Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Romania: Austrotherm has opened an insulation plant at Arad. The Austrian company opened its third expanded polystyrene (EPS) plant in the country in early November 2017. The unit is intended to serve Transylvania and other western regions.

The company originally entered the Romanian market in 1999 with an EPS plant in Bucharest. A second plant at Horia was opened in 2006. Production of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation followed at this site in 2008.

Austria: Isobasalt, a subsidiary of Austrotherm, plants to build a mineral wool plant at Grosswilfersdorf. The plant is scheduled to start operation in the second quarter of 2017 and the plant will have a production capacity of 250,000t/yr. The unit is expected to create 50 jobs.

Germany: Austrian heat insulation specialist Austrotherm GmbH has launched its first production plant in Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt. The new 114,000m² plant, which produces its characteristic pink extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam insulation board, was built in 10 months with an investment of Euro40m. The plant specialises in the production of XPS substrate specifically for high-pressure loads and high insulation thickness board. Located midway between Berlin and Hamburg, the site is well placed to supply growing markets in Germany and abroad.

“With the new plant, we are much closer to the market and, by eliminating the long transport routes, it will be faster and more flexible for the customer,” said Austrotherm’s sales and internationalisation executive director Gerald Prinzhorn. “It also allows us to export to northern Europe, Poland and the Benelux countries.” The site location is also set to benefit soon from the construction of the A14 motorway at Wittenberg.

Austrotherm, which also manufactures expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation, operates other XPS production units in Austria, Serbia and Romania. In its 2013 financial year annual sales grew by 2% to Euro250m. 

“The fact that we were able to increase sales last year is due to our international activities, such as the new EPS insulating plant in Izmir, Turkey,” said CEO Peter Schmid. He predicted a further sales rise in 2014 with further exports from the Wittenberg plant.

The company has also invested Euro4m to establish its second insulation material plant in Turgutlu, Turkey. 

Germany: Austria's Austrotherm has inaugurated its first manufacturing base in Wittenberge, Brandenburg, Germany. The new plant for extruded polystyrene (XPS) required a Euro40m investment and will employ 70 people. The production capacity was not disclosed. The Austrotherm Group, which has 18 production units in 11 countries, reported a turnover of Euro250m in 2013.

Turkey: Austrian insulation producer Austrotherm has said that its second insulation plant in Turkey will go into operation at the beginning of April 2013. Austrotherm has invested Euro4m in the project.

The new plant is located in Turgutlu, near Izmir and will be focused on the production of grey thermally insulated curtail panels from expanded polystyrene and rigid foams. The new plant will employ 40 workers.

Austrotherm saw its sales rise by 8% to Euro245m in 2012. Austrotherm's foreign sales grew stronger than those on the domestic Austrian market in 2012, according to its CEO Peter Schmid.