Scottish Insulation Maker Completes £37m Factory Upgrade

SCOTTISH insulation manufacturer, Superglass, has completed a £37m factory upgrade at its site in Stirling.

The upgrade of the site, which was completed on-time and on-budget, will double capacity as well as improving product quality.

The site’s production capacity now stands at around 60,000 tonnes of glass wool insulation annually.

The work included installation of a new 187-tonne furnace and curing oven; cooling, cutting and milling equipment; and an automatic packing system.

It will allow for continuous development and improvement in product quality, and has been accompanied by a rebrand of the Superglass product, including new packaging.

During the upgrade, production continued as normal. The company reported its return to trading profit a year ahead of forecast, with revenue growing from £23.6m in 2017 to £32.9m in 2018, a 39 per cent increase.

Work Meets Approval

In 2016, Superglass joined the TECHNONICOL group of companies, the largest manufacturer of construction materials in Russia and Eastern Europe. It owns 56 manufacturing facilities across the continent, including Superglass’ site at Thistle Industrial Estate in Stirling.

Mark Atherton, Chief Production Officer, said, “I’m incredibly proud of how all of our teams have worked collaboratively and flexibly to redevelop the site while continuing to meet customer demand.

“Maintaining production to capacity during such major works is an exceptional feat of engineering and project management, and has helped us continue to grow and return to profit.

“We have been pleased to be able to work with a number of local engineering companies to deliver the project, which will have had a further beneficial effect on the local economy.

“As developers, builders and ultimately house-buyers become more environmentally aware, energy efficiency becomes an even more valued feature for newbuilds, so we anticipate demand for insulation to continue to grow.”

Ken Munro, CEO of TECHNONICOL International for Western Europe & North America, said, “This multi-million-pound investment is a real vote of confidence in Scottish manufacturing and is a statement of intent regarding the long-term future of our Stirling operations.

“Mark Atherton and the team in Stirling can be rightly proud of completing the renovation on-time and budget, while simultaneously maximising production from the old plant.

“This exceptional achievement justifies the confidence that TECHNONICOL has shown in our business.”

The redevelopment of Superglass’ Stirling manufacturing facility was supported with a Scottish Enterprise grant of £477,000 in 2017.