Insulation industry news from Global Insulation
Owens Corning completes acquisition of Paroc
06 February 2018US: Owens Corning has completed its acquisition of Finland’s Paroc Group for Euro900m. Completion followed the US company obtaining all the necessary regulatory clearances to buy the mineral wool producer.
“We’ve had a strategic goal to broaden our product portfolio and diversify our geographic scope to better address our customers’ needs and support their growth. The acquisition of Paroc does both. We now have a leading position in Europe and in the global mineral wool business,” said Julian Francis, president of Owens Corning’s Insulation Business.
Adrienne D Elsner appointed to board of Owens Corning
05 February 2018US: Owens Corning has appointed Adrienne D Elsner to its board of directors. Elsner joined Kellogg Company in August 2015. Prior to joining Kellogg Company, she served more than 20 years at Kraft Foods, including Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Her experience also includes sales roles at Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Elsner has served on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council as well as the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. She holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Arizona and a MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Chicago.
BASF to build new methylene diphenyl diisocyanate unit in Louisiana
01 February 2018US: Germany’s BASF plans to start building a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) synthesis unit at its Verbund plant in Geismar, Louisiana in the second quarter of 2018. Planning and engineering for the new unit started in 2016 and were recently completed. The upgrade is expected to double the company’s MDI production capacity to nearly 0.6Mt/yr from 0.3Mt/yr. The investment is planned to support the growth of BASF’s North American business.
Va-Q-tec opens new headquarters in US
23 January 2018US: The German vacuum panel insulation product manufacturer Va-Q-tec has opened its new headquarters in the UY at Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The new site will become the US welcome and innovation centre and showcase Va-Q-tec’s latest products. In addition, Va-Q-tec will also manufacture its small box containers in Langhorne and will use the location as a hub for its rental and repair station. Although the new site will focus on thermal packaging products for industries such as the pharmaceutical sector the company also manufactures vacuum panel insulation products for the construction industry.
Kingspan invests US$10m in software company
19 January 2018Ireland/US: Ireland’s Kingspan has invested US$10m to buy a minority stake in Invicara, US-based a provider of software for the construction industry. Invicara has developed products that integrate with Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, allowing collaboration between partners on construction projects such as architects, engineers and contractors. Louise Foody, Kingspan's Director of Digital and Brand, and Mike Stenson, Head of Innovation at Kingspan, will also join Invicara’s board of directors.
"For manufacturers of building systems and solutions, digitalisation enabled by technologies like BIM is a game changer. At Kingspan, we aim to leverage digital technologies to further align our offerings with our customer's needs and more efficiently collaborate with owners, designers, and contractors at every stage of the building lifecycle," said Foody.
BIM Assure, the first product built on the Invicara platform allows owners to access, validate, and report on model data. The product is currently in use on projects in North America, Ireland, the UK, Australia and Singapore.
IKO joins Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
19 January 2018US: IKO, a producer and distributor of roofing and insulation products, has joined the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA).
“As an association of manufacturers committed to promoting and improving polyiso products, we benefit when we unite behind common goals. IKO’s participation in PIMA will strengthen our role as the unified voice for the North American polyiso industry,” said Justin Koscher, president of PIMA.
The association helps its members share information on policy and technical changes and supports polyiso products. Its other polyiso manufacturing members include Atlas Roofing Corporation, Carlisle Construction Materials, Firestone Building Products, GAF, Johns Manville, Rmax and Soprema.
Kingspan Insulation expands GreenGuard range in US
09 January 2018US: Kingspan Insulation has expanded its GreenGuard extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board range with additional thickness products and strengths. The range now includes 3 inches and 4 inches in select 25, 40 and 60 psi compressive strength boards, and a new four-sided routed drainage channel board. The new products are intended to extend the GreenGuard line into roofing, cold storage, and various below grade and vertical wall applications markets.
New board members take posts at RIMA International for 2018
05 January 2018US: New board members have taken posts at the Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association (RIMA) International for 2018. Doug Kinninger of Fi-Foil Company becomes the new president, Sergio Luconi of Prodex has become the vice-president and Wes Hall of Reflectix remains as secretary and treasurer. Mike Boulding of Mitex International has also joined as a director.
Michael Darr appointed as operations manager of Firestone Building Products plant in Waukesha
14 December 2017US: Michael Darr has been appointed as the operations manager of Firestone Building Products’ plant in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He previously worked as the plant manager for Bridgestone’s tyre plant in Wilson, North Carolina, according to the Wilson Daily Times newspaper. Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone, purchased Gaco Western, a producer of insulation and roofing products, in April 2017 including the Waukesha site.
Johns Manville issues update on upgrade to Waterville plant
11 December 2017US: Johns Manville has issued information about an upgrade to the furnace of its Waterville plant in Ohio that took place in the summer of 2017. The work re-started the plant’s furnace and increased its production capacity. The site produces a range of engineered products, such as continuous glass fibres for insulation, composites, building materials and engineered thermoplastic market.