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OUR HISTORY

Kingspan History

Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Ireland, Kingspan Group has a long and diverse history which is deeply rooted in the communities in which our plants such as Sherburn and Holywell are developed. Starting as a small engineering and contracting business, owner Eugene Murtagh began manufacturing agricultural trailers from behind his family's bar, Murtagh's in Kingscourt Co. Cavan.

History Highlights

1965

Kingspan starts as a small engineering and contracting business. Eugene Murtagh begins manufacturing agricultural trailers behind his family business, Murtagh's pub in Kingscourt, Ireland. In the following years Kingscourt Construction Group was formed

1973

Further expansion sees the importation of cold roll and pre-engineering building components, and the first company Sec-Form, today known as Kingspan Panels, is incorporated to carry on this business

1975

Now operating from the current head office premises in Kingscourt, Kingspan diversifies into the construction of industrial silos, and large transportable waste disposal containers, and machinery installation

1976

Sec-form begins to manufacture Multibeam Purlins under licence. Kingscourt Construction acquires the assets of a steel fuel tank manufacturer that today trades as Titan Environmental Ltd.

1976

Sec-form introduces the first insulated panel onto the market

1980

The insulation division is born as Shelter Insulations Ltd after the company purchases the technology to manufacture thermal insulation boards for flat roof & wall lining from a company in the US

1981

Shelter Insulation commissions a rigid urethane insulation manufacturing line in Castleblayney

1986

After exporting to the UK from Castleblayney for two years, Kingscourt Construction acquires the insulation business of Torvale Group Ltd in Pembridge, establishing a manufacturing plant in the UK

1989

Kingscourt Construction Group is renamed Kingspan Group

1989

Kingspan begins trading on the Unlisted securities market in Dublin, at a share price of 76p with a market cap of £20.0m

1990

Kingspan enters the Dutch market with Kuiper van der Kooij working as an agent. Years later Kingspan acquires the business

1990

Shelter Insulation grows with the acquisition of Plaschem from BPB and is renamed Shelter-Plaschem and instantly becomes the market leader

1991

The acquisition of Coolag further strengthens the Insulation Division's position in the market place

1993

The combined Shelter-Plaschem / Coolag business is renamed Kingspan Insulation, and its product range is the first in the market to become CFC-free, 2 years ahead of the Montreal Protocol deadline

1994

Kingspan purchases a modern factory in Holywell, where it installs state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. It also establishes a base in Germany and Belgium to help drive EU market penetration forward

1995

Kingspan joins the official lists of the Dublin and London stock exchanges

1995

Considerable resources are put in place to drive the switch from traditional built-up systems to composite panels, making the Kingspan brand synonymous with panel & insulation

1996

Kingspan Insulation acquires Kooltherm Insulation Ltd, and begins manufacturing phenolic insulation boards under the Kingspan Kooltherm name

1996

Environmental division grows with acquisition of Titan Tanks, Polmeric and Armet Plastics

1998

Kingspan acquires a panel manufacturing facility  in the Czech Republic to focus on developing markets in Central Europe

1998

Kingspan acquires Ward Building Components

1998

The Kyoto protocol is adopted by the EU targeting significant reductions in CO2 emissions, that  over the coming years will lead to a review of the energy efficiency of building regulations in Europe

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1999

Kingspan enters the raised access floor market through the acquisition of Heweston Plc & Durabella, giving Kingspan the number one market position in the UK & Ireland for raised access floors

1999

The Group also acquires Plastech, Ferham, Klargester and Entec that add to the range and volume of products in the Environmental Division

Holywell factory_production lines_Sept16 (18)

2000

A number of major capital expenditure investments are completed including the installation of new manufacturing lines for Panels, Insulation & Access Floors

2000

Environmental division grows with investment in new manufacturing site in Poland. Klargester Wastewater Solutions join the Group

2001

Kingspan acquires Tate Global Corporation, the leading raised access floor business in the USA, introducing Kingspan to the American market

2002

A phenolic insulation board business in Holland is acquired & a state-of-the-art phenolic insulation board manufacturing facility is commissioned at Pembridge

2002

New Building Regulations, Part L, are introduced & the demand for more thermally efficient products drives further trade. Square meterage sales of insulation increase by over 260%

2002

A revolutionary new CPL pipe insulation manufacturing line is installed at Kingspan Insulation’s Glossop, UK facility

2003

Kingspan focuses on the areas of thermal efficiency, fire ratings and structural capability. Kingspan also enters the Australian and New Zealand markets

2003

There is a systematic rollout of European activities, significant capital expenditure to increase capacity at the Pembridge plant. Titan Eko begins to penetrate the Scandinavian markets

2003

Kingspan Insulation products are HCFC-free with zero ozone depletion potential, a year ahead of EU deadlines

2004

Kingspan reaches new heights after further expansion sees the Group's EBITA exceed €100m. Off-site building solutions are increasingly at the core of the Group strategy

2005

Kingspan commissions a new manufacturing plant in Hungary to meet demand for panels in the growing Central & Eastern European markets

2006

Kingspan increases its geographic footprint to meet the growing demand for building solutions with the acquisition of manufacturing facilities in Turkey & Australia

2006

A Kingspan flag is taken to the highest point in the world by Steve Harvey from our New Zealand office who climbed Mount Everest. Kingspan Panels begins manufacturing in Sydney, Australia

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2007

A €100m investment is made in the Insulation division to meet market demand. This investment includes new Kooltherm insulation board manufacturing lines in Ireland & Holland & another line in the UK

