Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

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.

US: South Korea's Toray Chemical Korea Inc has agreed to pay US$2m to settle a criminal complaint alleging attempted theft of a competitor's trade secrets.

The complaint against Toray was filed in the US District Court in Richmond, Virginia. In an accompanying deferred prosecution agreement, Toray has admitted that the allegations are true and has agreed to pay the penalty and take corrective actions. The government has agreed to drop the case after two years if Toray complies with the agreement.

According to court papers, Toray sought to develop a fibre used in protective fabrics, electrical insulation and other products that is similar to a fibre that is manufactured by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Toray tried to hire former DuPont employees as consultants to obtain information about the DuPont product.

US: PPG Industries has reported that its North American architectural coatings business has completed its acquisition of the Homax Group from Olympus Partners. Homax is a supplier of decorative aerosol wallboard and ceiling-texturing applications that are utilised primarily for home repair. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

UK: Matilda's Planet, a company that develops and manufactures domestic energy-saving products, is hoping to create 55 new jobs after launching its latest insulation system for solid-walled homes. Matilda's Planet said that it will be able to increase manufacturing capacity at its Kenfig Hill plant, near Port Talbot, following a multi-million euro investment backed by Euro565,472 business finance from the Welsh Government.

The extra capacity will be used to produce its Matilda's Blanket product, which was developed in-house using patented technology and is designed to insulate older stone or brick houses that have no cavity walls. It is estimated there are around eight million solid wall homes in the UK that have no insulation, while 34% of homes in Wales were built prior to 1919, before cavity walls became the norm.

Matilda's Blanket uses a slim-line modular panel system which differs from most existing products on the market. The material is stronger than traditional wallboard while each system is made-to-measure using computer-aided design, pre-fabricated and delivered in kit form, so a room can be fully fitted and decorated in a day. Matilda's Blanket has been tested and measured by organisations such as the National Physical Laboratory and the Energy Saving Trust and has been credited with cutting fuel bills typically by around 40%.

"We wanted to keep it in Wales and Welsh Government support ensured it was viable to do so," said David Evans, founder of Matilda's Planet. "We look forward to ramping up production, launching Matilda's Blanket and creating local jobs."

US: Extech Building Materials, a provider of building materials and insulation products for professional builders and contractors, has completed the acquisition of Pasvalco, a natural stone supplier and custom stone fabricator in New Jersey.

US: Following earlier action by the EU, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to publish guidelines on safer alternatives to the flame retardants that are currently used in consumer and commercial products, including building insulation and products with flexible polyurethane foam.

Flame retardant chemicals such as hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) raise concerns for human health and the environment, including potential reproductive, developmental and neurological effects that can be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to aquatic organisms.

The EPA has identified butadiene styrene brominated copolymer as a safer alternative to HBCD used in polystyrene building insulation. The substitute is currently in commercial production in the US. Additionally, oligomeric phosphonate polyol has been proposed as a safer alternative to pentaBDE.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is due to decide on 9 July 2014 whether exemptions can be granted to manufacturers of expanded polystyrene (EPS) to continue using HBCD as a flame retardant beyond the August 2015 phase-out deadline. Most international players are switching to the new non-halogen flame polymeric retardant PolyFR.

UK: Owens Corning, which operates an insulation plant in Selkirk, Scotland, plans to begin using a nearby warehouse within the next three months. The company is consolidating three smaller warehouses within 30km radius of the Selkirk insulation plant into the new West Yard Road warehouse, which will be operated by a third-party logistics company. The warehouse will employ about 20 people.

"It will simplify logistics and result in stronger service for our customers," said Chuck Hartlage, Owens Corning's spokesperson. "We will do this with an improved cost structure."

UK: More than Euro3.25m was issued to households through the new Green Deal Home Improvement Fund during the scheme's first week, which ran from 9 June 2014 to 15 June 2014, according to industry estimates. Some 1736 applications were made for the fund, which offers households in England and Wales up to Euro9494 cash back for making energy-efficient home improvements.

"We've changed the Green Deal to make it simpler and faster for people to make their homes more energy efficient," said Energy and Climate Change secretary Ed Davey. "Under the new incentive scheme domestic energy customers can get up to Euro1249 for installing two measures from an approved list and / or up to Euro7495 for installing solid wall insulation, in addition to up to Euro125 refunded for their Green Deal Assessment."

The scheme also entitles those who have bought a property in the 12 months prior to application to qualify for up to an additional Euro625 if they carry out energy-efficiency improvements.

Germany: Morgan Advanced Materials has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire insulation manufacturer Porextherm Dämmstoffe GmbH, adding to its broad portfolio of thermal insulation products and solutions. The agreement was entered into by Morgan Deutschland Holding GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Morgan Advanced Materials. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the German competition authority.

Porextherm had sales of Euro24m in 2013. It manufactures a wide range of WDS® high-temperature insulation and vacuum insulation panel (VIP) products. It specialises in developing insulation products with the lowest possible thermal conductivity that have superior durability and will enhance the Morgan Group's existing high performance insulating systems portfolio.

"The addition of Porextherm to the Morgan Group enhances our existing portfolio of high-performance insulating systems and also gives us the chance to share knowledge and processes which will lead to future product development," said Mark Robertshaw, CEO of Morgan Advanced Materials. "In line with our strategic priorities, the acquisition brings with it the opportunity to explore new markets and expand our range to benefit both new and existing customers."

"We welcome the opportunity to become part of the Morgan Group and the benefits that being part of an international materials technology leader will bring," said Peter Stubner, managing director of Porextherm Dämmstoffe. "There will be a smooth transition for our customers and we look forward to a mutually successful future as part of the Morgan Group."

US: Knauf Insulation and Guardian Industries Corp have announced that a definitive acquisition agreement has been signed for Knauf Insulation to acquire Guardian Insulation. The transaction includes Guardian Fiberglass, a supplier of insulation products for the construction market, as well as Guardian Laminated Building Products. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

"We are already one of the fastest-growing insulation companies globally and this deal will firmly establish our leadership position in what is the largest insulation market in the world," said Mark Andrews, CEO of Knauf Insulation in North America. "It is an important step in our mission to become the global leader in energy efficient systems for buildings."

"We are delighted to acquire such a high quality business that fits perfectly with our growth strategy and we look forward to welcoming the Guardian Insulation team into the Knauf Insulation family," said Andrews. "This is also great news for customers of both Guardian and Knauf Insulation due to the highly complementary nature of these businesses. The combined entity will have a dramatically expanded manufacturing footprint to help provide high levels of service."

Steve Ziessler, president and CEO of Guardian Building Products, said that the purchase by Knauf is exciting news for Guardian Insulation and its employees. "We are confident that our employees, customers and suppliers can look forward to an excellent future with Knauf Insulation. Guardian and Knauf share a culture of responsibility, accountability, safety, entrepreneurship, strong leadership, innovation and value creation," said Ziessler. "We want our customers and employees to know that we anticipate a smooth transition."