FEICA hosts first Suppliers’ Day

FEICA’s virtual Suppliers’ Day on 8 September 2021 provided an online platform for producers of adhesives and sealants to meet with the industry’s suppliers .

FEICA (the Association of the European Adhesive & Sealant Industry) invited suppliers and service providers to share their knowledge and experience with an international audience of industry leaders and stakeholders at FEICA’s first Suppliers’ Day, which took place on September 8, 2021.

In today’s volatile business environment, adhesives and sealants companies face multiple challenges, such as feedstock costs and availability, and the impact of by-products. At the same time, they are also still faced with a continual focus on delivering improvements in sustainability as well as financial performance.

Suppliers’ Day provided an ideal online platform for producers of adhesives and sealants to connect with the industry’s suppliers in order to address many of today’s most important issues and demonstrate some of the solutions their companies have developed. The one-day event offered a broad programme, presenting on polyolefin hotmelts, SMP and silicone sealants, solvent- and water-based adhesives, PU adhesives and sealants, manufacturing processes and business innovations.

The companies showcasing their products were Arkema, Arlanxeo Deutschland GmbH, Clariant International Ltd., COATEX, Imerys Performance Minerals, KRAHN Chemie Deutschland GmbH, Kraton Polymers Belgium, LANXESS, Lubrizol Engineered Polymers EMEAI, NETSCH Feinmahltechnik GmbH, Omya International AG, Repsol Technology Lab, Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Totalenergies Fluids and UTH GmbH.

Suppliers’ Day proved to be a great opportunity for experts at adhesive and sealant producing companies to discover the latest product innovations and technologies through a series of video presentations, while the interactive event platform facilitated networking with both speakers and other event participants. In turn, suppliers and service providers were able to elaborate on their latest products via a Q&A at the end of their presentations.

Dr Kay Kian Hee, Product Innovation & Technical Manager at Shell MDS (Malaysia), and first speaker at the event stated: ‘We were very pleased to be part of this inaugural event by FEICA, which is a great platform to reach out to our customers more widely, especially with the recent launch of two new products.”

Christopher Dobbins, Application Manager for Adhesives and Sealants at Omya International AG, said: "Thank you to all at FEICA for arranging such a well organised Suppliers’ Day. It was a privilege to present at the event.”

FEICA Secretary General Kristel Ons added: "Travel restrictions under COVID19 had left the industry without many face-to-face meetings where innovations in the supply chain are traditionally discussed. We therefore felt that a virtual Suppliers’ Day would provide an excellent platform for producers of adhesives and sealants to meet with the industry’s suppliers on an individual basis, and for raw material suppliers and service providers to showcase their product and business developments. We were delighted that 250 registrants from 26 countries attended Suppliers’ Day, making it a great success!”