immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: International

  • Sika opens technology center in India

    Sika opens technology center in India

    Sika AG , headquartered in Baar, has opened a new facility in India. In the industrial city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra, the specialty chemicals manufacturer is developing and producing adhesives and sealants for the Indian market in a new technology center and production facility, according to a media release .

    The 8-million city of Pune is a leading industrial center, in particular due to its established automobile manufacturers and suppliers. The new Sika location with laboratories for development and a factory for production is conveniently located in terms of traffic in order to be able to supply customers quickly, according to the press release.

    “The expansion of our own production facilities as well as our on-site research and development facilities promotes the development of our local know-how and brings enormous advantages to our customers. Customer-specific solutions can be developed, produced and delivered within a very short time. In this way we are laying the basis for Sika's long-term growth and further development in this important market, "said Morten Muschak, Corporate Target Market Manager Industry at Sika, in the press release.

    Sika AG wants to benefit from economic growth, increasing urbanization and a favorable investment policy in India. The country is currently home to the fifth largest automobile market in the world. According to forecasts, the construction industry will grow by an average of 6.5 percent per year by 2030. The vehicle industry is expected to grow by more than 10 percent per year, according to the press release.

  • Holcim sells stores in Brazil

    Holcim sells stores in Brazil

    Holcim is selling its businesses in Brazil. As announced by the company, the company is valued at $ 1.025 billion. It comprises five cement plants, four grinding plants, six plants for aggregates and 19 ready-mixed concrete plants. The buyer is the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional. "This sale is a further step in our transformation into the world's leading provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions," Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted as saying. "It gives us the flexibility to invest in attractive growth opportunities."

    With this sale, the company's balance sheet will be strengthened and the level of indebtedness will be significantly reduced, according to Holcim. It took place as part of an optimization of the portfolio. The proceeds will be used for investments in the Solutions & Products division. This builds on the acquisition of Firestone Building Products , an American manufacturer of flat roof systems, at the beginning of January. This transaction was valued at $ 3.4 billion. As a first step, Holcim introduced the Firestone GacoFlex line for waterproofing roofs in Mexico.

    Despite the sale of the Brazilian business, Latin America remains a key strategic growth region for Holcim. The group recently invested in an additional clinker plant in Malagueño, Argentina, and in a new grinding plant in Yucatán, Mexico. In addition, the expansion of the company's own retail network in Disensa is ongoing.

  • Implenia sells building construction business in Austria

    Implenia sells building construction business in Austria

    Implenia intends to sell its building construction business in Austria to Zech Bau Austria GmbH , the construction and real estate company from Dietlikon informs in a message . The sale should be completed by the end of October. The two partners have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

    "We are pleased to have found a strategically suitable owner for our building construction activities in Zech Group, who will implement a sustainable growth strategy together with our employees in Austria," explains Jens Vollmar, Head of the Buildings Division at Implenia, in the press release. Implenia intends to take responsibility for completing projects that are already under construction.

    The sale of the building construction business in Austria is part of Implenia's strategy of concentrating on the company's core portfolio. The group wants to "focus on integrated construction and real estate services in Switzerland and Germany as well as tunnel construction and related infrastructure projects in other markets", it says in the announcement. At the end of 2020, Implenia had already sold Tüchler Aufbau GmbH in Austria. The company for interior and dry construction was taken over by HK-A Aufbau Holding GmbH.

  • Foreign real estate is becoming more attractive

    Foreign real estate is becoming more attractive

    The majority of the companies active in the real estate market did not allow their risk behavior to be adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, writes EY Switzerland in a report on the current “ Asset Management Survey ”. For the study, EY Switzerland and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts examined the activities of 52 Swiss real estate investors and pension funds. According to the results, most of the respondents intend to continue investing in domestic and increasingly also in foreign real estate in the future.

    "The pandemic has hardly any noticeable impact on the general demand from investors for real estate investments that remain without alternative in the low interest rate environment and especially in uncertain times," Karl Frank Meinzer, Head of Real Estate at EY Switzerland, is quoted in the press release. According to Casper Studer, however, the focus of investments has shifted to more pandemic-resistant properties. "This is particularly true of properties that are used for living and logistics," explains the real estate expert at EY Switzerland. According to the surveys of the analysts, around seven out of ten respondents also play a medium to large role in investment decisions.

    The concentration on residential and logistics real estate goes hand in hand with the increasing attractiveness of foreign real estate. More than six out of ten companies surveyed are planning to increase investments in foreign residential real estate; the figure for domestic residential real estate is 51 percent, according to the press release. 46 percent are interested in logistics properties abroad, and a third of those surveyed want to invest more in domestic logistics properties. On the other hand, 36 and 27 percent of those surveyed want to reduce their portfolio of retail properties in Germany and abroad.

