Gypsum industry news

Romania: Saint-Gobain Romania has launched the Saint-Gobain National Trophy contest. The contest recognises exceptional projects due for completion by the end of 2024 which incorporate materials supplied by Saint-Gobain Romania. Local press has reported that judges will evaluate projects’ excellence in execution, sustainability and effective utilisation of their incorporated Saint-Gobain products. The company will receive submissions until 31 October 2024.

US: Two members of GMS’ board of directors, Peter Browning and Teri McClure, have won national awards for corporate leadership. Browning won the National Association of Corporate Directors’ Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises commitment to the improvement of corporate governance. Meanwhile, McClure won DirectWomen’s Board Excellence Award for women lawyers who have served with distinction.

GMS chair John Gavin said "On behalf of the entire board of directors of GMS, I congratulate Peter and Teri for these well-deserved honours. It is gratifying to see that organisations like these recognise the incredible talent that we on the board get to experience every day. The selections of Peter and Teri for these important distinctions speak not only to this level of talent but also underscore our commitment to the highest level of corporate governance standards and promoting diversity and corporate governance principles. We are fortunate to have directors of such high calibre serving on our Board and benefit from their extensive knowledge and experience."

US: CertainTeed Gypsum has received the 2023 Better Project Award from the Department of Energy for the company’s smart energy management system at its Buchanan wallboard plant in New York state. The system at the plant, which was designed in-house and consists of over 180 energy meters, allows the staff to track and contextualise energy data, forecast future energy use and tackle actual losses once identified. Within the first three months of installation, the system helped identify several opportunities to reduce energy usage and enabled the plant team to scope process changes and projects to address them. The subsidiary of Saint-Gobain now plans to deploy similar technology at sites throughout North America.

Jay Bachmann, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed’s Interior Product Group, said “In a dynamic, continuous production facility like our Buchanan plant, it is essential to have real-time, in-depth data that can help us reduce our energy consumption, and our smart energy management system does just that.” He thanked workers at the Buchanan plant for their efforts.

The Better Project awards recognise manufacturers who improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. To be considered for an award, projects must deliver significant waste or energy savings and must be discreet, innovative, and replicable in similar industrial facilities.

Norway: New West Gipsgjenvinning, a joint venture between Norsk Gjenvinning and Canada’s New West Gypsum Recycling, has won the innovation prize at Avfall Norge’s annual conference. It was among three finalists including Grønt Skifte, a company utilising CO₂ from biogas production of food waste to grow tomatoes, and Waste IQ, a digital platform that aids waste management. Avfall Norge is a trade association for the waste industry in Norway.

US: Stacy Kuszmaul, a plant manager at Delavan, Wisconsin and Deirdre Brockwell, staff researcher at Libertyville, Illinois have been recognised by the Manufacturing Institute as part of its annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead Awards. This marks the fifth consecutive year a USG employee has received this honour for her contributions to the manufacturing industry. The STEP Ahead Awards honour women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the executive level.

Kuszmaul, a plant manager with more than 15 years' experience at USG, has been recognised for her operational acumen - particularly on new line startups - and has been a key driver in the company's Performance Materials division. Brockwell, a researcher in USG's ceilings lab, develops early stage concepts and conducts research that helps to expand USG's ceilings portfolio and respond to demands from architects, designers and contractors. She is also a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Green Belt.

The Manufacturing Institute will recognise Kuszmaul, Brockwell and their fellow STEP Ahead award recipients during a reception in April 2019 in Washington, DC.

Thailand: USG Boral Thailand, also known as Siam Gypsum, has won the Green Industry Award at the Green Industry Forum Seminar. The award was presented by Suthon Nikomkate, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Industrial Product Standards, Ministry of Industry to Wuttichai Ponmanop, Factory Management Manager, Siam Gypsum. The gypsum wallboard manufacturer was awarded the accolade for its focus on its production process, environmental management and its social environmental responsibility.

US: Ann Franzen, the plant manager of USG’s gypsum wallboard plant in Rainier, Oregon has been recognised by the Manufacturing Institute as part of its annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead Awards. This marks the fourth consecutive year a USG employee has received this honour for her contributions to the manufacturing industry. The STEP Ahead Awards honour women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the executive level.

Franzen, a STEP Ahead Honouree, joined USG more than 20 years ago. She became USG’s first female plant manager and has played a role in USG’s lean management initiative. Franzen is also a founding member of USG’s Women in Manufacturing group, which connects female plant employees across the USG network and promotes career advancement.

The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative, launched to examine and promote the role of women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent. In five years, STEP Ahead Award winners have impacted more than 300,000 individuals — from peers in the industry to school-aged children. The Manufacturing Institute will recognize all 130 recipients of the STEP Ahead Awards on 10 April 2018 at a reception in Washington, DC.

US: USG has won two manufacturing awards from Frost & Sullivan's Manufacturing Leadership Council. The building materials manufacturer earned an award in the 'Improving Operational Excellence' category for its Lean Six Sigma (LSS) programme achievements and its Mexican subsidiary, USG Mexico, earned an award in the category of 'Supply Chain Leadership' for the optimisation of its import logistics and distribution programs. The Manufacturing Leadership Awards recognise manufacturing organisations and individual leaders shaping the future of global manufacturing.

"USG is committed to manufacturing excellence and it is an honour to receive these prestigious Manufacturing Leadership Awards," said Dom Dannessa, USG's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations and Innovation Officer. "Investments in Lean Six Sigma and our Supply Chain have allowed us to better anticipate our customers' needs so that we can continue to provide them with superior solutions."

USG says that its LSS programmes have enabled it to optimise production and pricing, cut transportation costs and reduce excess inventory, leading to more than US$250m in operational savings and significantly improving team productivity. USG Mexico meanwhile invested in local distribution centres to increase its product range in the region.

UK: British Gypsum has revealed the winners of its National Trophy Awards, which aim to celebrate craftsmanship and skills in using traditional plaster and modern plasterboard systems.

Now in its 10th year, the awards recognise the contribution that contractors make to the UK construction industry on a daily basis, with accolades presented to the following developments across six categories:

• Norwich Enterprise Centre (Innovation and Sustainability)
• Five Pancras Square, London (Plasterboard)
• Resort World, Birmingham (Commercial)
• Michael Sobell Sports Centre and School, Aberdare (Education, Hospitality & Healthcare)
• Great Minster House, London (Residential)
• Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester (Plaster)

"The winning projects were selected due to their commitment to addressing common issues in the construction sector such as reducing carbon, overcoming poor acoustic performance and extending maintenance cycles," commented Alastair Bell, Managing Director of British Gypsum.

The winners will to join more than 33 different countries as UK representatives in the Saint-Gobain Gypsum International Trophy Awards in Prague later in 2016.

UK: Waste management firm Wastecycle has been given an award for its wallboard recycling scheme. The company won a Green Apple Environment Award, which recognises environmental best practice in companies, for its scheme offering a national collection and recycling service. Through its partnership with wallboard manufacturer British Gypsum, Wastecycle prevents 30,000t/yr of wallboard material from reaching landfill.

Representatives of Wastecycle will go to the Houses of Parliament on 16 November 2015 to find out if their award is bronze, silver or gold. Paul Clements, Commercial Director of Wastecycle, said, "We're delighted to have been awarded a Green Apple Environment Award. There were more than 500 entries, so to be a winner is a real honour."