Tag: Johns Manville

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville had a 7-alarm fire on April 7-8 at its plant located in Winslow Township, New Jersey.

The fire was initially extinguished, but it rekindled the following evening, before being fully subdued.

No injuries were reported, and the extent of the damage is not known. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Johns Manville manufactures insulation and building materials.

“Nearly thirty (30) hours after the first alarm was transmitted, firefighters remain on the scene of the Johns Manville Fire. Seven alarms were ultimately struck for this fire yesterday,” the Camden County IAFF Local 3249 posted on their Facebook page. “As part of an organized incident management plan, fire companies throughout the region are being rotated in to the scene for defined operational periods to prevent safety hazards due to fatigue from overwork. Other companies are also covering for units committed to the scene in order to ensure adequate coverage is maintained for any other emergencies that may occur within the region while this extended operation continues.”

Berkshire Hathaway has been snakebit with fires recently, with a major fire destroying a Lubrizol plant in Rouen, France in September 2019, and just last month a fire destroyed a Forest River RV plant in Goshen, Indiana.

© 2021 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville has begun construction of a new production plant in Hillsboro, Texas.

The plant, which is projected to be completed by mid-2022, will manufacture polyiso products including ENRGY 3® roof insulation, ProtectoR® HD high density cover board, AP® Foil Faced Foam sheathing and GoBoard® tile backer.

These products are preferred in the market due to their high R-value per inch and the strength and durability they offer.

“We continue to invest in our business, customers and communities,” said Joe Smith, President of Roofing Systems at Johns Manville. “Increasing the availability of our products while creating new jobs is a win-win.”

When complete, the Hillsboro plant will employ more than 50 people and include a JM roofing distribution center.

The warehouse will stock many JM products, including TPO and accessories to expand customer service. Hughes Commercial Real Estate and Development will develop the site and FA Peinado Construction will be the general contractor.

The groundbreaking in Hillsboro comes on the heels of a recent expansion of JM’s Milan, Ohio, roofing products plant. That expansion increased the facility’s production capacity and added approximately 50 jobs.

© 2020 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville has announced the release of an innovative, new shipping pallet technology called the E3 Pallet™. The new E3 Pallet is a large pallet, designed to be cut into smaller, more functional pallet sizes for easy repurposing or recycling in warehouses.

E3 Pallets™ are manufactured in 4×8’ or 4×10’ pallet sizes. Historically, pallets this large are very costly to recycle or dispose of, and many businesses are unable to reuse them because of their atypical size. Unlike typical large pallets, the E3 Pallets™ can be easily broken down into smaller sizes using a hand-held circular saw. The 4×8’ pallet is designed to be cut into two, 48×48” pallets, and the 4×10’ pallet is designed to be cut into three, 40×48” pallets, allowing JM customers to either reuse the pallets in their warehouse or recycle the pallets more economically – ultimately decreasing waste at their facilities.

“We named our new technology the E3 Pallet™ because it is efficient, economical, and, since it reduces waste, it is environmentally-friendly,” said Brennan Hall, JM’s Senior HVAC Product Manager. “For years, we have heard from our customers and distributors that large, 4×8’ and 4×10’ pallets are incredibly expensive to scrap or recycle, and they lack functionality for warehouse reuse. We wanted to offer a solution that can be either more functional for reuse in warehouses or more economically recycled, depending on the customer’s needs. Ultimately, this allows us to offer a more sustainable solution to the industry as a whole. The E3 Pallet™ has the potential to reduce waste all the way to the contractor level.”

E3 Pallet™ Technology can ship anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Beginning on Aug. 18, 2020, the following products will be shipped using E3 Pallets:

– Micro-Aire® Duct Board Products
– SuperDuct® RC Duct Board
– Spiracoustic Plus® Duct Liner
– Linacoustic® R-300 Duct Liner
– Diffuser Board
– Fitting Fab Board

© 2020 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, started production this month to make nonwoven fabric that will be used for manufacturing of urgently needed disposable medical gowns used in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

“There is a desperate need in North America and in Europe for medical gowns,” said John Vasuta, President of Johns Manville’s Engineered Products business. “Our teams are working quickly to create solutions and manufacture a new coated polyester spunbond nonwoven fabric. We are going through unprecedented times – so every step to support health care workers and others on the front lines helps right now.”

This is the second move by Johns Manville to quickly develop and launch a product that can improve the safety of people in potential direct contact with the COVID-19 virus. In April, production started in Richland, Mississippi, of nonwoven media for the manufacturing of face masks.

