Gypsum industry news

North America: Saint-Gobain North America has won a Silver Stevie Award in the Large Manufacturing Company of the Year category for its circularity initiatives, rapid growth and commitment to US industrial development. 3BL News has reported that the company will claim the prize at the 23rd annual American Business Awards ceremony in New York City later in 2025.

The recognition comes as Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360-year anniversary. It has invested a combined US$400m in plant expansions and upgrades scheduled to come online in 2025, including building North America’s first carbon-neutral gypsum wallboard plant at its Montreal facility in Quebec, Canada.

Mexico: Panel Rey’s El Carmen gypsum wallboard plant near Monterrey has been awarded a clean industry certification by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA). The acknowledgement recognises that the plant operates in full compliance with legal regulations at the federal, state and municipal level. It also demonstrates environmental performance, shows a voluntary commitment to the protection and conservation of the environment and includes social responsibility awareness. The certificate has a duration of two years and will last until 2025.

US: The US Department of Energy has awarded CertainTeed its 2022 Better Project Award for the company’s installation of a 15,000t/yr production scrap paper recycling system at its Silver Grove, Kentucky, gypsum wallboard plant. The plant recycles ground paper and gypsum from the system in its gypsum wallboard production.

CertainTeed vice president environmental, social and governance North America and Saint-Gobain circular economy solutions managing director Dennis Wilson said "Our recycling technology in Silver Grove allows us to reduce our waste, reduce our consumption of natural resources and also reduce our production costs - all while continuing to produce the best gypsum wallboard product on the market.” Wilson continued “We will continue to look for ways to minimise our environmental footprint while striving to maximise our company's positive impact for our customers and the communities where we operate."

Belgium: Saint-Gobain has appeared on climate charity CDP’s Climate Change A List 2021. The producer says that the listing recognises its environmental ambition and transparency. It has taken ‘significant and demonstrable action,’ including allocating Euro100m/yr until 2030 in capital expenditure and research and development funding to reduce CO₂ emissions. It employs an internal carbon
price for investment decisions, which has risen by 50% to Euro75/t for capital expenditure. For research and development, it is Euro150/t.

Senior vice president human resources and corporate social responsibility Claire Pedini said “This is a recognition of the progress made and the commitment of the group with regard to the fight against climate change. Saint-Gobain is a key player in this respect and demonstrates at all levels its leadership and responsibility: maximising the positive impact for our customers thanks to our solutions, whilst minimising our own footprint as part of our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050.”

Germany: Jürgens Maschinenbau has won first place in Kauf’s supplier of excellence awards for 2019. “The entire Jürgens team looks back on a long and successful cooperation with Knauf Engineering. We are particularly proud of this award and look forward to further challenges,” said Jürgens’ chief executive officer (CEO) Albert Andreas. The engineering company supplies supplier of fully-automatic automation and packaging machines for film and non-woven rolled goods.

US: National Gypsum’s Shippingport wallboard plant in Pennsylvania and its Anniston paper plant in Alabama have both won the Lloyd H Yeager Award for working 1 million hours or more worked without a lost time accident (LTA). The Shippingport plant reached 2 million hours without a LTA. The award is organised by the Gypsum Association (GA) and 13 plants have been recognised on this occasion. The Anniston paper plant makes face paper for National Gypsum’s wallboard products including the distinctive purple paper used in the company’s Purple product line.

“Under Lloyd H Yeager’s leadership, the GA ran a robust safety training program for the gypsum industry and was very successful in emphasising the importance of workplace safety among GA member companies,” said Stephen H Meima, executive director of the GA.