Finland: Paroc Group is planning to shut down the operations of its stone wool plant in Oulu. The decision has been blamed on overcapacity of Finnish production without a similar increase in consumer demand. The plan also includes transferring and centralising support functions to other Paroc factories at other locations. Approximately 70 workers at the site will be affected by the decision and negotiations are on going.

“Starting the cooperation negotiations is very unfortunate. However, the utilisation rate of Finnish stone wool factories’ current capacity is too low to ensure competitive operations in Finland. The factory located in Oulu is an old one, and, in addition to the already high cost structure, continuing its operations would require significant investments in the near future,” said Kari Lehtinen, chief executive officer of Paroc Group.

US: Installed Building Products (IBP) has closed its acquisition of Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing. Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing, based in Atlanta in Georgia, will continue to operate under its existing brand name through an expanding network of nine branches located in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Alpha's focus on commercial insulation, waterproofing, fire stopping and fireproofing will add to IBP’s revenue mix and its commercial construction platform.

"We are excited about closing the Alpha acquisition and are focused on successfully integrating Alpha's operations over the coming months, which we expect will be immediately accretive to earnings," said Jeff Edwards, IBP's chairman and chief executive officer.

US: Armacell has acquired the insulation business of Nomaco, a manufacturer of extruded polyethylene (PE) insulation foam products. The acquisition of the Yukon, Oklahoma-based manufacturing facility will strengthen Armacell’s domestic production capacity and regional distribution network. No purchase price has been disclosed.

“The expansion of our manufacturing footprint into Oklahoma increases our distribution power and service levels in the Midwest and the West. Our customers will benefit both from a broader product portfolio as well as from stronger technical support,” said Patrick Mathieu, president and chief executive officer of Armacell International.

US: IDI Distributors, a wholesale insulation distributor, has acquired Kevin Distributing (KDI), a distributor of polyurethane spray foam insulation and related services, to operate as a division of IDI. The purchase will broaden IDI’s geographic coverage to the mountain states and expand both distributors’ product portfolios and service capabilities. The KDI division of IDI will be led by Dan Bitney, branch manager of KDI. IDI will also bring the KDI management team on board to maintain continuity with customers.