Gypsum industry news

US: The Gypsum Association (GA) has released its revised guidance on levels of finish for gypsum panel products (GA-214-2021). This document is intended to assist design professionals, contractors and building owners to more precisely describe in project documents the finishing requirements for walls and ceilings prior to the application of paints and other decorative finishes. It was last revised in 2015.

US: Eagle Materials’ wallboard sales volumes fell by 4% year-on-year to 64.6Mm² in the third quarter of its financial year to 31 December 2021 from 67.5Mm² in the same period in 2020. The company blamed this on ongoing homebuilder supply chain difficulties and reported that its “order pace improved during the quarter.” Despite this revenue and earnings from its Light Materials division grew in the quarter.

For the nine months to 31 December 2021 the company’s Light Materials division revenue grew by 25% year-on-year to US$584m from US$469m in the same period in 2020. Gypsum wallboard sales volumes rose by 2% to 204Mm² from 200Mm². Earnings from the division increased by 40% to US$197m from US$140m. Overall company revenue grew by 13% to US$1.45bn from US$1.28bn.

US: The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) has formed a Gypsum Recycling Committee. It intends to work with key stakeholders in gypsum recycling to improve the recovery rate. Terry Weaver, the president of USA Gypsum, will be the first chair of the committee.

The committee will be comprised of companies involved in each step of recovering gypsum wallboard, including the manufacturers, the Gypsum Association, contractors, processors and end users. Initial actions will include: creating a wallboard diversion policy; developing end product specifications; creating best management practices for contractors and processors; working with drywall companies to set post-recycled content for new wallboard; updating the CDRA’s current Gypsum Recycling Protocol to reflect these actions; promoting that recyclers must be third-party certified using a program developed to an ISO level; and defining specifications for other end products made from recycled wallboard.

US: The US Geological Survey (USGS) reports that 17Mt of gypsum was mined in the first three quarters of 2021, a rise of 9% year-on-year from 15.6Mt in the same period in 2020. Imports grew by 14% to 5Mt but synthetic gypsum supply declined by 10% to 9.75Mt. Total gypsum board product sales grew by 8% to 1.94Bnm2 from 1.80Bnm2.

Switzerland: Sika’s sales grew by 17.3% year-on-year to Euro8.96bn in 2021 despite the Covid-19 pandemic and procurement delays for raw materials. Sales increased in all regions with notable growth reported in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the UK, the US, Latin America and China. The group said that in the Americas a strategic focus on business activities in metropolitan areas, major infrastructure projects and cross-selling helped it. Sika is also currently in the process of buying MBCC Group, a construction chemicals suppler previously known as BASF Construction Chemicals, for Euro2.8bn.

"2021 was expected to be a challenging year and it proved to be a very successful one for Sika. We are benefiting from a number of growth platforms and are in an ideal position to achieve long-term success,” said chief executive officer Thomas Hasler. “We have solutions in place for all the development stages of construction markets, and government supported investment programs running into the billions will provide further impetus for our business.

US: CertainTeed has installed new recycling technology at its Silver Grove, Kentucky, gypsum wallboard plant which will enable the facility to divert 15,000t/yr of production scrap paper from landfill. The technology grinds gypsum-contaminated paper into fine pieces for separation. The subsidiary of France-based Saint-Gobain says that it will then be able to reuse both paper and gypsum in its wallboard production at the plant.

CertainTeed’s gypsum general manager and vice president Jay Bachmann said “This project allows us to reduce our waste and reduce our production costs in Silver Grove while also empowering us to increase the efficiency of our use of natural resources.” He added “We will continue to look for ways to minimise our environmental footprint while maximising our company’s positive impact for our customers and the communities where we do business.”

US: Saint-Gobain has agreed to buy construction chemicals producer GCP Applied Technologies. Reuters News has reported that the move continues Saint-Gobain’s industrial diversification, as it also seeks to maximise its growth opportunities from the US’s on-going infrastructure overhaul. Saint-Gobain expects to conclude the deal by 2023 and will finance the acquisition through cash on its balance sheet.

Chief executive officer Benoit Bazin said “After the successful acquisition of Chryso, GCP is the logical next step to expand Saint-Gobain's presence in admixtures and additives, which provide key solutions to de-carbonise the construction industry.” He added “This acquisition is a decisive step in establishing Saint-Gobain's leading position worldwide in construction chemicals, with total sales of more than US$4.51bn [combined], up from US$3.39bn.”

US: Canada-based Building materials recycling equipment supplier TORXX Kinetic Pulverizer has launched TORXX Kinetic, a new wholly owned subsidiary. The company’s headquarters are in Chattanooga, Tennessee. TORXX Kinetic Pulverizer chose the location in order to be closer to its customer base.

Vice president Terri Ward said that in 2021 “Covid-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions hindered growth, with our North American headquarters in Canada and most of our customers and new opportunities in the US.” Ward continued “We are maintaining a presence in Toronto with engineering and service resources. However, key personnel and new hires are now in the US, making it much easier to collaborate and respond to customer needs. We were attracted to the Scenic City because of its favourable manufacturing and transportation resources, proximity to our customers, and its appeal to our valued employees.”

TORXX Kinetic Pulverizer’s kinetic pulveriser is a waste processing technology which relies on aerodynamics and matter-on-matter collisions for particle size reduction. Vortices agitate feedstock, causing more brittle material to shatter while less brittle material remains larger. This size differential facilitates the liberation and mechanical separation of contaminants.

US: GMS’s consolidates sales were US$2.19bn in the first half of 2021, up by 36% year-on-year from US$1.62bn in the first half of 2020. Its gypsum wallboard sales constituted 37% of its total sales at US$805m, up by 22% from US$659m. The company’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 70% to US$265m from US$156m, while its gross profit rose by 35% to US$708m from US$526m.

President and chief executive officer John Turner said “Net sales again topped US$1bn, with record levels of net income and adjusted EBITDA. Supply chain dynamics have led to all-time high levels of product inflation, which have been the principal driver of both sales growth and incremental profitability. He added “That said, our relentless focus on customer service and the solid execution of our strategic priorities have enabled us to capture the benefits of both this heightened product inflation across our portfolio as well as continued strength in the residential market.”

Turner concluded “While commercial activity remains well below pre-Covid levels, we were pleased to see certain commercial projects that were previously on hold receive approvals to move forward. With other positive signs also emerging, we believe that we are very well positioned as we head into the next calendar year to benefit from an eventual commercial construction recovery.”

US: Saint-Gobain plans to invest a total of US$400m in expansions to its operations including gypsum operations at four US sites. The group says that the sites are located in California and the Southeastern US. It said that the new capacities will apply the most advanced available technologies for industrial performance, safety and sustainability. This will reduce waste by 50% and CO2 emissions by 20% from current levels, according to the company.

Saint-Gobain said it hopes that the investments will strengthen its leadership in North America and accelerate its growth in the region by enriching its comprehensive range of solutions for light and sustainable construction.