Nordic Waterproofing is a market-leading supplier of products used to protect and waterproof roofs. It was founded in 2011 as a merger of Trelleborg’s and Lemminkäinen’s waterproofing operations and was listed on OMXS Mid Cap in June 2016. The market is highly consolidated in terms of suppliers, while the customer base is fragmented. The company both supplies (through its Products & Solutions division) and installs (through its Installation Services division) waterproofing products using the materials bitumen and EPDM, but also PVC. Recent acquisitions have also been into prefabricated façade elements and green roofing products.
High barriers to entry, the price-to-weight ratio of waterproofing products benefits local players, while NWG’s economies of scale are also beneficial. Besides a strong balance sheet with plenty of attractive M&A opportunities, the core business offers a high cash flow conversion.
Bitumen and synthetic rubber costs have an impact on the company’s margin. Although the product renewal in the roofing industry is low and the pace of technology advances is small, new product introductions have historically resulted in some small provisions. Furthermore, M&A activity always brings the risk of lower than expected operational synergies and performance of acquired businesses.
