Etex completes the acquisition of insulation expert URSA

Etex, global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction, is consolidating the range of products and solutions offered to its clients by acquiring URSA, European leader on the market of glass mineral wool and extruded polystyrene (XPS). By adding URSA to its portfolio, Etex is expanding its capacity to provide solutions and materials to build living spaces that are ever more safe, sustainable, smart and beautiful.

“The URSA brand offers an extensive range of insulation applications for building envelopes as well as internal partitions and ceilings. URSA shares many of Etex’s values, including sustainability, business model efficiency and a strong and committed management and teams. The products and solutions of both Etex and URSA aim to tackle some of the megatrends impacting our world, in particular climate warming and resource scarcity”, said Jochen Friedrichs, URSA CEO and the new Head of Insulation Division of Etex.

“URSA is a well-known brand on the building materials market that brings added value to Etex’s portfolio, along with other brands such as Siniat, Promat and Equitone. This acquisition meets the increasingly complex requirements of the markets, including in the area of South East Europe, where fully integrated offers are required. In the next period, together with teammates from URSA, we will focus on identifying the best ways to meet these needs. Sustainability is the next major strategic priority for Etex, and we will focus our efforts to continue to provide sustainable and high-performance products to our customers”, said Andrei Popa, Commercial Director RO & SEE Etex Siniat Building Performance. 

Insulation materials play a key role in achieving energy efficiency, a goal on the European continent where only 25% of buildings are energy efficient. With URSA, Etex adds a fifth technology to its portfolio and confirms the group’s ambition to become a global player in the lightweight and sustainable building materials market. The transaction was initiated at the beginning of the year and completed in early June.

Etex is a global building material manufacturer and pioneer in lightweight construction. Etex wants to inspire people around the world to build living spaces that are ever more safe, sustainable, smart and beautiful. 

Founded in 1905, headquartered in Zaventem, Belgium, Etex is a family-owned company with more than 13,500 employees globally. It operates more than 140 sites in 45 countries and recorded a revenue of EUR 3.0 billion and a REBITDA of EUR 570 million in 2021. Etex fosters a collaborative and caring culture, a pioneering spirit and a passion to always do better for its customers. 

Etex has five R&D centres supporting five global divisions: 

• Building Performance: dry construction solutions including plasterboards and fibre cement boards, plasters and formulated products, passive fire protection and associated products. 
• Exteriors: a range of aesthetic fibre cement materials for use in agriculture, architectural and residential exteriors.
• Industry: fire protection and high-performance insulation products for the construction and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) industries.
• Insulation: glass mineral wool and extruded polystyrene (XPS) for thermal and acoustic insulation.
• New Ways: high-tech offsite modular solutions based on wood and steel framing.

Etex’s global portfolio includes leading commercial brands such as Cedral, Durlock, Equitone, Eternit, Gyplac, Kalsi, Pladur, Promat, Siniat, Superboard and URSA.