CertainTeed Selects Site for New Plant

"We have selected the site and have ordered the equipment," said Jorma Toivonen, president of CertainTeed's Insulation Group. "We expect that the new facility will be producing duct liner in the Spring of 2004, depending on the process of obtaining the final permits."

CertainTeed had been the industry's leading supplier of textile duct liner until the February 2003 explosion and fire that destroyed the Corbin, KY, plant where they had liner produced to their specifications by CTA. "We have been doing everything we can to supply duct liner to our customers and to help satisfy their needs until our new facility is operational," Toivonen said. "We know that to again become the leader in textile duct liner, we have to build our own new facility."

"CertainTeed examined several potential locations prior to making its final decision on the Texas location, given in part to its long-term potential. We are committed to this industry and are confident that the duct liner produced at our new plant will again be the best duct liner available," he said.

The Sherman facility is 40 acres in size with 525,000 sq. ft. under roof in existing buildings formerly owned by Pilkington. CertainTeed plans to relocate its existing Dallas-area service center, which warehouses its entire product line, to the Sherman facility.

CertainTeed Corporation is a leading North American manufacturer of building materials, including roofing, siding, insulation, windows and patio doors, fence, decking, railing, foundations, and pipe. The company is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and has approximately 7,000 employees and more than 40 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. The company had sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2002. It marks its 100th anniversary in 2004.
CertainTeed is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the top 100 industrial companies in the world. The company is a leading producer of abrasives, building materials, containers, flat glass, industrial ceramics, insulation, reinforcements, and piping. Headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain had worldwide sales of $28.6 billion in 2002, and has approximately 173,000 employees in more than 45 countries.