A. Todd Muhleman is senior consultant for The ChemQuest Group Inc. an international strategic management consulting firm specializing in the adhesives, sealants and coatings industries, headquartered in Cincinnati. For more information, phone (513) 469-7555 or visit www.chemquest.com.
Construction-related end uses are among the largest categories of adhesive applications, making up approximately $4 billion of the $16 billion adhesive market in the U.S.
Historically,
residential housing has led the economy into and out of recessions. Look to an
increase in new housing builds as a leading indicator that the recession is
near an end.
The adhesives industry continues to face upstream cost pressure from two convergent events: increased energy prices (in the form of more expensive oil and natural gas) and capacity constraints among
