platforms and an expansion of the share of Sika products in e-vehicles. The company is anticipating continued growth stimuli from technological change and the megatrends in modern automotive construction. This will benefit lightweight construction techniques. Above all, however, the transition from traditional drive systems to electromobility gained momentum during the pandemic and is benefiting from various government support programs in a number of countries.
Key figures 2021:
Net sales: CHF 673 mn
EBIT: CHF 50 mn
EBIT margin: 7.4%
Employees: 2,157