Schepens offers a wide range of high-quality, self-developed form release agents and protection oils for the last 60 years. As market leader and innovator within the industry, Schepens has 2 high-tech labs with state-of-the-art measuring equipment and highly qualified members to provide customized solutions for customers worldwide.
Interview with Scheerlinck Benoit, Sales & Export Manager at Schepens.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Scheerlinck Benoit: Our main areas are form and release agents for the concrete industry but we are also active in the area of Fiber cement, AAC and Asphalt. In these areas we are known for our personal approach, knowledge and open communication with our customers. This approach has put us in the market as specialist far beyond our national borders. We currently deliver in more than 50 countries and 5 continents. Our customer’s base has grown in recent years from America to the United Arab Emirates and even as far as China. In these turbulent times with COVID-19, Brexit, raw material shortages and rapidly increasing raw material prices, our personal approach and specialized tailor-made products, in combination with our worldwide customer base, have ensured that we have continued to grow in recent times. We notice that trust in us as a reliable partner has only been strengthened during this challenging period.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
S.B: Form release agents have grown from a banal part in the production cycle to a high-tech and essential element in a high quality end product. Despite the increased complexity and necessity of our product in the concrete sector, product knowledge has not evolved to the same way. Schepens Company see it as its mission to change this by, on-site training ad tailor-made trainings. Together with our customers, we strive for optimal product knowledge and implementation for the ultimate end result.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
S.B: As an environmental conscious company and innovator in our industry we’re continuously looking for new possibilities and opportunities to improve our products. In the recent years we have focused on “green” and “environmentally friendly” products. In this range we are thinking about 100% vegetable based products such as the ESCE Cover Monsoon, ESCE Cover Hedera, ESCE Mistral, ESCE AsfaClean, ESCE BetoClean Bio. But we have also expanded our product range of vegetable based products. One of the important building blocks in our company policy is to create safer products and a safer work environment for our customers.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
S.B: Being ready for the future also means taking in account evolutions on the raw material market. We are thinking here, for example, of the switch from the currently common base oils available on the market to a purer type. This is something that has been on our minds for a long time and is in the pipeline. We already have developed a product range that has been successfully received by various customers. The ESCE Triton p10 is a good example.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
S.B: Renewable raw materials are also becoming more important every day. We already noticing in various countries that these products are gaining a larger share of the market. At this moment we are expanding our product range based on renewable raw materials. Circularity of materials will be the future, not alone for our customers but also for us.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
Next year we are starting with the building of our new production plant of water based products (emulsions). This new factory will allow us a greater flexibility and customization in our product range of emulsions.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
S.B: Despite the increasing prices of raw materials and shortages in the market the building industry kept steady in the first part of the year. Unfortunately, this will not be any different in the near future. Our customers are even expecting a fallback due to the expected slowdown of economy. As a reliable partner to our customers, we feel it our responsibility to keep our customers production sites running at all times. By increasing our stock quantities, we are not only preventing production stops with our customers but we are also trying to stabilize our prices as much as possible.