#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2022-11-10

Saint-Gobain holds groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on $167M glass mat facility in Oxford, North Carolina

Today Saint-Gobain held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark construction toward a new, state-of-the-art glass mat facility at its CertainTeed Roofing campus in Oxford, North Carolina. The investment, now projected at $167 Million with additional funds allocated toward new technology to enhance employee safety and sustainability, marks the company’s largest ever investment in a US roofing facility.

The event, hosted at the future site of the glass mat facility, featured remarks from North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders, Vice President of CertainTeed Roofing Carmen Bodden, Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent, County Commissioner Tony Cozart, and Glass Mat General Manager Pedro Romero.

Glass mat is a material composed of short fiberglass filaments that are uniformly distributed and bonded together by a polymer resin. The mat forming process produces a fabric that is strong, stable, and heat-resistant, and is a key component in the production of roofing shingles.

The project, which was supported with over $700,000 in incentives and grants from the State of North Carolina, including funds from the One North Carolina Fund and a Rural Division Building Reuse Grant, will support the company’s growing customer base in the southeastern United States and aligns with Saint-Gobain's global Grow and Impact Strategy, which includes expanding its presence in key, fast growing markets. In addition, new additional investments in automation and new technology will maximize employee safety and contribute towards Saint-Gobain's global vision of carbon neutrality by 2050.

“The construction of this facility in Oxford is an important step to maintain our industry-leading service to our customers,” said Carmen Bodden, Vice President of CertainTeed Roofing. “Our goal is for this plant to be the new industry standard – it will utilize cutting edge energy and water reduction technology, as well as innovative automation. We thank the State of North Carolina, Granville County and the Town of Oxford for their unwavering support of our business as we continue our work to be a leader in light and sustainable construction.”

“The State of North Carolina is proud to partner with CertainTeed and to celebrate such an exciting milestone in the City of Oxford,” said Secretary Sanders. “This multimillion-dollar expansion is an outstanding investment in rural North Carolina, our talented workforce, and our shared commitment to advanced manufacturing that will continue to support this company for decades to come.”

Today’s ceremony in Oxford follows several other growth investments taken by Saint-Gobain to grow its business in North America in recent months:

In September, Saint-Gobain completed the acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies Inc., furthering its worldwide leadership position in construction chemicals.

In August, Saint-Gobain completed its $928 Million acquisition of Kaycan, Ltd., a family-owned manufacturer and distributor of exterior building materials, becoming the top siding player in Canada.

In May, Saint-Gobain announced a $100 Million expansion of its CertainTeed roofing facility in Peachtree City, Georgia, more than doubling the site’s production capacity while also reducing its carbon dioxide emissions.

Also in May, the company announced a $28 Million investment in its ADFORS technical textile products facility in Dublin, Georgia, creating 400 jobs over the next two years.

In April, Saint-Gobain announced it was doubling the manufacturing footprint of its CertainTeed Architectural manufacturing site in Lakewood, Ohio by moving to a new, state-of-the-art location in nearby Strongsville, Ohio.

In February, the company invested $32 Million in its CertainTeed insulation manufacturing site in Chowchilla, California, increasing the location’s production capacity by 13% while also reducing its carbon footprint.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Speed and connectivity: Techtextil and Texprocess provided market-ready solutions for industries under pressure

With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors from a total of 112 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 demonstrated how innovation comes into industrial use. The convergence of research, industry and application proved to be a breeding ground for new material solutions, manufacturing and processing technologies. Natural fibres, performance apparel, connected systems and AI-driven processing technologies emerged as key growth and future markets.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.