Gypsum industry news

Canada: USG subsidiary CGC has begun the process of hiring employees to fill 100 roles at its Wheatland gypsum wallboard plant, scheduled to commence operations in 2026. The plant will produce CGC’s Sheetrock wallboard panels for the Western Canada market.

Plant manager Duane VanDuuren said “What will ultimately drive our success here is our people. The people we hire today will play a key role in creating the homes, workplaces and infrastructure of tomorrow in this region.”

Albania: UK-based Eco Buildings Group says that it has produced 16,200m² of glass fibre-reinforced gypsum panels for delivery under a €4m deal with a modular construction company. Alliance News has reported that the customer is still completing foundation work for the relevant project.

CEO Sanjay Bowry said "Our ability to produce 16,200m² of modular walls under single-shift operations not only demonstrates our excellent operational effectiveness but also sets the stage for even greater production capacity."

Eco Buildings Group has secured sales contracts in Albania and Kosovo worth up to €114m. It is reportedly seeking to diversifying its customer base to include construction firms working on larger, non-modular projects.

US: Georgia-Pacific has appointed Julie Howard as president of its Gypsum business. The position will require Howard to oversee 3000 employees across sites including 12 gypsum units across the US, producing 465Mm²/yr of wallboard.

Howard has served as Vice President and General Manager, Paper Towels and Napkins, since 2017, and previously served in management roles in various businesses since joining the company in 2007. Before that, she worked for chemicals company Solenis and asset management company GATC. She also served as a graduate assistant to the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she completed her Master’s in Business Administration. Howard holds a bachelor’s degree in German and International Studies, which she completed at Ohio University in Athens and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany.

France: Siniat has announced the forthcoming launch of its RECYPLAC 100% recycled gypsum wallboard in July 2025. Siniat developed the product at a pilot line at its Carpentras plant in Vaucluse and will now start to produce it at its Ottmarsheim plant in Haut-Rhin.

Siniat’s parent company Etex says that it is the European leader in the use of recycled gypsum, with some gypsum wallboard plants already producing over 35% recycled wallboard. Group recycled gypsum use rose by 34% between 2018 and 2024.

China: Beijing New Building Materials (BNBM) raised its revenues from its gypsum wallboard business in 2024, with a 56% rise in gross profit. The group says that it continues to strengthen its gypsum wallboard market presence. Home renovations have now risen to 35% of business sales. Taishan Gypsum increased its share of BNBM’s high-end product sales to over 2%.

Gypsum wallboard projects in Thailand and Bosnia & Herzegovina are under implementation ‘in an orderly manner’ in line with BNBM’s focus on increasing operational strength in South-East Asia, Central Asia, Periphery Middle East and Mediterranean-Europe.