Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
US: TopBuild will pay Owens Corning US$30m to settle a contract dispute from mid-2016. Owens Corning has also agreed to dismiss a lawsuit it filed in May 2016 against the insulation distributor and installer. Additional details of the settlement agreement remain confidential. Following the agreement both companies plan to resume a ‘productive and normalised’ commercial relationship whereby Owens Corning will sell residential insulation to TopBuild and its subsidiaries, including TruTeam.
US: Lapolla Industries has launched a new version of its Foam-Lok 500 spray polyurethane foam insulation product. The updated version has passed the AC 377 End Use Configuration Criteria and the producer says it meets the building code requirements for use with no additional ignition barrier required. The open cell insulation is being marketed for use in sealing the building envelope in both residential and commercial applications.
US: Johns Manville (JM) has appointed Marcia Howes as its Vice President of Global Supply Chain. She will be responsible for leading JM’s global supply chain organisation and for developing and implementing the company’s supply chain strategy.
Howes previously worked for BJC HealthCare in St Louis in a similar role. He brings over 20 years of supply chain experience. Before that she worked at Ecolab where she was vice president of global supply chain and head of global planning for both the medical device health care division and the water process systems businesses. Howes has also held a number of senior level positions in supply chain operations with Amgen, Honeywell and Rhodia (now Solvay).
Howes holds master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland, and both a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. She is a Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing practitioner and an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional member.
UK: Texas’ Huntsman Corporation has completed its acquisition of IFS Chemicals, a manufacturer of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) based systems. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
“With its highly experienced team and loyal customer base, IFS provides us with excellent access to the UK’s growing downstream MDI systems market. It will serve as a strategic platform to expand our business and consolidate our position as a market leader. The acquisition represents the latest step in our plan to strengthen our differentiated downstream capabilities and we now have more than 25 facilities worldwide, reflecting our confidence in the long-term growth prospects for MDI-based urethanes, ” said Tony Hankins, president of Huntsman’s Polyurethanes division.
US: Huttig Building Products has announced a national distribution agreement with Knauf Insulation. The building materials distributor will carry a variety of Knauf Insulation products. The deal is the latest in a series of moves by Huttig to secure more brands and to broaden its range.
US: Owens Corning announced plans to introduce formaldehyde-free mineral wool insulation solutions at the American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Thermafiber SAFB (Sound Attenuation Fire Blankets) is available for specification now and will be in the market later in 2017. Thermafiber UltraBatt will follow in a series of formaldehyde-free Thermafiber mineral wool insulation products.
“Remaining true to the brand’s history as an industry pioneer, the launch of formaldehyde-free Thermafiber mineral wool insulation coupled with our investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Joplin, Missouri strengthens our impressive portfolio of product solutions and our commitment to the industry,” said Todd Fister, vice president of insulation strategic marketing.
US: Owens Corning’s net sales from insulation rose by 4% year-on-year to US$399m in the first quarter of 2017 from US$385m in the same period of 2016. However, its earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) for insulation fell by 62% to US$5m from US$13m. The company said that the business benefitted from continued recovery in the US residential market. Overall across all business lines the company’s net sales and EBIT rose in the quarter.
“Owens Corning is off to a great start in 2017. The company capitalised on market growth and delivered an outstanding result in the quarter,” said chairman and chief executive officer Mike Thaman. “All three businesses are executing on our priorities, and we are well-positioned to achieve another year of strong performance.”
Wanhua Chemical to build MDI plant in Louisiana
13 April 2017US: China’s Wanhua Chemical plans to build a US$1.1bn methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) plant in Louisiana. The chemical producer has not revealed where it intends to build the plant, what size it will be or when it plans to start construction, according to local media. It expects to choose a site later in 2017. Wanhua Chemical will contribute about US$950m towards the project and US$170m will come from an unnamed partner.
Wanhua Chemical operates two MDI plants in China. In 2011 it spent US$1.7bn when it purchased BorsodChem, a Hungarian polyurethanes manufacturer. Louisiana state officials have reportedly been discussing the project with Wanhua since 2013.
US: A fire reported at Owens Corning’s insulation plant in Newark, Ohio on 25 March 2017 is the latest in a series of such events at the site. The fire is believed to have started in the plant’s insulation system before spreading to a few rooms and the roof of a building, according to the Newark Advocate newspaper. It is the third significant fire at the site since 2013 following incidents in November 2013 and January 2014. Owens Corning has said that it takes the safety of its employees seriously and that it has taken ‘numerous’ actions to minimise the risk of fires at the plant.
Johns Manville open cell spray foam product meets requirements for application without an ignition barrier in attics
06 March 2017US: Johns Manville’s Corbond open cell spray foam (oc SPF) has met the requirements for application without a prescriptive ignition barrier in sealed unoccupied attics for commercial and residential projects. The approval eliminates the need to apply a separate fire protective coating. The achievement is detailed in a code compliant research report, CCRR-1079, from Intertek.
“We are committed to providing the highest quality service and products to our customers, which is why we are constantly improving upon our broad range of insulation solutions,” said Bob Wamboldt, senior vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems at Johns Manville. “By optimising JM Corbond oc SPF to achieve new code compliance, we are helping our customers achieve performance goals in less time and with fewer materials.”
JM Corbond oc SPF is a two-component, low-density, non-structural insulation system designed for commercial, residential and industrial applications.