Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: Owens Corning’s full-year consolidated net sales were US$7.06bn, down by 1% year-on-year from US$7.16bn in 2019. Its loss before interest and taxes was US$124m, compared to earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of US$753m in 2019. Earnings were negatively affected by a non-cash pre-tax impairment charges of US$987m related to its insulation division, recorded in the first quarter of 2020 and driven by the economic uncertainties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Insulation sales fell by 2% to US$2.61bn from US$2.67bn, while insulation EBIT rose by 10% to US$250m from US$230m. Sales from its composites division also fell but rose for roofing.

Chair and chief executive officer Brian Chambers said, “Our global team demonstrated great flexibility and resolve to deliver strong financial results in an unprecedented year. These results showed the strength of our businesses and the earnings power of our company. In 2021, we will continue to focus on the health and safety of our teams, serving the needs of our customers, and positioning the company for long-term success.”

Denmark: Rockwool recorded net sales of Euro2.60bn, down by 4% year-on-year in local currency terms. Profit for the year fell by 12% to Euro251m. Sales were supported in regions where construction was able to remain active throughout the coronavirus lockdowns. The company noted a strong recovery in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Chief executive officer Jens Birgersson said, “Looking back on a turbulent year, we are proud of how well our colleagues handled the many challenges. Our teams ensured employees were safe while quickly adjusting operations, sales and service to match the changing needs of our customers.”

The company plans to make Euro370m of investments, excluding acquisitions in 2021. Planned investments include a new plant in the US and a plant relocation in China, in addition to capacity expansions for its Rockfon and Grodan stone wool businesses.

The group said, “The underlying medium to long-term structural growth drivers for stone wool products are even stronger today than at the start of 2020. On top of fundamental trends like urbanisation and increasingly tighter building regulations, we expect that several other trends will continue driving growth in our business. For example, the growing focus on energy efficiency, fire safety and circularity continues to influence the decisions of consumers, the building industry and policymakers, with the pandemic accelerating these trends in multiple ways.”

UK: SIG recorded full-year sales of Euro2.1bn in 2020, down by 13% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis. In the fourth quarter of 2020, sales rose by 5% in the EU, by 2% in the UK and by 4% overall. The group said that this reflects the initial impact of its Return to Growth strategy. The strategy has delivered increased organic sales, supported by ‘robust demand’ in the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement segment. The company noted France and the UK as robust markets within the segment. It said that profitability improved throughout the second half of 2020, with ‘solid’ performance in the EU. Estimated full-year costs were Euro25m.

The group said “Whilst the evolving Covid-19 backdrop will continue to create uncertainty in the short term, the fundamentals of the group’s markets remain sound and the strong recovery in demand across territories and sectors through the second half was encouraging. Providing there is no material disruption to either our business or end markets as a result of the pandemic, the board expects the near-term benefits of the actions taken in 2020 to deliver organic revenue growth in 2021, including market share gains. The benefits of this will become increasingly evident as the year progresses and should enable us to return to underlying operating profitability during the second half.”

Ireland: Kingspan has reported a sales fall of 5% year-on-year in its 2020 nine-month trading update, to Euro3.27bn from Euro3.44bn in the first nine months of 2019. Its sales of insulation boards fell by 14% and by 5% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2020.

The group said that insulation board sales “performed well” in Ireland, the UK and parts of Continental Europe in the third quarter of 2020, while volumes “improved, with raw material-related price deflation in the earlier part of the period partially offsetting this” in total sales. The Asia Pacific region “consolidated the progress seen in the first half,” while activity in the US was “positive through the third quarter.” Only the Middle East proved “a more challenging environment.”

The company said, “Overall, our end markets are in reasonable shape bearing in mind the uncertain and evolving backdrop. In this environment it is difficult to see too far ahead and trading patterns can evolve quickly. Our raw material costs are on the rise at present and, with the customary lag anticipated, a challenging recovery effort is underway. Trading in the fourth quarter to date has been strong, helped to an extent by accelerated demand in the expectation of inflation-led price increases in the coming months. Whilst conscious that much of the seasonally variable fourth quarter is still at play, in what is an untypical year, we expect to deliver a full year trading profit marginally ahead of 2019.”

