02/16/2024
Ever since Thermotek, a brand of the former MBCC Group, became part of Sika back in May 2023, Janett Lemus, Vice President Thermotek, has been working closely with Benjamin Reynoso, General Manager Sika Mexico. The two leaders explain the challenges and opportunities arising from the merger, the new joint strategy, and their particular highlight of the last few months.
Thermotek is the leading company for roof coating systems in Mexico. It became part of Sika in May 2023 in the course of the acquisition. Since then, Janett Lemus, Vice President Thermotek, and Benjamin Reynoso, General Manager Sika Mexico, have been working together closely. “Managing the daily routine while integrating the new business has been challenging, but we have done it very successfully,” is how Benjamin Reynoso describes the last few months. “We have had to be on top of everything at all times. But that is precisely what we have managed to do.”
Open and honest dialogue
How has this been possible? Above all, the two managers attribute the success of the integration process primarily to good communication. “We have open and honest dialogue,” says Janett Lemus. She says that since being acquired, the Thermotek team has never had the feeling of not being on equal terms with their Sika colleagues. On the contrary: “We collaborate as if we had been doing so for years.” According to Janett Lemus, teams in the various areas of the business have been working together well, and the collaboration is widening continually. People aren’t looking for solutions just for a single sub-area, but for the company as a whole. Janett Lemus finds that quite remarkable and believes that open dialogue is extremely valuable and one of the keys to a successful integration.
The combination of the two organizations has also been a combination of two corporate cultures. For Thermotek, one of the challenges has been to acquire sufficient knowledge of Sika’s organizational structure and integrate its employees into it. “The focus is our employees. We as managers have to deploy them where they can most benefit the company and best develop their own abilities,” explains Benjamin Reynoso. To allow this to happen, Benjamin Reynoso and his people gave the Thermotek team a clear picture of the new co-workers, culture, and expertise they would encounter at Sika, and helped solve any problems. “Conversely, there have also been cases where we have been able to provide help and advice,” enthuses Janett Lemus about the successful exchange of experience.
Joint distribution strategy
The acquisition of Thermotek has significantly strengthened Sika’s position in the Mexican distribution business. In recent months, one of the main tasks for Benjamin Reynoso and Janett Lemus has been to develop a detailed distribution strategy for the expanded organization. This has also included identifying synergies. “We really are finding new potential synergies every day in areas such as production, logistics, and sales. We also continue to work on optimizing processes so that we can serve our customers even better,” says Janett Lemus. At the same time, Benjamin Reynoso has identified a difference between the two corporate cultures. “At Sika we are quicker to act, while the people at Thermotek take more time to analyze a situation.” He believes that, going forward, the company could strike the optimum balance by combining the two approaches.
Ideal geographic fit
Another major advantage in this context is that the two companies complement one another ideally from a geographic standpoint. Sika is strongly represented in southern and central Mexico, while Thermotek has a strong presence in the center and north of the country. “On top of this, Thermotek’s brand stores give us the opportunity to join forces to get even closer to our end customers, even more quickly, and achieve a presence with the entire product portfolio at all points of sale,” explains Benjamin Reynoso. Which only makes sense:
“Availability is one of the most important factors in the retail business if customers are going to choose us over other brands,” stresses Janett Lemus.
One Company after just two months
These are ambitious plans that both Janett Lemus and Benjamin Reynoso are very optimistic about, especially as they have recently notched up a special achievement.
“Two months after the acquisition, we managed to set up – at very short notice – a three-day sales conference where 70 of our people presented products and exchanged experiences,” explains Janett Lemus enthusiastically. “We succeeded in staging a well-organized event very rapidly. The way our teams collaborated exceeded all our expectations. By the end of the conference, everyone involved felt that they were part of one and the same company,” she relates proudly.
So the prospects for the future are very positive. What wishes and visions do they both have? “I would like our good relationship and the excellent communication between us to endure,” says Janett Lemus. To which Benjamin Reynoso chips in without missing a beat: “Significant growth in sales in our retail business.” As he sees it, everyone needs to be aware of the opportunities opening up with the new combined organization and exploit all available resources. “Then there is nothing to stand in the way of this objective.”