2007

After gaining access to the Canadian market through the acquisition of Zer–O–Loc in 2006, Kingspan acquire Coldmatic Building Systems, a manufacturing facility outside Toronto

2007

Kingspan Renewables is formed with acquisition of Thermomax Solar vacuum tube brand

2008

The acquisition of Metecno, the second largest manufacturer of composite panels in the US is complete, giving unrivalled geographical reach when combined with existing Canadian market leadership

2008

Kingspan Insulation opens a new state-of-the-art large-scale insulation board manufacturing facility in North Yorkshire

2008

A second larger volume CPL pipe insulation manufacturing line is installed at Kingspan Insulation’s Glossop, UK facility

2008

A new modernised logo is introduced

2008

Kingspan Insulation moves its Dutch phenolic insulation board manufacturing to a new-state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Tiel

Group site images_Enviro_solar tubes line (10) (31342)

2008

Kingspan Renewables announces a new facility in Portadown, Northern Ireland

2009

Kingspan acquires a market-leading distributor of flexible reflective insulation foil products – the Australian company AIR-CELL Innovations Pty

2009

Kingspan Insulation assumes full responsibility globally for the KoolDuct pre-insulated Ducting System

2010

Broadcasting Place in Leeds, which uses the Kingspan Corten Façade system, is named the World’s Best Tall Building by the Council on Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat beating Dubai’s Burj Khalifa

2011

Kingspan Wind acquires the world-leading wind energy business

2011

Kingspan acquires CRH Insulation Europe (CIE), consolidating its position as Europe’s number one high performance insulation, and providing a platform for longer-term growth in continental Europe

2012

Kingspan Insulation launches a new vacuum insulation panel (VIP) under the Optim-R™ name

2012

Kingspan Insulation products are used in the construction of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Village, Aquatics Centre, Copper Box, Media Centre & the Olympic Stadium in Stratford

2012

The New Zealand women’s sailing duo of Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie, also known as Team Jolly and sponsored by Kingspan, speed to a gold medal at the London Olympics

2012

Kingspan Insulation moves the production of Kingspan TEK structural insulated panels to the manufacturing plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet

2012

Kingspan acquires the European insulated panels business, ThyssenKrupp Construction Group & Rigidal Industries LLC, a Middle Eastern manufacturer of composite panels & roofing systems, and Vic West in North America

2013

A revolutionary new vacuum insulation panel manufacturing line, is installed at Kingspan Insulation’s Pembridge, UK facility

2014

Kingspan Insulation acquires Pactiv Corp’s North American building products business, including a manufacturing plant at Winchester, near Washington D.C.

2014

Kingspan acquires PAL including manufacturing plants in Dubai, UAE and Mumbai, India

2014

The Zero Energy Lighting product set is launched

2014

Kingspan Insulation commissions a new insulation board manufacturing line at Burkhardtsdorf, Germany

2015

Kingspan Insulation acquires the opposite half of the Kingspan Tarec Industrial Insulation joint venture, comprising the joint venture partner’s manufacturing site in Turnhout, Belgium

2015

Kingspan wins the Building Awards. In the same year Kingspan also enters the Cleanrooms market

2015

Kingspan Insulation starts work on a new state-of the-art large-scale phenolic insulation board manufacturing line, warehousing and offices in Melbourne, Australia

2015

QuadCore™ is launched. A quantum leap in panel insulation technology, delivering leading thermal performance, a 40 year guarantee, superior fire protection & enhanced environmental credentials

2015

Kingspan makes further acquisitions in Europe with Joris Ide

2015

Kingspan Insulation acquires SPU Oy with a manufacturing plants in Kankaanpaa, Finland and sales offices throughout the Baltic region

2016

Focus on Australasian markets requires Kingspan Insulation to invest in new state of the art manufacturing facility in Melbourne & Tankworks Australia joins the Environmental division. New Insulated Panels manufacturing facilities are under construction in the UAE, Belgium and North America. Kingspan begins manufacturing in Mexico

2016

Kingspan Light + Air Division is born, through the acquisition of Essmann and STG Beikirch in Germany, Ecodis in France and Bristolite in California

2017

Kingspan opens a new office in Singapore to prepare for growth in Asian markets

Kingspan Isoeste Cambuí Location Image(5)

2017

The acquisition of leading Brazilian insulated panel company, Isoeste, strengthens Kingspan's position in the Latin America market

2018

Acquiring Synthesia Group gives Kingspan a leading position in both Insulated Panels and Insulation Boards on the Iberian Peninsula and strengthens its emerging Insulated Panels presence in Central and South America. It also provides an excellent technology platform enabling the upcycling of PET into Kingspan insulation

2018

Kingspan acquires Balex Metal sp. z.o.o., a Polish based manufacturer of Insulated Panels and Insulation Boards with ﬁve manufacturing sites

2019

Kingspan strengthens its position in France with the acquisition of Group Bacacier SAS, an integrated metal profiling and insulated panel distributor, with an extensive network across France

2019

Kingspan opens its new global innovation centre - IKON - dedicated to research in advanced materials and the digitalisation of construction

2019

Kingpsan launches its ambitious 10-year Planet Passionate sustainability programme, which aims to impact three big global issues: climate change; circularity; and protection of our natural world

2020

The Kingspan Light + Air division further expands with the acquisition of Colt Group, a market leader in providing and servicing innovative solutions and products for smoke control, ventilation, solar shading and climate control projects

2021

LOGSTOR is acquired, a leading manufacturer of pre-insulated pipe solutions for a range of applications including district heating and cooling.

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