Gypsum industry news

Russia/Germany: A prospective buyer has reportedly ‘broken off’ talks over the sale of Germany-based Knauf’s Russian business. The producer says that it will continue its efforts to withdraw from Russia ‘in accordance with the applicable sanctions,’ under ‘very difficult conditions.’

AK&M News has reported that Knauf owns 20 Russian companies in industries that include gypsum. The assets remain exclusively under local management, without any profit currently passing to Knauf.

US: Saint-Gobain North America has launched a new programme of partnerships with high schools in US host communities called Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities. The producer will supply partner schools with a curriculum of classes on manufacturing, with accompanying visits to its plants.

The launch follows earlier pilots at schools in Granville, North Carolina, and Shakopee, Minnesota. It will expand to include 10 additional sites in the 2025 – 2026 school year, followed by further planned expansions throughout the US and Canada.

Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed President and CEO Mark Rayfield said "Our Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities programme is a win-win for students, the manufacturing industry and local economies. In the manufacturing industry anyone can have a long and successful career, and by bringing manufacturing directly to high schools, we aim to show students the rewarding role they can play in building the future of the industry."

Spain: Formatt Building Products Spain plans to build a new gypsum wallboard plant in La Rioja. The project will use technology supplied by Canada-based Gypsum Technologies (Gyptech). The unit is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2026. Formatt is part of BS Group and it sells lightweight construction products and systems under the Technogips brand.

Gyptech says that the project will use various innovations in process automation and environmental engineering to reduce the plant’s CO₂ emissions. It will use a reduced emissions dryer system with a heat pump system, which is intended to reduce dryer-related emissions altogether. The facility will also feature automation, digital process control and safety and maintenance systems. Board-handling systems will be included to maximise edge quality and uniformity.

Petar Kaloyanov, General Manager of Formatt Group, said “This investment will strengthen Formatt’s position as one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of modern building products and systems. Through our Technogips brand and our portfolio within the Formatt Group, we are committed to becoming a one-stop shop for lightweight construction solutions that reduce CO₂ emissions and work in harmony with nature. Our ambition is clear: to establish Formatt among the top four brands for modern construction systems in the European Union.”

Belgium: Saint-Gobain says that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with Ponsardin Industries for the sale of SFIC Belgium, a specialist construction materials distribution business of gypsum wallboard, insulation and ceilings. The Belgium-based business has forecast sales of €75m in 2025, has 123 employees and it operates a network of 10 branches. The transaction is subject to the completion of an ‘information and consultation procedure’ with the relevant employee representative bodies. The divestment is expected to be finalised by the end of 2025. No value for the transaction has been disclosed.

Canada: France-based Saint-Gobain has inaugurated its CertainTeed gypsum wallboard plant in Sainte-Catherine, near Montreal. The unit is fully electrified and powered by hydroelectricity. The company says that the site is the first zero-carbon (scope 1 and 2) wallboard plant in North America and the largest in the world to be fully powered by electricity. The launch of a new production line at the existing plant, along with equipment modernisation, has enabled a 40% increase in production capacity while reducing energy consumption by 30% and CO₂ emissions by approximately 44,000t/yr.

Mark Rayfield, CEO Saint-Gobain North America said “This ambitious project strengthens our leadership position in light construction in Canada and meets the strong local demand for sustainable solutions. It accelerates our growth in the country, where we have tripled in size in three years.”

The upgraded wallboard plant is the group’s second after the one in Fredrikstad, Norway that was inaugurated in 2023.