Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

China: Owens Corning has completed the acquisition of Guangde SKD Rock Wool Manufacture. SKD produces mineral wool insulation for the building and technical insulation market. No value for the purchase has been disclosed.

“We see great opportunity to provide our customers in China with products in both the mid temperature building and high-temperature industrial-application markets. This acquisition furthers our strategy to expand Owens Corning’s technology portfolio across the three largest insulation markets in the world,” said Owens Corning’s Insulation President Julian Francis.

Owens Corning now has seven insulation manufacturing facilities across China, that provide customers with a full temperature range of products including fiberglass, extruded polystyrene foam, cellular glass and mineral wool insulation.

Belgium: Recticel’s insulation sales fell by 2% year-on-year to Euro60.1m in the first quarter of 2018 from Euro61.3m in the same period in 2017. Although it raised its prices due to increased raw materials costs it blamed a fall in volumes on poor weather and an industry-wide polyisocyanurate P(IR) insulation board unavailability in mid-2017 due to a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) supply shortage. The company added that a new insulation plant it is building in Finland is due to start up in the fourth quarter of 2018.

US: Owens Corning’s insulation sales for the first quarter of 2018 has risen significantly followings its acquisition of Finland’s Paroc. Its net sales for its insulation business rose by 49% year-on-year to US$596m in 2018 from US$399m in the same period in 2017. Earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) rose to US$32m from US$5m. It completed its acquisition of Paroc Group, and its range of European mineral wool insulation production plants, on 5 February 2018.

France: Isover France has launched Isover Recycling, a closed-loop recycling service for construction and demolition glass wool waste. The new service has been developed in partnership with recycling specialists. It aims to reduce glass wool dumping in landfill and increase the proportion of recycled content in Isover’s glass wool insulation products. The Isover Recycling service is currently being deployed in two pilot areas: South-East France and Ile-de-France. It will then be rolled-out across the rest of the country. Other countries like Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden already offer construction site waste recycling services.

US: The National Insulation Association (NIA) has appointed Daniel Bofinger as its president for 2018 – 2019. The appointment was approved following a vote by the NIA members at its 63rd Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, which took place in mid-April 2018. Bofinger is the Regional Vice President–East of FBM-SPI, which is based in Tustin, California. He has worked for FBM-SPI and its legacy companies for over 35 years.

The executive committee of the NIA for 2018 – 2019 includes Dan Bofinger, FBM-SPI as president, Dana Vlk, Distribution International as president-elect, John Lamberton, Irex Contracting Group as secretary and treasurer, Dave Cox, Owens Corning as assistant treasurer and Darrel Bailey, Performance Contracting as the immediate past president.

Regional board members include Jim Gribbins, Gribbins Insulation Company representing the Central States Insulation Association (CSIA), Joe Leo, Atlantic Contracting & Specialties representing the Eastern States Insulation Contractors Association (ESICA), Jeffrey DeGraaf, Industrial Construction & Engineering representing the Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (MICA), Matt Caldwell, Caldwell Insulation representing the Southeastern Insulation Contractors Association (SEICA), Mike Feehery, FBM-SPI, representing the Southwest Insulation Contractors Association (SWICA) and Rick Sutphin, Performance Contracting representing the Western Insulation Contractors Association (WICA).

So called ‘At Large’ members include Michael G Benoit, General Insulation Company, Laura Wells Dover, Dover Insulation, Jake Erickson, Rockwool Technical Insulation, Reid (Huck) Finn, APi, John K Freeman, Petrin, Rudy Nigl, L & C Insulation and John Stevens, Thermal Solutions. Jack Bittner, Johns Manville/Industrial Insulation Group will be an associate member.

Bofinger has also selected Ronald King, NIA consultant and honorary member, and Steve Luse, Luse Thermal Technologies, as his past president advisors. NIA’s executive vice president and chief executive officer Michele M Jones and General Counsel, Gary Auman of Auman, Mahan & Furry, will be advising and counselling the executive committee and the board of directors.