Freedonia Market Research Analyzes Sealants & Caulks Industry

Demand for sealants and caulks in the US is projected to increase 2.9 percent annually to more than two billion pounds in 2012, valued at almost $4 billion.  This represents an improvement over the gains posted in the 2002-2007 period, reflecting strengthening end-use market fundamentals.  In the critical construction market, which accounted for 60 percent of total demand in 2007, consumption of sealants and caulks will benefit from expected recoveries in residential building and nonbuilding construction (e.g., roads and highways, utilities).  Prospects are also expected to improve in the motor vehicle and aerospace markets. These and other trends, including market share and company profiles, are presented in Sealants & Caulks, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm. 

Demand for sealants and caulks in construction markets will benefit from a recovery in the key single-family home building market, advancing from a weak 2007 base.  In addition, the nonbuilding construction segment will show renewed strength through 2012, reflecting an increasing emphasis on upgrading the nation’s transportation and utility infrastructure. Although new construction will record greater growth through 2012, there also exists a substantial improvement and repair segment, which tends to post more stable gains over time. 

In the motor vehicle market, demand will benefit from increasing motor vehicle production through 2012.  Gains will be concentrated in automobiles and heavy trucks and buses, which will account for the majority of demand.  All motor vehicles require the use of sealants and caulks in window glazing and sealing, sound and vibration deadening and corrosion protection.  However, the trend toward larger passenger vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, is expected to shift in favor of smaller cars, which would moderate gains in demand on a per vehicle basis.  Consumption of sealants and caulks in motor vehicle markets is projected to increase 2.2 percent annually to 245 million pounds in 2012.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.