Gypsum industry news
US: A worker died in a hopper accident at PABCO Building Products’ Newark gypsum wallboard plant in California in late December 2022. The Alameda County Fire Department said that incident occurred when the worker became trapped in the hopper following an inspection of a blockage, according to CBS News. Workers at the plant and firefighters attempted to rescue him but were unsuccessful.
US: Pacific Coast Building Products gypsum wallboard subsidiary PABCO Building Products has appointed Phil Bonnell as its new president from 1 July 2021. Bonnell began working at Pacific Coast Building Products in 2003 as Basalite Northwest and Canada operations general manager. He joined PABCO Building Products in 2017 as gypsum and paper senior vice president, and also took over responsibility of the company’s roofing operations in April 2021. Bonnell has a degree from Colorado State University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
US: The Gypsum Association has elected Gregory McCown as the chair of its board of directors for 2020 – 2021. McCown is the Regional Manufacturing Manager – Eastern US for CertainTeed Gypsum. Other appointments include National Gypsum’s Craig Robertson as vice-chair, Pabco Gypsum’s Emil Kopilovich, as treasurer and the Gypsum Association's Stephen H Meima continues as the secretary. USG’s Albert R Zucco is the past chair of the board. All terms are for one year and are effective from 1 May 2020.
National Gypsum, Eagle Materials and PABCO Building Products agree to US$125m settlement in competition claim
04 January 2018US: National Gypsum, Eagle Materials and PABCO Building Products have agreed to pay US$125m to settle claims that they fixed the price of gypsum wallboard. A preliminary motion to approve the settlement is scheduled to be filed in January 2018, said David Young, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, a lead plaintiffs’ firm in the litigation, according to the Legal Intelligencer newspaper. The legal firm and others are representing wallboard customers, including distributors and installers.
The three wallboard producers are the last of seven defendants of a lawsuit that started in 2013. Previous deals with Lafarge North America, Temple Inland and USG bring the total amount of settlements for direct purchasers in the case to over US$190m. A seventh company, CertainTeed, was granted summary judgment in 2016.
Al Mueller joins PABCO Building Products
08 April 2015US: Al Mueller has joined the PABCO Building Products LLC board of managers with effect from 1 April 2015. Following Mueller's retirement as PABCO's president, he served on the Basalite Concrete Products LLC board of managers and will continue to do so going forward. Mueller gained a wealth of experience in the gypsum, roofing and paper industries, while providing leadership during his tenure as PABCO's president. His knowledge and expertise of both the industry and the operations will be a very valuable addition to the board.
PABCO acquires QuietRock sound-proofing wallboard business
07 August 2013US: PABCO Building Products has acquired the QuietRock sound-proofing wallboard business from Serious Energy, a producer of acoustic and thermal insulation. PABCO has not disclosed the cost of the purchase.
"Given our long history with PABCO, we were happy when they sought to acquire the QuietRock business. We look forward to a smooth transition," said Tassilo Baeuerle, the president and CEO of Serious Energy. Ryan Lucchetti, president of PABCO, added that the acquisition would expand PABCIOs range of products and give it access to new technology and staff.
QuietRock provides soundproof wallboard products to the commercial and residential building markets. PABCO is a longstanding QuietRock supplier and it plans to continue production at the QuietRock manufacturing site in Newark, California, according to Serious Energy.
US: More than a dozen lawsuits alleging price-fixing on the part of major manufacturers of wallboard have been consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The location was chosen as most of the parties are located in the area and a majority of the parties advocated for consolidation in that district. US District Judge Michael Baylson will handle the case.
"From at least September 2011 to the present the defendants, manufacturers of gypsum board, combined and conspired to fix and raise the prices at which they sold gypsum board in the United States beginning with large and coordinated price increases that all became effective on or about 1 or 2 January 2012," according to the complaint filed in one case originating in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Janicki Drywall versus CertainTeed.
Major manufacturers of wallboard have annual sales of more than US$5bn, according to the complaint and the defendants are seeking treble damages. The defendants in the suit account for more than 99% of wallboard sold in North America, according to the complaint. They are USG, National Gypsum, CertainTeed, Georgia-Pacific, American Gypsum, Lafarge, Temple-Inland and PABCO.
In a previous status conference for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania cases, Steven Bizar of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney was named as interim liaison counsel for the defence, while H Laddie Montague Jr of Berger & Montague had been named interim liaison counsel for the plaintiffs.