“Given the urgent need for action,” Vasuta said, “we quickly decided to build on our own capabilities and develop a coated product to supply the domestic medical gown manufacturing industry.”

The new polyester spunbond nonwoven is designed for the production of Level 3 medical gowns. “The fabric offers superior liquid barrier performance compared to materials used for Level 1 and Level 2 medical gowns, while also providing comfort and stitch-strength,” said Souvik Nandi, Director Nonwovens Technology at Johns Manville Engineered Products.

The JM plant in Spartanburg employs 100 people and produces a variety of polyester nonwoven products for the use in mainly filtration, roofing and specialty applications using JM’s proprietary spunbond technology. Johns Manville operates a multitude of polyester spunbond lines across the globe with a distinct customer and market focus.

The new fabric is formally known as Evalith® 017/120H3 and is a coated continuous filament, calendared polyester nonwoven. It meets the requirements for a Level 3 medical gown as established by ANSI/AAMI PB70:2012 Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended for use in health care facilities. Per this standard, the material was tested to AATCC 42-2017 Water Resistance: Impact Penetration Test and AATCC 127-2017 Water Resistance: Hydrostatic Pressure Test. Additionally, Evalith 017/120H3 has been tested to and meets the flammability standard per 16 CFR Part 1610 Class 1, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy and guidance.

© 2020 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway and BYD, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Johns Manville, a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products, started production this month to make nonwoven filtration media that will be used to create needed face masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The filtration media is being produced at its plant in Richland, Mississippi.

“Johns Manville is in a unique position to serve a market that is fulfilling a great need across the world,” said Mary Rhinehart, President and CEO of Johns Manville. “We are proud of our teams in Richland and throughout JM for finding new ways to support the communities and people who are on the front lines of this global crisis.”

Most nonwoven production of face masks was abandoned in the U.S. many years ago and moved to Asia. Given the shortage of face masks in the U.S. and Europe, JM’s Engineered Products business decided to build on its existing capabilities and help fill the market demand.

“Our high-performance nonwoven material is designed to provide high levels of filtration for various types of face masks,” said John Vasuta, President of JM’s Engineered Products business.

JM media meets or exceeds Level 1 BFE 95% (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) and VFE (Viral Filtration Efficiency) requirements. These results were verified by an FDA-registered national laboratory.

The JM plant in Richland employs about 50 people and produces a variety of filtration products for various air and liquid applications using polypropylene and polyester meltblown technology. Richland’s meltblown filtration media can be found in numerous industrial, automotive, consumer products and FDA-approved food and healthcare applications.

© 2020 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Johns Manville, a global building and specialty products manufacturer that is a Berkshire Hathaway company, plans to build a polyiso production plant in Hillsboro, Texas.

“We take great pride in creating and delivering the best products for our customers,” said Mary Rhinehart, President and CEO of Johns Manville. “This expansion south of Dallas/Fort Worth, in an area where construction is surging, will increase availability of our premium products to customers throughout the region.”

JM will begin construction on the new production facility later this year, pending various government approvals, and anticipates the completion in mid-2021. When complete, JM will employ more than 50 people at the new facility.

“There are tremendous growth opportunities in the Southwest for polyiso products,” said Joe Smith, President of JM’s Roofing Systems business. “Three of the 10 largest cities in the country are a short drive from Hillsboro, and some of our largest roofing contractors are located within the service area.”

The Hillsboro plant will manufacture polyiso products including ENRGY 3® roof insulation, ProtectoR® HD high density cover board, AP® Foil Faced Foam sheathing and GoBoard® tile backer. These polyiso products are preferred in the market due to their high R-value per inch and the lightweight strength and durability they offer for several building applications.

The Hillsboro facility will also include a JM roofing distribution center. The warehouse will stock many JM products, including TPO and TPO accessories, to help JM meet local demand.

“We are excited to build in an area close to our customers and where we can hire good people into the JM family to help our customers be successful,” said Matt Sayer, Polyiso and Boards Product Manager for JM. “Johns Manville will be well-positioned with this expansion to increase product supply to meet the growing demand from our customers.”
Local officials welcomed JM’s decision to expand in Hillsboro.

“Johns Manville is an important addition to the manufacturing and industrial base in Hillsboro,” said Hillsboro City Manager Frank Johnson. “Johns Manville has a long-term, stable national and international presence and is known to be a good corporate citizen. We are excited to have them become part of our community.”

© 2020 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.