Sika is a leading manufacturer of chemical products for the construction and industrial sectors. This company will be attending PERUMIN 36 to showcase the quality of its portfolio of solutions, broaden its base of potential users, and announce the new projects that it will be undertaking this year. In an exclusive interview, its Contract & Mining manager Juan Salazar Ramírez talks about the company’s business expectations for the mining sector.

What does Sika expect to achieve at PERUMIN 36? Networking

We expect to expand our client portfolio by 10% as PERUMIN attracts national and international mining companies and service providers operating in the Peruvian market. Our goal is to show the mining sector our portfolio of excellent high-performance state-of-the-art products and systems, as well as our latest developments for them.

What portfolio of innovations will you present at the mining convention?

This year we have planned to present innovative solutions that add value to the production and maintenance processes of a mine, by focusing on solutions for highly resistant coating, sealing and waterproofing injections on site, special grouts for equipment, and innovative products for repairing conveyor belts and polypropylene fibers for shotcrete. The latter will now be manufactured locally.

How important is the mining sector for the company's business?

For Sika Peru, the mining sector is one of Peru’s main growth engines due to its impact on the Peruvian economy. We have a consolidated team focused solely on responding to the sector’s underground and overground needs.

How does Sika contribute to the productivity and sustainability of the mining industry?

We do it by offering high performance sustainable products and a bulk supply, preventing waste caused by empty containers, and supplying specialized products such as mine paste backfill admixtures (paste fill), which use tailings for filling stopes inside the mine, thereby reducing environmental liabilities.

How much do you expect to grow in the mining market in terms of sales and production?

We expect a double-digit growth based not only on sales, but also on the volume of products produced locally.

What new mining-related projects, deliveries or studies is the company planning to undertake?

We are about to finish Sika’s first synthetic macro fiber plant for Latin America, which will enable us to offer immediate solutions. That will improve sustainability, as this product is less damaging to the environment.