Construction World April 2022

as well as other operations. a.b.e. has also strived to be a responsible producer environmentally with its modified powdered products helping to reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint. a.b.e.’s “dustless” cementitious powders, as well as new low VOC waterproofing range, have been widely acclaimed. Rob Winter, a.b.e. GM, says, as a.b.e. moves towards a century of operations, the company has no intention of resting on its laurels. “As part of Saint-Gobain, a European giant in the construction and ancillary industries, we will draw on its vast resources to continue to grow: improving our environmental footprint, our systems as well as production facilities, and strengthening our research and development programmes. New products will be launched to further enhance our product range and service to customers. a.b.e. has survived a Depression, World War and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. We are now truly a state-of-the-art 21 st Century business,” Winter states. 

leading producer of bitumen waterproofing membranes, since 1993. a.b.e. expanded the direct supply of specialised products through a new Retail Division in 1997 which has grown from strength to strength since with the familiar a.b.e. red and black packaging now prominent throughout Southern African hardware outlets. A turning point in a.b.e.’s growth came in 2010 when it delisted from the JSE AltX and was acquired by CHRYSO Southern Africa – now also part of Saint-Gobain. Chryso SA rejuvenated the historic company with new technologies and research and development programmes to modernise a.b.e. and lift its position in the market even further. In recent years, a.b.e. clearly showed that it is now indeed a high- tech modern company with several progressive developments, such as new ‘Best Practice’ innovations, to boost productivity. Research and Development initiatives have optimised product performance and quality: the company now holds ISO9001 accreditation for its Boksburg, Isipingo, and Mount Edgecombe factories

expansion joints applied to many airport runways nationally, and glazing structural adhesives used for the construction of hundreds of glass-walled office and residential towers throughout the African continent; and • A wide range of coatings that include high-performance Polyurea coatings now increasingly specified for formidable sealing projects – even shark tanks. Other a.b.e. coatings are regularly the preferred choice to protect various surfaces from chemical and atmospheric environments. a.b.e. has also brought top global technology to our shores. It holds local distribution rights for the full range of protective coatings and joint fillers produced by VIP (Voelkel Industrie Produkte) in Germany, internationally renowned Polyurea producers; and for Dowsil (formerly Dow Corning) renowned Belgian manufacturers of silicone sealants for the structural bonding of glass, metal and other building components. a.b.e. has also locally supplied the waterproofing range of Italy’s Index, the world’s

35 CONSTRUCTION WORLD APRIL 2022