Gypsum industry news
Solex Thermal Science acquires Econotherm
17 July 2023Canada/UK: Canada-based Solex Thermal Science has purchased UK-based Econotherm for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is intended to expand Solex’s capacity to help its customers reduce the primary energy consumed to produce industrial goods
Lowy Gunnewiek, the chief executive officer at Solex, said “We at Solex are passionate about working with customers to understand their operational needs. Today’s announcement broadens our overall business portfolio to provide our global client base with an even deeper suite of best-in-class, sustainable solutions that align with their respective environmental, social and governance strategies.”
Solex Thermal Science sells indirect heat exchange products for the heating, cooling and drying of free-flowing granular materials such as solid granules, pellets, beans, seeds and particles. Since 1989 the company has installed more than 900 heat exchangers in more than 50 countries worldwide with applications such as fertiliser, oilseeds and industrial materials such as minerals, sands, chemicals and polymers. More recently it has expanded into the energy-transition sector with collaborations on decarbonisation applications such as industrial waste heat recovery, concentrated solar power and carbon capture.
Econotherm manufactures heat pipe waste heat recuperators, economisers, pre-heaters, steam generators and steam condensers. The company’s patented super conductor heat pipe technology is used in a wide range of applications across many industrial sectors. Its references include supplying a gas to air heat pre-heater on a gypsum kettle exhaust to British Gypsum.
GMS acquires Jawl Lumber Corporation
04 May 2023Canada: GMS has acquired Jawl Lumber Corporation, a leading producer of lumber and associated building materials on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. GMS says that Jawl Lumber Corporation's offering complements its own existing range.
Group president and CEO John Turner said “This acquisition will further strengthen our ability to serve our customers and provide an opportunity to expand our tools and fasteners offerings to a new customer base, reinforcing our existing market position on Vancouver Island.”
Türkiye: Competition authorities have approved France-based Saint-Gobain's merger of its Türkiye-based subsidiary Saint-Gobain Rigips with Dalsan Alçi. Regulatory News has reported that the companies have a combined gypsum wallboard capacity of 100Mm2/yr and sales of Euro160m. Dalsan Alçi is currently in the process of acquiring fellow producer Manisa Turgutlu.
Brazil/Egypt: France-based Saint-Gobain has acquired Matchem in Brazil and started exclusive negotiations to acquire IDP Chemicals in Egypt via its Chryso subsidiary. Both transactions are intended to strengthen the company’s presence in the construction chemicals market with a focus on concrete admixtures. Matchem and IDP Chemicals will be consolidated within the Construction Chemicals segment in Saint-Gobain’s High Performance Solutions division.
Matchem, established in 2011, employs around 50 people across two plants in Brazil and reported revenue of around Euro20m in 2022. Saint-Gobain also operates mortar company Quartzolit, sealant and adhesive company TekBond and GCP Applied Technologies in Brazil.
IDP Chemicals has been licensed by Chryso since 2018 and employs 25 people at one plant. This acquisition is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2023.
Saint-Gobain enters solar partnership with Megasol
07 October 2022France: Saint-Gobain and the solar manufacturer Megasol, the European leader in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), have announced a strategic partnership. As part of this partnership, Saint- Gobain has acquired a minority stake in Megasol's business unit that develops and manufactures building-integrated photovoltaics in Deitingen, Switzerland. The partnership enables Saint-Gobain to extend its sustainable solutions offer for façades and to become the leading provider for BIPV façade solutions in Europe, one of the fastest growing segments of façade construction. At the same time, it gives Megasol access to Saint-Gobain’s customer base.
BIPV's solutions contribute to sustainable construction and decarbonisation by efficiently producing energy from the surfaces of buildings. Building owners cannot only comply with today’s and future energy regulations and increase their own energy efficiency, but they can also generate additional revenue by feeding the electricity into the grid.
This investment is in line with Saint-Gobain's 'Grow & Impact' plan to further strengthen its leadership position in light and sustainable construction.
RBL-REI acquires Gupsos
06 October 2022France: Alphaplatre's gypsum wallboard and plaster line engineering subsidiary RBL-REI has acquired calcination equipment supplier Gupsos.
RBL-REI general manager Lionel Landreau and Gupsos founder Michel Dairay said "The integration of Gupsos now allows RBL-REI to offer new technologies for its production lines, thanks in particular to the indirect cooking process using a Beau type kiln."
Switzerland/UK: Sika says it plans to complete its planned acquisition of MBCC Group in the first half of 2023 following the decision by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to further investigate the merger. Previously the construction chemicals company intended to close the transaction by the end of 2022. Sika signed a deal to buy MBCC Group, formerly BASF Construction Chemicals, in November 2021.
Thomas Hasler, the chief executive officer of Sika, said "Sika has already received unconditional regulatory approval across a number of jurisdictions, including Japan, China, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Thailand. For a transaction of this magnitude a detailed analysis is not unusual. The adapted timeline for the closing does not impact the strategic attractiveness of the transaction. It remains highly accretive, and our expectation that it will generate annual synergies of Euro160m - 185m is unchanged."
UK competition body launches merger inquiry into acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies by Saint-Gobain
26 July 2022UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally launched the first phase of a merger inquiry into the proposed acquisition by Saint-Gobain of GCP Applied Technologies. The competition body said that proposed merger had met the threshold for investigation under UK law. The CMA will now decide whether to refer the merger for further scrutiny by 21 September 2022.
Saint-Gobain said it had agreed to buy construction chemicals producer GCP Applied Technologies for Euro2bn in late 2021 with a conclusion date to the transaction by the end of 2022.
UK: Portugal-based Gypfor has agreed to sell its upcoming Newport gypsum wallboard plant to Germany-based Knauf. Gypfor began building the plant at Associated British Ports’ Port of Newport in March 2021. Knauf estimates that it will commission it later in 2022, and commence full operations in 2023. The plant will be equipped with solar and wind power plants, as well as on-site gypsum wallboard recycling facilities. 54 people will be employed in gypsum wallboard production at the site. Knauf says that the addition of the new plant to its existing facilities at Immingham, Lincolnshire, and Sittingbourne, Kent, will enlarge its UK capacity by 20%.
Knauf’s UK managing director Ian Stokes said “This new plant will significantly increase our ability to service customers throughout the UK, and particularly those in South Wales, the Midlands and the South-West of England. It is a very exciting move for Knauf and, following recent investment in increasing the capacity of Knauf Insulation, reflects the confidence of the Knauf Group in the UK construction sector.”
UK competition body looking into proposed acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies by Saint-Gobain
13 June 2022UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering whether the proposed acquisition by Saint-Gobain of GCP Applied Technologies could result in the creation of a relevant merger situation or lessen market competition generally. It has asked any interested party to comment on the transaction by mid-June 2022.
Saint-Gobain said it had agreed to buy construction chemicals producer GCP Applied Technologies for Euro2bn in late 2021 with a conclusion date to the transaction by the end of 2022.