Owens Corning Veil Netherlands

Where once sat Van Gelder Papier, there are now three companies, which all three continued parts of Van Gelder’s business, these are Trioworld, Loparex and Owens Corning. The last company continued the business for fibers. We are talking about fiber membranes, don’t confuse them with the fiber optic technology for internet, because this is something completely different. Fiber membranes are used for many applications. You run into them on a daily basis, and don’t even notice. It’s used for carpets and ceiling plates, but also in airplanes and cars for example.

Owens Corning is a world player in the market for fiber membranes. Site Leader Sjoerd Tomas: “We are exceptionally proud of the fact that we are world-leader in the production of ceiling plates with fiber membranes, worldwide! We don’t call it a world company in Apeldoorn for nothing!” They are also the proud recipients of the JPIM Excellence certificate in 2020, a first confirmation of their hard work around the introduction of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) methodology.

Owens Corning is part of the American concern of the same name. There are 19,000 employees worldwide for this company and the total revenue is around seven billion euros per year. In addition to composite materials, the company also supplies roofing an insulation materials. 180 people work in Apeldoorn. Being part of an American owner also means their culture is part of Owens Corning. Site Leader Sjoerd Tomas thinks the mix of various cultures is a positive one. “We keep short lines of communication, our people’s involvement is huge, and we are very focused on results. That’s how we combine the positive elements from different cultures!”

Owens Corning in Apeldoorn exports their products around the world. Main part stays within Europe, but also North-America, China, India and the Middle East are supplied from Apeldoorn. Most sales markets show a decent growth and the expectations are that demand for fiber membranes will keep growing. Owen Corning is also constantly on the lookout for new ways to use their products.

Export countries: Europe, North America, China, India and the Middle East