MOSCOW—Gummiwerk Kraiburg GmbH & Co. K.G., the German rubber and silicone compound manufacturer, anticipates good growth in 2014 on the back of Russian demand for its “high quality” products.
Bernd Schultheis, head of Department of Industrial Applications, said the Russian market needs high quality compounds in the oil and gas, automotive and engineering sectors.
“And the Russian rubber industry is not able to deliver such compounds,” Schultheis said at the Moscow Tires & Rubber Exhibition.
Kraiburg can fill that demand, said Schultheis, also the firm's technical director in Bavaria (Germany). He feels the German reputation for quality pays off.
“A lot of our Russian customers want to work with us exclusively, and they pay for this,” he said. “This is typically Russian and very good for us. It also means it is relatively easy to enter the market when you work with a customer who wants an exclusive deal. You get a very good name.”
Kraiburg has been involved in the exhibition show for three years and have five years of experience in the country. It has built relationships with Russian companies Integra Group and Radius Servis.
Schultheis said the event is seen as a chance to “show we are closer to customers and the Russian markets.”
He said many customers want to do a joint venture with Kraiburg, which, he said, “we are open to, and we are talking about it.”