Sika Malaysia: Shrugging Off Global Construction Slump

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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