It’s TECHNONICOL-A as FM opens factory
Visit for glass wool plant after £37m revamp
Stirling’s newly upgraded Superglass factory was this week officially opened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The glass wool manufacturer, which employs 180 people, recently completed a £37 million re-development of its Springkerse manufacturing site
The First Minister toured the new facility and saw how the newly installed 187-tonne furnace and curing oven, cooling, cutting and milling equipment has helped to double the site’s production capacity. She also addressed staff and declared the new factory open.
The multi-millionpound investment is one of the largest in Scottish engineering and manufacturing in recent years and was supported with £477,000 of Scottish Enterprise grant funding.
Ms Sturgeon said: “This new facility is testimony to the commitment by Superglass to Stirling and Scotland, not only creating new jobs, but securing the future of the site and its talented workforce.
“As well as providing long term economic benefits, it’s also significant that this plant will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“This plant is an example of the skilled, low carbon industry which is so crucial to Scotland’s future, and I am pleased that it has been supported by Scottish Enterprise.”
Re-development of the Superglass factory is a commitment from the company to maintaining its Scottish base, from which it will now produce around 60,000 tonnes of environmentally sustainable glass wool insulation annually Significant engineering and building works were carried out within Superglass’ existing site while the original production area continued to operate. During the construction process, Superglass reported its return to trading profit a year ahead of forecast with revenue growing from £23.6 million in 2017 to £32.9 million in 2018, a 39 per cent increase.
Chief executive of Superglass and its parent company, TECHNONICOL International for Western Europe and North America, Ken Munro, said: “We are following through on our commitment to expand our manufacturing operations in Stirling, and the tens of millions we’ve invested is a real vote of confidence in both our industry and in the wider Scottish manufacturing sector.”
Glass wool insulation produced by Superglass is made from up to 84 per cent recycled glass and is estimated to save around 300 times the amount of energy used to manufacture it.