Gulf Construction Online - Henkel hands out expert advice

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Henkel hands out expert advice

01 December 2011

THE Big 5 show was a resounding success for Henkel, according to Kim Tagesen, the company’s general manager adhesive technologies for the Gulf region.

'It has been a successful show for all our industries and there has been a lot of interest in our Loctite and Pattex brands for construction and for engineering,' he says. 'Everybody on our team was busy from day one as visitors showed a lot of interest in our range of products across all of the industries we serve.'

The Henkel team also noticed a change in the types of enquiries from visitors, which in turn required a higher level of expert advice from them.

'There is a change in terms of what people are looking for,' Tagesen says. 'The market is looking more for advice and consultancy on how to do things better and information about our products than was the case in the past. It is not just about low cost any more. It is about finding the right companies that can be consultants, and for us it is not just about adhesives per se, it is about the people we have in our team who come from the construction world and know what they are talking about and who can really make a difference. This is what people appreciate about coming here now.'

In particular, Henkel’s customers are asking more and more about sustainability, not only with regards to Henkel’s particular products but also in the wider sense, because the concept and practice becomes more and more important for the construction industry in the region.

This is very good news for Henkel as the company has long been at the forefront in the development of sustainable products, he says.

'This shows that people are really seeing that sustainability is something they need to focus on, which is great news for us,' he says. 'Sustainability is a core value for Henkel which we have in our stated vision and values and this is an area where we can contribute at a different, higher level not only in terms of the type of adhesive to supply but also in advising what sustainability is about.'

There are several examples of Henkel’s commitment to sustainability and its customers’ health and safety, such as the elimination of toluene in all consumer and building adhesive goods throughout Middle East and Africa. This harmful solvent has been removed in all Henkel’s contact adhesive goods in order to not only provide greater benefit to its customer but also work in a healthy environment, he says.

'People have to be educated as to why we no longer use toluene and this is why we had our slogan ‘Sustainability through Innovation’ displayed so prominently on the stand,' Tagesen says. 'It lists five key elements for new products – energy, climate, water, materials and health and social progress – and all of our new innovations will have to fit into these five categories.'

'Everybody has been talking about sustainability but we are a company that really takes it and puts it into all aspects of our business. This is why we are being sought out by major groups who ask us to give them advice. We are seen as a benchmark to our customers, which is great because it shows that all the effort and money we have invested in it is really paying off,' he concludes.