Oscrete on top form with performance additives division signing up £1M in new contracts

Additives specialist, Oscrete is taking advantage of the latest growth in the performance additives sector, as construction firms and formulators continue to look for innovative and technical solutions for existing and new products alike.

According to research company, Research and Markets, the performance additives market is expected to grow at a CAGR of above 8% during the period of 2019-2024. In February 2018, Grand View Research’s report on construction additives, size, share and trends estimated that in 2016 the global construction additives market size was around USD 17.96 billion.

Chemical construction additives such as water-reducing plasticizers, air-entrainers, accelerators and retarders are anticipated to form the largest segment by type over the forecasted period. Increasing use of these additives in retail and trade products is expected to further drive growth in this sector.

The reinforcement of cementitious products with glass fibres is also a high growth area for the construction industry, increasingly used in major infrastructure projects all over the world to help reduce the occurrence of cracking and allow thinner profiles of decorative and cladding type products without compromising integrity.

Oscrete’s Performance Additives division is forging ahead, with a growing customer base and an increase in contracts and is now a leading supplier of speciality additives for use in the manufacture of dry silo mortars and dry bagged products. Adcrete, the Belfast-based arm of the business, has in particular seen an increase in sales across both Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Innovative solutions have led to increase in demand for Oscretes specialist dry silo mortar products over the past 12 months. There has also been large growth in the supply of Elotex redispersible powder polymers used in materials such as tile adhesives and floor levelling compounds to aid flexibility, adhesion and surface hardness.

The firm distributes a number of specialist products such as Stikloporas and Elotex alongside its own Osperse branded products. New product development is high on the agenda for the coming year when Oscrete will expand its current catalogue of additives and move into a new, bespoke lab facility.

Sales Manager, Duncan Owen, explains: “We have a stronger physical presence in the market and a diverse portfolio of products which we are looking to expand. It is a highly technical area of the business where experience counts when it comes to finding solutions and offering advice for specific projects. The continuing development of innovative additives and new technologies, particularly as the industry advances in terms of both its sustainability and versatility, will continue to fuel the sector’s development.”