Three times more than expected
SMA Mineral has achieved record sales of asphalt fillers on the Finnish market and there are several reasons for these great results.
“Of course, there is basically a constant and long-term sales effort, where our salesman Pasi Naukkarinen has done a very good job. Over the years, we have built up good relationships and shown our customers that we are knowledgeable and can deliver large volumes,” says Veli-Matti Marttala.
“Now other circumstances also matched such as several large asphalt laying projects in the vicinity of our delivery points and a low oil price that lowered the price of bitumen, which allowed more asphalt to be laid.”

Flexible production
Veli-Matti states that SMA Minerals’ production has been very flexible and the company has worked hard to ensure 100% delivery reliability, something it also succeeded in doing.
“We have two lime plants that supply asphalt fillers and can support each other if needed. Cooperation with hauliers has also worked perfectly.”

Believes in continued success
Thus, an unusually strong 2020. And, even if it may not continue at quite the same level in the future, Veli-Matti is confident that there will be larger deliveries than in previous years.
“Now, for example, it is important to find solutions to be competitive in a larger geographical area, if there are no large asphalt laying jobs in our local area.”

Asphalt filler in brief
• Asphalt filler is ground limestone that acts as a binder in the asphalt pulp. It simply holds the stone material and bitumen (oil product) together.
• The better the quality of the asphalt is to be, the more asphalt filler is used.