The result of an investment of more than €50 million, the commissioning of the new line also marks the 30th anniversary of Saint-Gobain Rigips' presence, excellence and innovation in the Romanian building materials industry.
The production line includes a grinding-calcinating plant, a plate forming, drying and stacking line, the associated technical installations occupying an area of approximately 14,000 sqm.
The production equipment uses state-of-the-art technology, with higher speeds allowing for improved production capacity. As with the existing facilities, the plasterboard produced on the new line is backed by Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), confirming Saint-Gobain's commitment to more sustainable building materials. Energy efficiency has also been a priority, with the new line having low specific energy consumption, both for calcination and for drying the boards.
"This investment of over €50 million reflects our continued commitment to strengthening our presence in Romania. The new line, which is operating at optimal parameters, is a major step towards significantly improving our production efficiency and expanding our product range to better serve a growing customer base with increasingly diverse needs," said Ovidiu Păscuțiu, CEO of the Saint-Gobain Group in Romania.
The local impact is significant, with the plant's increased capacity creating more than 100 new jobs, as well as developing new local and regional economic opportunities for the brand's partners.
In addition to increasing the availability of products on the market, the expansion of production capacity opens new horizons, with Saint-Gobain consolidating its position as a leader in innovation and quality in the building materials industry. We are considering increasing the export levels of the products manufactured in Turda and the possibility of producing here new types of boards, based on the specific market requirements in Romania's neighbouring countries.
A world leader in lightweight and sustainable building solutions, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the industrial and construction markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, lightweight construction and construction decarbonization are developed through a continuous process of innovation that delivers sustainability and performance. The Group's commitment is guided by its purpose, "MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME". The group has global sales of €47.9 billion in 2023 and 160,000 employees working in 76 countries.
In Romania, Saint-Gobain supplies products and solutions in the Abrasives, Glass, Saint-Gobain Prime Glass Working, Sekurit, ISOVER, PAM, Rigips, Weber, Duraziv and Chryso ranges, with a total of approximately 2000 employees in 14 industrial sites located in Brănești, Călărași, Ploiești, Satu-Mare, Turda, Suceava, Vălenii de Munte, Popești Leordeni and Ariceștii Rahtivani.