Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Belarus: Gomelstroymaterialy has entered talks with the administration of St Petersburg’s Krasnogvardeyski District over the possible start of exports of insulation and wall panels to the Russian population centre. Business World Magazine has reported that construction, especially of social facilities, is also an area in which the local government officials say they would like to advance cross-border cooperation.

Denmark: Rockwool recorded consolidated sales of Euro924m in the first quarter of 2022, up by 38% year-on-year from first-quarter 2021 levels. The group’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 12% year-on-year to Euro155m.

CEO Jens Birgersson “High demand and sales price increases drove double-digit revenue growth across almost all business units. While not materially affecting sales performance at this point, the terrible war in Ukraine and the challenging geopolitical situation are contributing to an already stressed global economy. Even with the price increases, the soaring energy, material, and logistics costs diluted margins in the first quarter. This will necessitate further price increases across the businesses.” Birgersson added “We expect to restore margins in the coming quarters.”

In its Outlook 2022, Rockwool predicted full-year net sales growth of 20 – 25% in local currencies and Euro425m-worth of group investments during the year, excluding acquisitions. It says that its business in Russia continues operating on a stand-alone basis, in order to avoid nationalisation and loss of its intellectual property.

UK: Mannok recorded sales of Euro270m in 2021, up by 16% year-on-year from Euro233m in 2020. The company’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 17% to Euro25.8m from Euro31.1m. The group attributed this to substantial cost absorption beginning in mid-2021. It noted particularly high raw material costs in its insulation segment due to current global shortages. Overall energy prices rose by 66% year-on-year, while the cost of carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS) credits more than doubled to Euro80/t at the end of the year.

Mannok said that demand for its products remains resilient, supported by stronger cost recovery. It added that a levelling out in energy prices has driven stronger profitability in the first quarter and April of 2022.

US: ADFORS Americas, a Saint-Gobain subsidiary, plans to invest US$28m in expanding its Dublin, Georgia, glass wool products plant. Dow Jones Institutional Newswires has reported that the facility serves Saint-Gobain’s glass wool insulation production. Once completed in 2024, the expansion will create 400 new local roles in serving the plant’s operations.

The Georgia state government has contributed US$12m in tax credits towards the project’s funding.

Poland: Major cement producer Holcim has entered into an agreement to acquire waterproofing, adhesives, polystyrene products and plaster producer Izolbet. Izolbet employs 170 people and operates four production plants in Budzyń, Gostynin, Kleszczów and Chmielów, with most of its business in the high-growth repair and refurbishment market. Holcim says that the new acquisition will help to strengthen its footprint in the renovation, thermal insulation and finishing segment.

Europe, Middle East and Africa region head Miljan Gutovic said “Speciality building solutions have been a key focus for expanding Solutions & Products in Europe, notably with the recent acquisitions of PRB Group in France and PTB-Compaktuna in Belgium. I’m excited to be welcoming all of Izolbet’s employees into the Holcim family, to unleash our next chapter of growth together.

France: The Swiss multinational cement manufacturer Holcim has completed its acquisition of the French speciality building solutions producer PRB Group. The leading cement producer outside of China said that the acquisition will accelerate its transformation into a 30% solutions and products company in sales terms by 2025.

Europe, Middle East and Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said “I warmly welcome all members of the PRB Group into the Holcim family. I’m excited about the outstanding expertise and passion they bring to our team in France. This is another exciting step in the expansion of solutions and products in the highly attractive repair and refurbishment market. We look forward to unleashing our next era of growth together to make cities greener with more energy-efficient and long-lasting buildings.”

Romania: Knauf Insulation has completed its acquisition of Gecsat. Business World Magazine News has reported that Gecsat operates a glass wool insulation plant in Tarnaveni, Mures County. In 2020, it recorded revenues of Euro6.6m. Knauf Insulation’s Romanian portfolio includes glass wool, basalt mineral wool and wood fibreboard operations.

Knauf Group management committee member and Insulation Europe, Middle East and Asia chief executive officer Dominique Bossan said "The acquisition of the Romanian plant will support Knauf Insulation's growth goals and provide additional capacity to meet the growing demand for our insulation solutions in the region.”

Belgium: The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) has certified Recticel Insulation’s Recticel Eurothane GP, Eurothane Eurodeck and Eurowall Cavity polyisocyanurate (PIR) and polyurethane (PUR) as meeting good forest management standards. This ensures customers that the products’ multilayer paper facings are sustainably sourced.

Head of technical management Dirk Vermeulen said “With the PEFC label on our insulation products, we provide proof of our commitment to sustainability to architects, turnkey companies, project developers and contractors, as well as end-users.”