Swiss specialty chemicals firm Sika announced Tuesday that its new mortar production facility was commissioned in Chengdu, China. The expanded capacity will support the launch of new products and help the company to meet increased demand.

“The expanded mortar production in China enables us to address our customers’ needs won an even more targeted basis. With a population of 15 million people, Chengdu is one of the most important economic urban centers in western China. Here we see a growing demand for Sika’s Building Finishing solutions due to large investments in the construction sector,” said Mike Campion, regional manager, Asia/Pacific for Sika, said in a statement. “The strong business trend following the corona-related lockdown shows that we are on the right track: our mortar sales have increased significantly this year despite the crisis. We will continue to expand the business and bring two additional plants onstream in the growing Chinese market over the next eighteen months.”

The company said the growth in the country’s construction market is being driven by investments by the Chinese government in transportation and energy infrastructure, improving intercity connections, and lowering environmental pollution. China’s construction industry is forecasted to grow by 6.1% in the coming year, according to Sika, and continue growing by about 5% through 2029.