Denmark: The major Danish insulation producer Rockwool has announced better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of 2011. Based on the registered level of sales in 2011, Rockwool expects its sales to have increased by 17% over those of 2010. It expects that its profit after tax and minority interests will come in above Euro80m. In its third quarter report, the Rockwool Group had expected a sales increase of 15% for the full year 2011 compared to 2010 and a profit after tax and minority interests of approximately Euro74m.

The healthy sales trend in Rockwool products continued in the final quarter of 2011, which it says was due to the mild winter weather in Europe combined with strong underlying demand in core markets. Despite the challenging macro-economic environment (especially in Europe) and the rather low visibility, the Rockwool Group expects continued growth in 2012. The Group expects sales to increase by approximately 5% in 2012. It expects its profit after tax and minority interests to be kept at the 2011 level, above Euro80m.

North America: Jeff Templeton has been elected to the position of chairman by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA). He is currently vice president and general manager for CertainTeed Corporation's residential, commercial, lumber and retail insulation business. A graduate of Ball State University Templeton has 35 years' of experience in the building materials industry, holding a wide variety of key roles at CertainTeed, including in residential, commercial, industrial, sales and marketing. He is currently active within CertainTeed's government affairs efforts.

"We are pleased that Mr Templeton has accepted the position," said the CEO and president of NAIMA, Kate Offringa. "He has been an active member of the NAIMA board of governors for several years and brings a wealth of leadership, experience and insight to the table."

Turkey: The US-based chemical company Huntsman has acquired Turkey's EMA Kimya Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret for an undisclosed sum. The Istanbul-based company has the capacity to manufacture polyester polyols and blend methyl di-p-phenylene isocyanate (MDI) PU systems used in the insulation, automotive, adhesives, coatings, elastomers and furniture industries. EMI's 2010 revenues were about Euro13m.

US: Three US-based companies, Birdair of Amherst (New York), Cabot Corp of Billerica (Massachusetts) and Geiger Engineers of Suffern (New York), have jointly developed an architectural fabric that they claim boasts the most effective insulation available anywhere in the world.

Their development, Tensotherm, is Birdair's architectural fabric and can now be supplied with additional layers of aerogel-filled nonwoven blankets, the aerogel used being Cabot's Lumira.

The companies say that the insulation reduces energy consumption and the costs associated with heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Moreover, the insulation does not lose its effectiveness or deteriorate over time or under compression, as is the case with traditional materials.

The use of the Lumira aerogel also improves acoustic properties and greatly reduces a building's lifecycle costs, according to Cabot. Its performance means that architects and designers can now exploit large areas of daylight within walls and roofs, which can be as energy-efficient as an insulated solid wall. In addition, the natural light-diffusing performance and elimination of glare creates a soft interior light.

Cabot's Aerogel Global Business Manager, James Satterwhite said, "Energy efficiency and sustainability are paramount in every architect's design and thought process. Coupled with that is the realisation that high-level lifecycle performance and cost savings, particularly with the unpredictability of energy prices, are vital. Over the next decade, we expect that high-performance insulation systems will become increasingly common as specifiers seek to meet or exceed increasingly strict building regulations."

Photo courtesy: Birdair,Inc