US: A fire broke out at ATX Spray Foam Insulation's Abilene, Texas, plant on 31 October 2025. KTAB/KRBC News has reported that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, with no injuries or deaths reported to date. Damages are estimated at US$120,000.
Germany: Switzerland-based Holcim has concluded a deal to acquire Xella for €1.85bn. Xella produces various building materials, including Multipor insulation. Holcim anticipates earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) synergies of €60m within three years of the acquisition.
Holcim CEO Miljan Gutovic said "This strategic acquisition is a milestone in our vision to be the leading partner for sustainable construction, accelerating Holcim's Building Solutions in line with our NextGen Growth 2030 strategy. Xella will add to our customer offering in the highly attractive €12bn+ walling market, with cross-selling and systems-selling opportunities."
Poland: Holcim Polska reportedly acquired the Wykroty stone wool insulation plant from Boerner Insulation earlier in 2025, after the latter company allegedly circumvented Polish sanctions on Russia. RadioZET News has reported that the Polish government ordered the sale of the asset under compulsory administration proceedings in July 2024. 20 companies reportedly submitted offers to acquire it. Russia-based TechnoNICOL originally established the plant in 2021.
The Wykroty insulation plant employs 200 people. It is situated in Lower Silesia Voivodeship, 20km from the German border and 30km from the Czech border.
UK: A government-backed scheme to retrofit external wall insulation on UK homes has been found to have been a massive failure according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which obliged utility firms to install insulation in their customers’ homes, was found to have installed inadequate insulation in 98% of cases, in many cases leading to damp, mould and serious health hazards in affected homes. The scheme began in 2021 and continued to run after the change of UK government in July 2024.
Many homeowners and tenants are now waiting for repairs, with as many as 22,000 – 23,000 properties affected. Around 6% of affected properties with external insulation were found to have problems that present immediate health and safety risks, including poor ventilation that could lead to carbon-monoxide poisoning and electrical safety risks that could lead to fires.
The NAO pointed out that the prevalence of poor-quality renovations was due to work being subcontracted to firms and individuals with little or no experience in the installation of insulation, while anti-fuel poverty campaigners accused the government of letting ‘cowboys through the front door,’ with very little government oversight. The energy regulator Ofgem estimated that the scheme had also been defrauded to the tune of €65-190m by businesses claiming money for installations that had not been carried out.