  • Kompotoi feels the spring

    Kompotoi feels the spring

    With spring comes the need for toilets in public spaces again. Kompotoi , the Zurich-based provider of composting toilets, has been back in the city of Zurich with over 20 of its toilets since last Monday in March. You can find them on the Saffainstel near Landiwiese, on Bullingerplatz and in Hohensteinpark on the Uetliberg, as the company reports.

    Kompotoi is also continuing its expansion into Germany this year. After the company delivered its toilet houses in Germany from Darmstadt, this year it is also represented in Munich. In Switzerland, Kompotoi supplies not only from Zurich, but also from Basel, Bern, Freiburg, Graubünden, Lausanne, Martigny and St.Gallen, and now also from Wohlen BE.

    Kompotoi toilets process the human legacy into a soil conditioner without using chemicals or flushing. They are handcrafted in Switzerland. Kompotoi sells and rents out the facilities.

  • Implenia is building tunnels in Norway

    Implenia is building tunnels in Norway

    The entire Fornebubanen project includes the construction of a railway line from the Fornebu peninsula to connect to the Oslo subway. The construction work that began in December last year is expected to be completed in 2027. Under the project Fornebubanen has Implenia commissioned with the planning and construction of a tunnel for a distance of 2.3 kilometers, the construction and real estate company informed of Dietlikon in a release . The contract volume is stated there at 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner or the equivalent of 131 million francs.

    Audun Aaland, Head of Tunneling and Country President Norway at Implenia, is quoted in the press release as quoted in the press release. In addition to the construction of the tunnel and its cross sections, Implenia will also build excavation pits and rock shafts for the Flytårnet and Fornebuporten stations.

    "Those companies that invest the most in alternative fuel technologies and contribute to the electrification of machines and systems performed best in this competition," explains Grete Tvedt, project manager at Fornebubanen, in the press release. "The focus on sustainability seems to produce good solutions, not only in terms of environmental and climate protection, but also for the entire project."

    The contract is to be signed after a ten-day objection period has expired. Construction work is scheduled to start in May of this year.

  • 14Trees is building schools in Africa with 3D printing

    14Trees is building schools in Africa with 3D printing

    14Trees is using 3D printing on a large scale to build affordable residential and school buildings in Africa. Starting in Malawi, such buildings should be realized in record time in this way. The walls of the first school in Salima were printed in just 18 hours, according to a media release . In addition, the CO2 footprint is reduced by up to 70 percent through “optimized use of materials”.

    14Trees is a joint venture between the building materials group LafargeHolcim and the London-based impact investor CDC Group . "I am thrilled with the work our joint venture 14 Trees is doing," said Miljan Gutovic, Head of the Middle East and Africa region and member of the LafargeHolcim Executive Committee, quoted in the press release. "Starting in Malawi, we will use the technology throughout the region and already have projects in the pipeline for Kenya and Zimbabwe."

    Tenbite Ermias, Managing Director Africa of CDC, is convinced that “the broad application of the groundbreaking cutting-edge technology” of 14Trees enables “enormous development effects”. "This is a wonderful example of our investments in companies that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

    As the message goes on to say, UNICEF estimates that Malawi is short of 36,000 classrooms. With conventional technology, this would take 70 years. According to 14Trees, this gap could be closed in ten years with 3D printing. In addition, the local projects would create qualified jobs.

  • Virtual real estate fair Home-E-Fair starts

    Virtual real estate fair Home-E-Fair starts

    The idea for the Home-E-Fair was born out of necessity, according to a media release. Because the real estate trade fair season has so far completely fallen into the water due to the Covid 19 crisis. Georges Luks, CEO and Delegate of the Board of Directors of Zurich Sotheby's International Realty , explains how the idea came about to replace trade fairs with a physical presence with a virtual one: “In the home office, it became clear to us that such a trade fair could actually be virtual without any problems can take place. With Crowdhouse we were able to set up this pilot project in a short time. We believe that this model will also be relevant in the future and are motivated to set up further virtual trade fairs on an even larger scale. "

    At the five-day virtual trade fair from July 22nd, interested parties can log into the trade fair platform from home, study real estate offers, and exchange ideas with consultants via live or video chat. In addition, as at every real estate fair, a number of roundtables and lectures are offered.

    At the fair, the partners Zurich Sotheby's International Realty and Crowdhouse complement each other in real estate, from condominiums to multi-family houses, in which Crowdhouse specializes. Ardian Gjeloshi, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crowdhouse: "Both Zurich Sotheby's International Realty and Crowdhouse speak to the same target group – but from different perspectives: living and investing."