Gypsum industry news

Canada: CertainTeed Canada will begin to sell its new CarbonLow range of reduced-CO₂ gypsum wallboard in 2025. The range includes Easi-Lite, Type X and M2Tech boards and GlasRoc sheathing. The products offer 60% lower emissions cradle-to-gate than the company’s ‘traditional’ gypsum wallboard.

US: National Gypsum has donated US$1m to 42 schools and non-profit organisations in the US and Canada. Employees from subsidiaries including Gold Bond Building Products, Gold Bond Canada, PermaBASE Building Products, ProForm Finishing Products and Unifix nominated the beneficiaries.

Chair Thomas Nelson said that initiatives of this kind are “crucial in equipping the next generation with the skills and knowledge to become innovative leaders.”

Canada: Fortress Investment Group has acquired a majority stake in Gyptech, using funds managed by its affiliates, for an undisclosed sum. The company’s management team hold a minority stake in the business. Moelis & Company is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Fortress and Evercore is acting as placement agent to Fortress on the financing. Fortress said that the purchase will provide strategic support for Gyptech's global growth, with an emphasis on the scaling of technologies and the expansion of client services.

Jeremy McKellar, the CEO of Gyptech, commented “With Fortress' backing, we will continue to grow our aftermarket services and bring to market energy-efficient technologies that are crucial for the future of sustainable construction.”

Ben Green, Director at Fortress, added “Gyptech is a great company with a market-leading position supplying equipment that's foundational to the building construction industry across the globe. With strong demand tailwinds and a great leadership team, we're excited about the company's growth opportunities.”

Gyptech designs, engineers and builds new and replacement production lines for gypsum wallboard and asphalt-shingle facilities. It was established in 1993 and holds offices in North America and Europe.

Fortress Investment Group is a global investment manager. Founded in 1998, it manages US$49bn of assets under management as of 30 September 2024, on behalf of approximately 2000 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies.

Canada: CertainTeed Canada has received environmental assessment approval from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change for its Antrim Gypsum Project in Halifax County, Nova Scotia. It can now move to the project’s permitting phase and toward construction beginning in 2026.

The subsidiary of France-based Saint-Gobain intends to establish operations in Nova Scotia, where eastern North America’s only known major source of gypsum is located. The company will then strengthen its ability to supply its wallboard plants in eastern Canada and the US with locally mined gypsum.

CertainTeed Canada also recently completed construction on its Kootenay West Mine in British Columbia, which is now operational at full capacity with plans to develop a new railway to connect better to other units in western Canada. The company is also reopening its Amaranth Mine in Manitoba to serve central Canada. These efforts are in addition to a partnership with New West Gypsum to recycle and reuse wallboard in production in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, which has led to over 1Mt of wallboard being recycled and reused at the Vancouver plant alone.

Canada: CGC is holding a series of meetings between 5 November and 3 December 2024 in which to discuss the possible impacts of its upcoming Wheatland wallboard manufacturing plant in Alberta with the local community. The Canadian Press News has reported that 100 jobs will be created at the plant. Hiring will commence in early 2025, prior to the plant’s commissioning later in 2024.

Plant manager Duane Van Douren said "We are focused on making sure that the communities around us are well aware of who CGC is, and providing information about our plant and the build that is happening on our site right now, which started back in early spring 2024 and is progressing very quickly.”

CGC reportedly told the Toronto Sun newspaper that current anti-dumping measures have reduced the availability of gypsum wallboard in Canada by 65Mm² cumulatively since 2016. As a result, extant gypsum wallboard stocks are sufficient only to build 220,000 homes.

Canada: Saint-Gobain subsidiary CertainTeed Canada has announced the upcoming launch of BasCarbone, a new range of 60% reduced-CO₂ gypsum wallboard. The company will produce BasCarbone wallboard at its carbon-neutral Montreal plant in Quebec.

Canada: Fortune Minerals has appointed Worley Canada Services to lead an updated feasibility study and assist with permitting for the NICO bismuth, cobalt, copper and gold mine project in Northwest Territories. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the project includes a hydrometallurgical plant in neighbouring Alberta that will precipitate gypsum for sale.

Fortune Minerals secured US$12.5m in funding from Alberta Innovates, Natural Resources Canada and the US Department of Defence. The finances will support studies, including for the hydrometallurgical plant, environmental assessments, management plans and authorisations.

Canada: Saint-Gobain Canada has partnered with Women Building Futures (WBF) as part of its Build Change corporate social responsibility programme. The partnership involves a donation and support for WBF’s training programmes and coaching. Together, the partners hope to increase the economic security of women in the construction sector.

CEO Julie Bonamy said "Women Building Futures’ work to remove barriers for women in industries where they are traditionally under-represented, like construction, is vital to creating the workforce of tomorrow, while ensuring everyone has an opportunity to succeed. At Saint-Gobain, we are proud to support this incredible organisation and are excited to get started to build change in our community and our industry."

France: Saint-Gobain reported sales of €23.5bn in the first half of 2024, down by 6% year-on-year from €25.0bn in the same period in 2023. The group reduced its capital expenditure by 5% to €583m. €255m (47%) of this was invested in new capacity, down by 7%. Group earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) dropped by 2% to €3.65bn from €3.74bn. During the reporting period, Saint-Gobain accelerated efforts to reinforce its profitable growth profile with acquisitions in the light and sustainable building materials segments in Australia, Canada, India and the Middle East. Saint-Gobain said that it exceeded 67% of operating income being generated in “high-growth geographies,” namely North America, Asia and emerging countries. It now expects “double-digit” operating margins in 2024, for the fourth consecutive full year.

Chair and CEO Benoit Bazin said "Our first-half results once again demonstrate the success of Saint-Gobain's new profile, reflecting the group's ability to adapt to different macroeconomic environments and to continue to outperform. The roll-out of our comprehensive range of sustainable and innovative solutions and the resulting enhancement in our mix, together with our decentralised organisation by country with accountability on commercial performance and on proactive cost management, have enabled us to deliver a new record operating margin and strong free cash flow generation. I am very grateful for our teams' dedication and their contribution to the group's consistent improvement in its performance."

Canada: GMS has acquired retailer Yvon Building Supply and its affiliates. Yvon Building Supply operates at seven locations in Ontario, supplying gypsum wallboard and other construction products to the local market.

GMS president and CEO John C Turner said "We are pleased to enhance our service and product offerings in the Greater Toronto market with the successful completion of this transaction. We are excited to welcome the Yvon team to GMS Canada and look forward to expanding our core and complementary products in southern Ontario."