Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

US: Insulation producer Johns Manville (JM) has announced that Dr Timothy Swales, vice president of corporate research and development, has assumed the additional role of chief sustainability officer. Swales' previous roles within JM include director of research and development and director of innovation and commercialisation for the Engineered Products business. He is responsible for research and development across all of JM's businesses as well as a continuous focus on the company's sustainability strategy and achievement of the company's sustainability goals.

"Tim is a proven business leader with a successful track record associated with major innovation and sustainability initiatives," said Todd Raba, JM chairman, president and CEO. "As our chief sustainability officer Tim will ensure that we continue to make progress on our long-term sustainability goals including integrating sustainability into JM's business strategy."

Prior to joining JM, Swales spent more than 17 years at 3M and its spin-off Imation. Swales received his PhD in physical polymer chemistry from the University of Manchester, UK.

US/Denmark: The board of directors at Denmark's Rockwool have approved a plan to establish the group's first production facility in the United States. The new plant will be constructed in Marshall County, Mississippi, approximately 50km from Memphis, Tennessee. Subject to the successful completion of due diligence in the coming months, the plant is expected to be ready in 2014 and will, when reaching full capacity, be able to deliver more than 100,000t/yr of stone wool insulation. The investment is expected to total around Euro125m.

Commenting on the expansion, Rockwool CEO Eelco van Heel said, "We have seen strong interest from big DIY chains to offer our products to their customers. The unique thermal, acoustic and fire safe qualities of our stone wool insulation are appreciated by their customers. With this new plant in the southern part of the US, we are happy to expand our geographical coverage to new regions of the continent where we are currently not present. The additional capacity will also support our strong growth in other key insulation markets such as commercial buildings, flat roofs and industrial applications".

Rockwool has seen good sales growth in North America in recent years despite the otherwise troubled US construction sector. To date the US market has been serviced from the group's two factories in Canada. In 2011 sales in North America accounted for 8% of total group sales. This share is expected to grow in the coming years.

UK: Saint-Gobain has signed an agreement to acquire Celotex Group Limited, one of the leading British producers of high performance insulating foam.

Celotex had a turnover of Euro86.7m during its last fiscal year to August 2011. The company currently has 170 employees and two production lines based in Hadleigh near Ipswich, UK. It recently extended its capacity with a new Euro3.7m distribution and innovation centre in order to support its growth in the construction market. Celotex will continue to operate under its brand name and with its existing management team.

Already present in the UK and Ireland on the insulation market with its Isover brand, Saint-Gobain will enhance its insulation offer for new market segments such as flat roofs and floors. It also strengthens its positions in the insulation for the new construction and renovation markets.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to approval of the UK Office of Fair Trading.

Denmark: Rockwool has increased its 2012 net profit forecast to US$109-118m compared with its previous guidance of 'above US$100m.' The company reiterated its forecast of full-year sales growth of 5% in 2012 but warned that it expects continued tough conditions in the Eurozone.

The insulation giant said that it expects some recovery in its profit margins, helped by price increases and an anticipated easing in inflationary pressures.

In the first quarter of 2012, the company's net profit rose to US$17.4m from US$11.5m in the first quarter of 2011, while earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 48% to US$26m. Rockwool's sales rose by 11% in the quarter to US$4.1bn, driven by increased demand in some of its key European markets.

China: China's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have announced that the state will ensure that more than 30% of new construction projects produce green buildings by 2020 via subsidies and lightened administrative requirements. Such a drive is likely to increase demand for insulation in the country. China is expected to invest over US$158bn in energy efficient buildings by 2020.

China has set a 'green' target for the industry for the first time in 'Guidelines on Promoting China's Green Buildings'. Since January 2012, China has issued related documents promoting the Golden Sun project, for energy conservation in new buildings in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and northern China, including the use of renewable energy sources in the buildings.

Green buildings are incorporated in the 12th Five-Year Plan. According to the two ministries, the Chinese government will act via incentive policies, standards, technological progress, industrial supports and accreditation to stimulate all of the sectors that are crucial to green buildings.

China's built-up areas are currently expanding at a rate of two billion square metres per year. The government expects that the operation of buildings will become the biggest energy consumer in the country by 2020, accounting for over 30% of the total at that time. According to preliminary estimates, new buildings being built in the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2010-2015) could save 45Mt/yr of standard coal if the state adopts strict energy saving measures and pushes green construction forward.