Merger creates top offering in fiber cement boards

Aesthetics, durability and fire safety combined

At a time when construction methods are changing, cladding must meet many requirements. Architects are looking for a solution that is beautiful, affordable, functional and durable. All these properties come together in Swisspearl's fiber cement panels, which consist almost entirely of mineral raw materials. Two major European manufacturers of fiber cement boards are now strengthening each other. Indeed, the originally Danish Cembrit has been acquired by the Swiss Swisspearl Group.  

Architect Consultant Dennis Schoonemeijer: "The name change means we can now conquer the Dutch market with 'top off the bill' fiber cement boards. They have a very good price/quality ratio, which other suppliers find difficult to compete with." The acquisition doubles Swisspearl's size, and gives the company a large market in Europe.

Patina collection will be preserved

"Now that we are called Swisspearl, our product range has changed, but our Patina family remains. These panels have a very natural look and are very popular." The Cembrit Patina Original is a through-and-through colored cladding panel, which naturally takes on a patina appearance. "This program is available with a harder top layer and even an anti-graffiti layer. Of additional interest to Swisspearl was the drying method of these panels. Fiber cement slabs are usually air-dried. This has qualitative advantages, but requires quite a lot of time. At the Cembrit plant in Hungary, however, the Patina slabs are dried under high pressure and temperature. This is a lot faster and thus really adds value to the existing Swisspearl offering."

Assortment to the next level

Three types of air-dried boards from Cembrit have been replaced by Swisspearl products. "This transition is only positive because these plates are slightly more beautiful. One of these is the successful Carat series with a translucent, lightly pigmented surface. The 24 shades range from light to dark and from cool to warm tones. A special HR coating (scratch resistant & UV resistant, among others) is also possible. "Our competitors try to copy this product, but this coating proves to be unmatchable," he said.

A second Swisspearl cladding panel that fits well with the needs of the Dutch market is Nobilis. "This is a gray panel with a translucent, slightly pigmented surface that emphasizes the fiber cement texture. Natural tones were already a trend, but we notice that soft tones are now also in much greater demand. The soft and sophisticated look of Nobilis matches this."  

Looking for a cloud-like and marbled look? Then the fiber cement panel Avera is the right choice. "The naturally dried and dyed-through panel has a special cloudy appearance. The highly resistant standard coating makes these panels highly scratch-resistant and protects them from heavy soiling and graffiti." 

Not only aesthetics are important, Swisspearl is therefore responding to changes in the construction industry. Schoonemeijer: "Sustainable timber construction is being chosen more often. Fire safety is then of course essential. We offer the right solution for this by integrating the technical board more into the entire construction. In addition, fiber cement boards are non-combustible, rot-resistant and virtually maintenance-free. We have done several End-Use tests and are ready for the Quality Assurance Act. In this way, we can relieve the architect. We also do this with the Sigma pro 8 system, which allows our panels to be anchored blind. With this we are ahead of the competition and offer a good alternative to gluing."