
Sika Malaysia: Shrugging Off Global Construction Slump
From The Breakfast Grille by BFM Media
June 3, 2026 · 23 min
About this episode
Francisco Retondo discusses how Sika Malaysia has thrived despite global market challenges.
Francisco Retondo, General Manager of Sika Malaysia, joins The Breakfast Grille to discuss how the specialty chemical giant has decoupled from a slowing global market. While global sales flattened and a real estate crash hit operations in China, Southeast Asia emerged as Sika's star performer. Francesco breaks down the mechanics of their extensive local footprint, now spanning six factories, and reveals how they are managing a volatile energy crisis. We unpack the delicate trade-off between protecting profit margins and passing costs down to increasingly price-sensitive local contractors, the strategy for fending off aggressive Chinese suppliers looking for overseas buyers, and Sika's bold corporate roadmap to double its Malaysian business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: not specified
Guest: Francisco Retondo
Topics covered
- construction industry
- business strategy
- energy crisis
- profit margins
- market performance
Keywords
- Sika Malaysia
- construction slump
- energy crisis
- profit margins
- Southeast Asia
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sika Malaysia, Sika
Places: Malaysia, China, Southeast Asia
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