Rockwool to invest EUR 50 M in a stone wool factory in Romania; 150 direct jobs to be created

Denmark-based Rockwool Group invests almost EUR 50 million in its first stone wool factory in Romania, near Ploiesti, in Prahova County, a press release informs.

Covering approximately 30 hectares in the Aricestii – Rahtivani commune, Rockwool’s new manufacturing facility will be a boost for the local economy as most of the raw materials and logistics services will be sourced from within Romania, and most of the people employed directly and in subcontracting companies will be local.

The process of issuing the necessary permits and authorisations has been initiated, and stone wool production is expected to begin in 2019, the release also reads.

“We have been supplying our Romanian customers with high quality insulation products and services for almost 20 years, and when complete, this new factory will allow us to deliver even higher levels of support in Romania as well as nearby countries,” Rafael Rodriguez, Managing Director of Rockwool South Europe stated.

According to company’s representatives, this investment will create approx. 150 direct jobs and around another 300 indirectly for services and logistics.

Today’s announcement is a follow-up on the Rockwool Group’s February 2017 statement announcing its intention to purchase land for capacity expansion in the United States, Sweden, and Romania.

“This investment will enable us to better support the Romanian government’s efforts to increase fire safety and energy efficiency in the country’s buildings. We encourage the government to continue working with EU member states on the Fire Information Exchange Platform and other initiatives to further improve fire safety regulations.  As the world’s leading manufacturer of non-combustible stone wool products, we look forward to sharing with the government, customers, and other stakeholders the knowledge and expertise we have built up during our 80-year history in making buildings more comfortable, energy efficient, and fire safe,” Gilles Maria, Senior Vice President in the Rockwool Group also said.

Rockwool Group already has a solid presence in Romania, where it has been active for almost 20 years through its sales representative office in Bucharest.