Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Ireland: Belgian laminate floors producer Unilin has announced the acquisition of Irish insulation boards manufacturer Xtratherm. The acquisition will make Unilin an important player in the growing market of insulation materials. Xtratherm is also active in Belgium. The company inaugurated a new plant in the summer of 2015 for insulation boards in Feluy, specifically for the European continent.

US: Distribution International Inc, a leading distributor and fabricator in the mechanical insulation market, has acquired Washington-based E.J. Bartells, a supplier of mechanical and industrial insulation, fabrication, refractory and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products throughout the Pacific Northwest and Western states.

"With the acquisition of E.J. Bartells, we have significantly expanded our North American, coast-to-coast footprint into Alaska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington with the addition of the premier insulation distributor in the Pacific Northwest," said Celeste Mastin, CEO of Distribution International.

"Providing the best solutions to our customers has always been the focus at E.J. Bartells. The additional products and resources that will be available to our customers through DI will allow us to be even more competitive in meeting our customers' needs," said Brian Farnsworth, President of E.J. Bartells.

Denmark: Rockwool has appointed Mirella Vitale as the new Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs. She currently holds the position of Vice President of Global Marketing and Market Intelligence at Vestas. Vitale will assume her new position by 1 March 2016.

UK/Germany: UK-based private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP has agreed to divest Armacell International SA in a deal that values the German insulation materials firm at Euro960m, according to Reuters. Charterhouse, which paid Euro520m for Armacell in 2013, will sell it to private equity funds managed by US Blackstone Group LP. The transaction is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2016. Armacell reported net sales of Euro452m in 2014.

Mongolia: Mongol Basalt LLC and Italy's Gamma Meccanica have signed a US$18m agreement to produce mineral wool insulation materials and purchase a production line.
The agreement was signed during the visit of Mongolian Minister of Industry Dondogdorj Erdenbat to Italy. Mongol Basalt has also entered loan negotiations with the Intesa Sanpaolo banking group to receive funds to buy equipment. The loan will be guaranteed by the Italian Export Credit Agency (SACE).