US: Huntsman’s net income in the first nine months of 2020 was US$691m, more than doubled from US$259m in the corresponding period of 2019. This was in spite of a fall in sales of 15% to US$4.35bn from US$5.14bn. Its polyurethanes (PU) segment recorded sales of US$2.55bn, down by 13% from US$2.93bn, and earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$271m, down by 36% from US$426m. The company attributed the sector’s sales fall in the third quarter of 2020 to “lower methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) average selling prices,” which “decreased across most major markets in relation to the global economic slowdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.” It added, “Overall polyurethanes sales volumes were roughly flat when including sales volumes in connection with the Icynene-Lapolla Acquisition. The increase in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to lower raw material costs and lower fixed costs, as well as additional sales volumes in connection with the Icynene-Lapolla Acquisition, partially offset by lower MDI pricing.”

President, chair and chief executive officer (CEO) Peter Huntsman said, “The third quarter proved to be better than we had anticipated with improving conditions in almost all of our businesses. Although the global community continues to face significant challenges around Covid-19, we see positive momentum entering the fourth quarter. We remain fully on track in integrating our two downstream acquisitions completed earlier this year and in delivering in excess of US$100m of annualised synergies and savings from our previously announced cost optimization initiative by the end of 2021.”

Luxembourg: Armacell recorded sales worth Euro288.4m in the first half of 2020, down by 10% year-on-year from Euro320m in the first half of 2020. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 17% to Euro52.5m from Euro63.3m. The company said that the effects of lower sales volumes “were not entirely offset by immediate cost control measures.”

President and chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Mathieu said, “Strategically, we are well on track. Armacell has shown a steady performance in the first half of 2020, and our immediate measures to mitigate the risks arising from the pandemic are proving beneficial. Our good performance over the past months underlines the resilience of our business, which we continue to grow.”

US: Huntsman recorded an income of US$649m in the first half of 2020, up by 161% year-on-year from US$249m in the first half of 2019. Sales fell by 18% to US$2.84bn from US$3.45bn. Polyurethane volumes and prices fell globally during the period due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the company, however second-quarter growth in China partly offset this.

Chair, chief executive officer (CEO) and president Peter Huntsman said, “We were fortunate to have been more prepared than ever as we entered the second quarter in an unprecedented global economic crisis, with little to no visibility. With our transformed balance sheet, there was no need to access capital markets and we completed the quarter with US$2.6bn of overall liquidity and generated positive free cash flow. We remain focused on what we can control and have accelerated and improved integration plans for our recent acquisitions, CVC Thermoset Specialties and Icynene-Lapolla.” He continued, “While the on-going related global effects of Covid-19 remain uncertain and visibility continues to be poor, we see improving trends within most of our major markets and are optimistic that the worst of this economic slowdown is behind us."

Netherlands: Recticel reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of Euro17.4m in the first half of 2020, down by 43% year-on-year from Euro30.4m in the first half of 2019. Net sales fell by 18% to Euro374m from Euro454m. Insulation sales during the period were Euro113m, down by 13% from Euro130m.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Olivier Chapelle said that, “volumes were heavily affected by the Covid-19 lockdown measures from mid-March until May 2020. Accelerating activity levels in the building markets led to June volumes exceeding the level of 2019. Selling prices remained under pressure as a consequence of lower raw material costs.”

US: Stepan has recorded a first-half income before tax of US$63.4m, up by 15% year-on-year from US$55.2m in the first half of 2020. Net sales were US$910m, down by 5.4% year-on-year from US$962m. Polymer sales, which includes sales of Stepan’s rigid foam insulation polyols, fell by 20% to US$112m from US$141m due to lower North American and European demand, “reflecting Covid-19 construction project delays,” according to the company. This was partly offset by increased sales volumes of 41% from its China division.

UK: Recticel Insulation says that its production plant in Stoke-on-Trent is ‘Covid-19 Secure Certified.’ This confirmation is defined by the UK government and is designed to enhance safety and provide our staff with confidence in their workplace. Measures taken to meet this standard include conducting a risk assessment, implementing cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures in line with national guidance, encouraging remote working, maintaining social distancing in the workplace and minimising transmission risks where distancing is not possible.

The company also contracted an independent business risk management company to carry out an independent validation audit of its COVID-19 secure risk assessment. The insulation producer says it will, “continue to monitor the government’s advice, and will update measures as required to ensure safety is maintained for staff and visitors alike.”