US/UK/Germany: US-based RPM International Inc has announced that its German tremco illbruck Group has acquired Firetherm Intumescent & Insulation Supplies Ltd, the UK market leader in fire-stopping solutions for the construction industry. Based in Kent, England, Firetherm has annual net sales of approximately Euro6.61m. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to be accretive to earnings within one year, were not disclosed.

Firetherm manufactures and supplies a broad range of fire-stopping products, intumescent coatings and fire-rated sealants and fibreboards. They are primarily sold to specialist fire-stopping contractors, general contractors and home-builders.

"Firetherm, with its high degree of fire-stopping technical expertise, is a good strategic fit with our tremco illbruck Group and its existing Nullifire intumescent coatings business. The acquisition expands tremco illbruck's product range and capabilities for fire-stopping products and propels it to the leading position for passive fire protection in the UK," said Frank C Sullivan, RPM chairman and CEO. "We expect to grow Firetherm in the UK and internationally by leveraging its products across the tremco illbruck distribution network."

China: BASF has begun trial operations at its mononitrobenzene plant within the integrated 400,000t methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) complex in Chongqing, China. This MDI site covers an area of more than 50 hectares, including facilities of 400,000t/yr of Mononitrobenzene, 300,000t/yr of aniline, 400,000t/yr of crude MDI, and an MDI splitter with a capacity of 400,000t/yr. Mononitrobenzene is a precursor for the production of MDI, a component for polyurethanes.

US: Knauf Insulation's plant in Huguley Industrial Park, Alabama will double its production capacity in June 2015, according to Aaron Wine, plant manager. The plant currently produces 200t/day of insulation. With the expansion, that capacity will grow to 400t/day.

During the housing slowdown Knauf shuttered its Lanett plant, which was put back into operation in 2013. According to Wine, the plant makes batts of insulation and blow-in wool. With the new line that is being installed, the Lanett plant will have the capability to produce rolls of insulation as well. When the new line goes online, employment will grow to 215.

US: Owens Corning's consolidated net sales for the first quarter of 2015 have fallen to US$1.21bn year-on-year from US$1.28bn in the same period in 2014. Adjusted earnings fell by US$13 to US$22m for the same period. The results was attributed to a weak roofing business.

"Owens Corning had a good start to 2015. Insulation continues to benefit from growth in US housing starts. Results in Composites reflect strong execution and operational performance. In Roofing, first quarter revenues and margins were weak. However, the Roofing business did not experience the discounting and inventory build in the channel that we saw in the same quarter last year, positioning the business to deliver higher volumes for the remainder of the year," said chairman and chief executive officer Mike Thaman.

To support growth in the North American mineral wool insulation business, the company's board of directors has approved a US$90m investment in a new mineral wool plant, to be operational in late 2016.

For its outlook the US based insulation, roofing and composites manufacturer said that it continues to expect to benefit in 2015 from sustained improvement in the US housing market and moderate global growth. Insulation should continue to benefit from growth in US residential new construction, improved pricing and operating leverage. Composites and roofing businesses are also expected to improve or remain stable respectively.