Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

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.”

Canada: CertainTeed Canada has started a multi-year partnership with CanWel Building Materials for the distribution of glass mineral wool insulation products via CanWel’s networks. CanWel has added CertainTeed’s insulation products to its Lumber, Building Materials channel. CanWel has its headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia and it distributes a range of building materials, lumber, and renovation products.

UK: The Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG), a coalition of businesses and charities has published a report into the creation of jobs post-coronavirus lockdown, in which it concluded that 40,000 insulation jobs lie in modernising the UK’s energy-inefficient housing stock before mid-2022, and a further 110,000 jobs before 2030. BBC News has reported that each job will cost Euro65,800 to create, compared to Euro279,000 per job in road repairs, and will be evenly spread across all UK regions. Besides generating wealth, the EEIG says that the work will cut pollution, improve health and cut energy bills by Euro558/yr per household. EEIG chair Sarah Kostense-Winterton said, "Our country is in dire need of a green stimulus recovery. There could be no better time to future-proof our homes while providing buoyancy to our drained economy."

Canada: Rockwool North America has released its Safe’n’Sound stone wool insulation product in a new thickness of 15.24cm (6”). The new thickness offering is planned to help reduce installation time. The product is designed for fire insulation and sound dampening between floors.

UK: SIG’s group revenue fell by 37% year-on-year to Euro154m during March and April 2020 due to disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. In its annual report for 2019 the insulation producer said that trading had returned to pre Covid-19 levels in most of its companies as it adapted social distancing measures. It also reported cash reserves of around Euro150m following the sale of its Air Handling division.

In 2019 the group‘s statutory revenue fell by 13% year-on-year to Euro2.4bn in 2019 from Euro2.7bn in 2018. It made an operating loss of Euro97m. This was blamed on loss of market share in the UK and Germany. In response the company’s board says it taken ‘decisive’ action including appointing a new leadership team and developing a new customer-centric strategy that reprioritises sales.