Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

UK: Energy efficiency products group entu UK has reported a fall in its interim pre-tax profit amid weakness in insulation and solar power products, but said that it is on target to meet full year expectations, according to Dow Jones. Pre-tax profit for the six months fell to Euro5.42m from Euro7.99m in the same period of 2014, as revenues fell to Euro75.5m from Euro80m.

US: According to local media, Owens Corning plans to open a US$90m production plant in Joplin, Missouri, which is expected to create more than 100 jobs. The plant will manufacture Thermafiber, mineral wool insulation for commercial, residential and industrial applications. Owens Corning expects the plant to be fully-operational in 2016.

"As a company that only operates in markets with attractive long-term macro drivers such as global industrial production, material substitution, US housing and energy efficiency, our decision to locate in Joplin says a lot about the region and the state. Our new location puts us close to attractive markets and accessible raw materials, a decision we believe will result in higher productivity and an increase in efficiency," said Julian Francis, president of Owens Corning Insulation. "We will benefit from Missouri's reputable workforce. As demand for mineral wool increases, we will need many hands on deck to fulfil orders and we are eager to tap into the state's talent."

As an incentive to assist Owens Corning with its expansion, the Department of Economic Development has offered a strategic economic incentive package that the company can receive if it meets strict job creation and investment criteria. The City of Joplin, the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Carl Junction School District, Jasper County and the Missouri Partnership also are assisting with the company's expansion.

"This announcement is terrific news for families in the region that will benefit from these new jobs," said Governor Jay Nixon. "Owens Corning's decision is a testament to our strong manufacturing sector, which has seen tremendous growth over the past few years. While some states are losing manufacturers to other countries, we are attracting new companies and selling more Missouri-made products around the globe."

US: Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that Installed Building Products (IBP) has acquired EcoLogic Energy Solutions, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

EcoLogic is primarily an installer of spray foam and fibreglass insulation serving the Connecticut, New York and Northern New Jersey markets. Approximately half of EcoLogic's sales are in the new residential end market with the remainder split between commercial and repair and remodel activity. EcoLogic's sales for the 12 months that ended on 30 April 2015 were approximately US$6m.

"We are pleased to announce the addition of the EcoLogic team as we continue to strengthen our position in the New York Metropolitan area," said Jeff Edwards, chairman and CEO of IBP. "EcoLogic complements our strategic growth objectives and further diversifies our product and end market exposure. We expect this transaction to be immediately accretive as we integrate these assets onto our platform. Building on our robust acquisition activity to date, we remain committed to further capitalising on the significant expansion opportunities in our strong deal pipeline to continue improving our business."

US: Johns Manville (JM), a Berkshire Hathaway company, has announced that it will increase its glass microfibre capacity by early 2016 at its plant in Waterville, Ohio.

"We have initiated several productivity projects and line modifications that will noticeably increase our microfibre capacity," said Martin Kleinebrecht, marketing and portfolio management leader for JM Engineered Products. "We continue to experience a strong global demand for glass microfibre and we fully expect this trend to continue over the next several years." Kleinebrecht added that JM is exploring a number of additional investments in its glass microfibre business and plans to announce more details in the near future.

JM has maintained a large presence in Waterville since 1958. In addition to glass microfibre, JM manufacturers a variety of premium-quality products at this location, including wet and dry chop glass fibres, single-end rovings and nonwoven fibreglass mat. These materials are used in roofing, gypsum wallboard and specialty applications, as well as in plastic reinforcement and weaving. Glass microfibre products are widely used in filtration and advanced lead-acid battery applications.

Germany: Johns Manville (JM), a Berkshire Hathaway company, has celebrated the inauguration of a state-of-the-art polyester spunbond production line at its plant in Berlin, Germany.

The new Euro32m line is part of a strategic plan to support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. The new line utilises newly-developed proprietary spinning technology and will increase the Berlin plant's spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40%.

"The new capacity at our Berlin plant will benefit Johns Manville's global customer base," said Mary Rhinehart, president and CEO. "Customers will have even greater access to our high-quality filtration products and to a new generation of spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications. This new lines also puts Johns Manville in a prime position to handle continued growth and customer demand in the many global markets we serve."

The Berlin site was founded in 1919 as 'Spinnstofffabrik Zehlendorf AG.' In 1960, Hoechst acquired the plant and in 1967 changed the production from Perlon (artificial silk) to spunbond and filaments polyester. In 1999, JM acquired the Berlin plant from Hoechst Trevira. Plant employees produce and market Evalith™ polyester spunbond nonwovens mainly for the filtration, roofing and geotextile industry.