Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) have certified Knauf Insulation’s Fiberglass Acoustic Panel glass wool insulation panel as Asthma and Allergy Friendly. The certification attests the product’s ability to limit pollutant and allergen exposure in the indoor environment.

Knauf Insulation’s senior vice president of customer experience, innovation, and sales Nathan Walker said “This Asthma and Allergy Friendly certification is evidence of Knauf’s commitment to providing high quality products that can improve indoor air quality and help create healthier home environments.”

US: Knauf Insulation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beginning of operations at its Shasta Lake glass wool insulation plant in California. Local press has reported that the company increased its capacity by 70% over the past two decades. Today, the Shasta Lake plant employs 156 people. It has implemented sustainable practices in its production, including the use of ECOSE Technology plant-based binders in the place of petrochemical alternatives. It also recycles 600,000 glass bottles daily, constituting 50% of its glass consumption. This presented the plant with difficulties when Covid-19 lockdowns reduced local waste glass generation.

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.

US: Owens Corning’s net sales from its insulation division rose by 23% year-on-year to US$859m in the first quarter of 2022 from US$700m in the same period in 2021. Its earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) grew by 15% to US$129m from US$82m. It attributed this to higher selling prices and sales volumes despite inflation and higher transport costs. Overall company net sales and adjusted EBIT increased by 23% to US$2.35bn and by 48% to US$417m respectively.

The light building materials producer also said that it made the decision to end its operations in Russia in March 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It halted all future investments in the country in April 2022. In 2021 its net sales in Russia represented approximately 1% of the company’s consolidated net sales. The company said it is “working to expedite its exit, while remaining committed to the safety and security of its employees in the country.” Owens Corning’s insulation subsidiary Paroc operates in Russia. The group also runs a composite materials plant at Gous in Russia.

US: Saint-Gobain plans to spend US$32m towards to upgrade to CertainTeed’s Chowchilla glasswool plant in California. The investment is part of a US$400m expansion package planned for four US plants previously announced in November 2021. The upgrade work at Chowchilla will include the addition of a new furnace and other equipment that will use less natural gas and electricity. It is the largest investment in the site since its creation in 1978. Saint-Gobain Group estimates that these improvements will reduce CO₂ emissions by 4000t/yr at the site.

US: The National Insulation Association (NIA) has announced its 2022 appointments to its executive committee and board of directors. For the coming year, New York-based Atlantic Contracting & Specialities president Joe Leo will serve as NIA president. North Carolina-based Dover Insulation president Laura Dover will serve as president elect, Wisconsin-based L & C Insulation vice president Rudy Nigl will serve as secretary/treasurer and Kansas-based Performance Contracting senior vice president operations Rick Sutphin will serve as assistant treasurer, while Owens Corning US regional sales manager David Cox will continue to serve on the association’s executive committee as immediate past president. NIA members also appointed regional representatives to five of six board seats, and will appoint the sixth, Eastern US, representative at a later date.

US: Owens Corning’s 16th Sustainability Report has detailed the producer’s progress towards achieving its 2030 sustainability goals. The report covers indicators under 16 topics to demonstrate its environnmental footprint reduction. These included lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing recycled content and circularity, improving energy and process efficiency, increasing renewable energy use and fuel switching from on-site fossil fuel use to lower or zero-carbon alternatives. Between 2007 and 2021, Owens Corning reduced its CO₂ emissions by 60%. In 2021, it recycled 635,000t of glass in its glass wool insulation production.

CEO Brian Chambers and senior vice president and chief sustainability officer (CSO) Frank O'Brien-Bernini said "We have established roadmaps to help our teams understand what’s needed to meet our environmental footprint reduction goals. These roadmaps guide our short, mid and long-term strategies, and help ensure that sustainability remains our priority as we innovate to serve our customers, while addressing both the challenges and the opportunities within the relevant secular trends." They continued "Beyond environmental footprint reduction 'within' our plants, we are working to refine our understanding and set measurable goals for our impact on biodiversity and the circular economy, as well as continually seeking better ways to measure our progress on social impact priorities like inclusion and diversity.”

US: The National Insulation Association (NIA) has announced the winners of its 2022 Safety Excellence Award and Premier Manufacturers Award winners. In the Safety Excellence Associate category, Johns Manville’s Denver, Colorado, plant, Knauf Insulation’s Shelbyville, Indiana, plant, Owens Corning’s Toledo, Ohio, plant and Proto Corporation’s Clearwater, Florida, plant all won Platinum awards. Meanwhile, the NIA’s Premier Industry Manufacturers for the year were Armacell, Johns Manville, Knauf Insulation and Owens Corning.

US: Ethisphere has named Owens Corning on its World’s Most Ethical Companies list for the fifth consecutive year. Dow Jones Institutional Newswires has reported that, among 136 winners, Owens Corning was one of only three construction and building materials companies named. In the past year, it scored perfectly on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index, debuted at number 27 on the Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list and scored Gold in S&P Global’s 2022 Sustainability Yearbook.

Executive Vice President and General Counsel Gina Beredo said "This is an achievement earned and shared by our 20,000 employees across the world who live our purpose each day with an unwavering commitment to ethical business practices."

US: Installed Building Products’ income grew by 19% year-on-year to US$1.97bn in 2021 from US$1.65bn in 2020. Its adjusted earnings before taxation, interest, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) rose by 16% to US$269m from US$231m. Residential market sales growth grew faster than commercial market sales growth.