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Drywall Technologies has entered administration
Written by Global Gypsum staff
17 June 2015
UK: According to Construction Enquirer, Kent's Drywall Technologies, which traded as Drytech, has entered administration, resulting in 20 job losses. A further 20 staff, other than those made redundant, have been offered work at an associated company, understood to be Drytech Facades. Drytech was founded in 2003 by former Knauf employees Stephen Deane and Tommy McDermott.
"Increased industry competition and its consequential impact on profitability led the directors of the company to decide to exit the sector in 2014 by significantly reducing the level of contracts being tendered for and completing those already in progress," said joint administrator Colin Hardman of Smith & Williamson. "Unfortunately, due to the unprofitable nature of some of those contracts, the company became insolvent and so management took the decision to place the company into administration. We are now looking for a buyer for the company's assets and in the meantime are progressing with realisation the company's principal assets; its debtor book and work in progress so as to maximise realisations for the benefit of creditors."
Knauf Plasterboard plant approved for construction at Bundaberg
Written by Global Gypsum staff
16 June 2015
Australia: The Gladstone Port Corporation has approved construction of a US$54m Knauf Plasterboard manufacturing plant at Bundaberg Port, Queensland to begin by the end of 2015. The project is anticipated to create up to 100 local jobs over the next 18 months, according to local media. The plant is due to be completed in January 2017.
Schenck launches new heavy-duty weighfeeder for rugged conditions
Written by Global Gypsum staff
15 June 2015
Germany: Schenck has launched the AccuRate DMO Weighfeeder, which is suitable for weighing and feeding up to 500t/hr. According to Schenck, it is the perfect solution for a variety of heavy-duty industrial applications.
The drive system, with reducer and motor, are all directly mounted on the head pulley shaft reducing the need for alignments and maintenance. At the heart of the DMO is a direct multi-cell weighing system that does not use levers or counterbalance weights. This reduces any chance of error during the weighing process. The DMO comes in standard belt widths of 70 – 137cm with feed rate accuracies of ±0.5% over a 10:1 range. These rates are achievable in a range of material particle sizes up to 10cm lumps.
Boulders kill worker in Karak gypsum mine
Written by Global Gypsum staff
10 June 2015
Jordan: According to local media, Luqman Shah, a young labourer, was killed when he was hit by rolling boulders while working in a gypsum mine in the Khandi Mountain near Lakki Banda village in Karak Tehsil.
Mehmood Shah, president of the Bright Future Gypsum Labour Welfare Union, said that landslide incidents in the mines in which labourers lose their lives and in which their families never receive any compensation, were on the rise. Shah said that the workers union sent the case of Luqman Shah to the mineral department to gain compensation for his family. He added that so far, the families of 27 killed workers out of 80 had been compensated by the department.
Saint-Gobain boosts stake in Vinh Tuong Industrial to 57%
Written by Global Gypsum staff
02 June 2015
Vietnam: Saint-Gobain has increased its holding in Vinh Tuong Industrial Corp (VTI) from 14.8% to over 57% to consolidate its presence in the country. The deal will reinforce Saint-Gobain's presence in Vietnam, where it already operates a wallboard plant.
VTI is a major player in the Vietnamese construction materials market with expected sales of US$109m in 2015 from wallboard and wall solution sales. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.