China: Bayer MaterialScience intends to increase MDI production from 0.35Mt/yr to 0.50Mt/yr by the middle of 2014, according to polymer news website Gupta Verlag. De-bottlenecking will take place at the polymer manufacturer's MDI production facility at the Bayer Integrated Site Shanghai in Caojing, Shanghai.

"MDI is an important raw material for the production of polyurethane rigid foam, which is an effective insulation material for buildings and refrigerators. The de-bottlenecking will allow the company to further expand its business in China, which is one of the largest markets in the world for Bayer MaterialScience," said Wolfgang Miebach, President of Bayer MaterialScience China.

Sweden: ECO Byggolit, a Swedish producer of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, has applied for corporate reconstruction due to reduced demand from the construction industry. The company, which was established in 2009, has 13 employees and annual sales of Euro6.73m. The company's products are mainly used for insulation of buildings and as a filler in roads.

US: The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has appointed Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd as its director of communications. Fitzgerald-Redd is responsible for developing and implementing marketing and communications initiatives designed in support of the mission of NAIMA for fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products.

Fitzgerald-Redd was most recently with the USA Rice Federation, where she spent six years developing and implementing communication strategies, writing and editing reports, publications and newsletters, managing social media outreach and serving as a media spokesperson. She also worked in employee and customer communications at AMTRAK and spent 13 years working in research, communications and education for the Food Marketing Institute, the international trade association of the supermarket industry. Fitzgerald-Redd holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Virginia State University.

Austria: Wienerberger AG has announced that it has completed the construction of a new production plant in Haiding, Upper Austria. The plant will produce the Porotherm W.i. clay blocks. W.i. stands for 'with thermal insulation', which means the insulating material, natural mineral wool, is already integrated in the clay block.