Without necessarily knowing it, Owens Corning is widely recognized. The company manufactures fibreglass insulation, shingles and roofing accessories, as well as mineral wool and extruded polystyrene rigid insulation, installed in a significant number of buildings and homes from coast to coast. A look back at 80 years of innovation and environmental awareness by an industrial giant easily recognizable by its mascot, the Pink Panther.
It was in 1938, exactly 85 years ago, that Owens Corning invented FIBERGLAS insulation. This thermal and noise-absorbing insulation changed the construction industry and increased the energy efficiency of buildings, thus increasing the comfort of their occupants.
Fortune 500 company
A Fortune 500 company for the past 66 years, Owens Corning employs 19,000 people in 31 countries. Innovation is at the heart of its business. So much so that the company helped design the beta fabrics used in the Apollo spacesuits in the 1960s and 1970s.
Scarborough Plant in Ontario
In Canada, Owens Corning has two plants that manufacture PINK FIBERGLAS insulation, one in Toronto, and one in Edmonton. It also operates a plant that manufactures FOAMULAR extruded polystyrene rigid insulation in Valleyfield, Que.
In Guelph, Ont., Owens Corning owns one of 32 Owens Corning composite plants located in the world. Thanks to its composite materials division, Owens Corning is a global pioneer and leader in the production of fibreglass reinforcement, and non-woven and specialty composite materials, with a long-standing focus on product innovation with a customer-centric approach.
The Owens Corning Science and Technology Center, located in Granville, Ohio, is where many research and development activities are conducted, and where the company’s researchers and scientists continually strive to provide promising and innovative, sustainable building materials and solutions for the North American market.
Sustainable building materials and building enclosures
In January 2021, Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) announced a new product line: FOAMULAR NGX (Next Generation Extruded). The proprietary blowing agent in this new line of extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam products delivers a 90-per-cent reduction in global warming potential (GWP) without sacrificing product performance1.
And more recently, Owens Corning launched PINK NEXT GEN FIBERGLAS Insulation. It’s not just the next generation of PINK insulation – it’s the new standard. And the right choice for safety, precision, comfort and sustainability.
Owens Corning is committed to continually providing sustainable building materials and building enclosures that mutually benefit contractors, builders, and owners. Long live the company. For more information about complete enclosure solutions for all your building construction projects, reach out to the Canadian Building Science Team at owenscorning.ca.
