Owens Corning is addressing asphalt shingle waste head on with new recycling initiatives that aim to keep tons of shingles out of landfills and create a circular economy.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports nearly 11 to 13 million tons of asphalt shingles end up in landfills on an annual basis. Through an enhanced recycling program, Owens Corning intends to recycle 2 million tons of shingles per year by 2030.

“We’ve been testing various approaches to this for more than 20 years,” Gunner Smith, Owens Corning Roofing president, told RC. “We believe the approach we’re taking today – we’ve been working on for the last several years – has great potential. Our partners on this are experts on processing and recycling and we’re working together to bring this from a lab scale, which was proven there, to a pilot line we’re announcing as a way to move towards commercialization.”

The company has launched workstreams focused on two methods of shingle recycling: recycling shingles into new shingles and recycling shingles into asphalt pavement. Both approaches intend to reclaim 100% of the shingle to eliminate product waste.

By partnering with ASR Systems and CRS Reprocessing Services, the pilot asphalt recycling program will be constructed and run by CRS on the grounds of Indiana Shingle Recycling in Indianapolis. The program utilizes several proprietary, patented processes to deconstruct post-consumer and post-industrial shingles to extract individual component raw materials. These components are shipped to Owens Corning facilities and incorporated back into the shingle production process.

Owens Corning is also using its expertise in asphalt innovation to increase the use of recycled asphalt shingles in the paving market. Previously, the company has diverted 40 million pounds of used shingles from landfills and into pavement since 2020.

“We have a 2030 Sustainability Goal of zero waste to landfill, so that means across all our plants globally, we aspire to be zero waste to landfill across that entire network,” said Mark Leo, director of circular economy at Owens Corning. “We’re trying to lead the roofing industry from the traditional linear economy into the circular economy space.”

OXFORD, N.C. — Saint-Gobain held a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 4 to mark construction toward a new, state-of-the-art glass mat facility at its CertainTeed Roofing campus in Oxford, N.C. The investment, now projected at $167 million with additional funds allocated toward new technology to enhance employee safety and sustainability, marks the company’s largest ever investment in a United States roofing facility.

The event, hosted at the future site of the glass mat facility, featured remarks from North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders, Vice President of CertainTeed Roofing Carmen Bodden, Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent, County Commissioner Tony Cozart, and Glass Mat General Manager Pedro Romero.

“The construction of this facility in Oxford is an important step to maintain our industry-leading service to our customers,” said Bodden. “Our goal is for this plant to be the new industry standard — it will utilize cutting-edge energy and water reduction technology, as well as innovative automation. We thank the State of North Carolina, Granville County and the Town of Oxford for their unwavering support of our business as we continue our work to be a leader in light and sustainable construction.”

Glass mat is a material composed of short fiberglass filaments that are uniformly distributed and bonded together by a polymer resin. The mat forming process produces a fabric that is strong, stable, and heat-resistant, and is a key component in the production of roofing shingle.

The project, which was supported with over $700,000 in incentives and grants from the state of North Carolina, including funds from the One North Carolina Fund and a Rural Division Building Reuse Grant, will support the company’s growing customer base in the southeastern U.S. and aligns with Saint-Gobain's global Grow and Impact Strategy, which includes expanding its presence in key, fast growing markets. In addition, new additional investments in automation and new technology will maximize employee safety and contribute towards Saint-Gobain's global vision of carbon neutrality by 2050.

“The State of North Carolina is proud to partner with CertainTeed and to celebrate such an exciting milestone in the City of Oxford,” said Sanders. “This multimillion-dollar expansion is an outstanding investment in rural North Carolina, our talented workforce, and our shared commitment to advanced manufacturing that will continue to support this company for decades to come.”

HERNDON, Va. — Beacon announced it has opened greenfield locations in Indianapolis, Ind., and Burnsville, Minn. The branches expand Beacon OTC^® network service in the Indianapolis and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets.

Both new locations carry the leading brands of roofing and complementary products that Beacon is known for, as well as the company’s own TRI-BUILT^® brand. Contractors in these markets also have immediate access to Beacon PRO+, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for contractors who spend their days on the go.

“We are pleased to bring the Beacon customer experience to a wider group of contractors operating in the Midwest,” said Jason Taylor, president of Beacon’s West Division.

Jake Gosa, president of Beacon’s North Division, said Beacon's team of building materials experts is focused on helping customers save time, operate more efficiently, and grow their businesses.

"We are also proud to give back as we join the community by helping neighbors through our national partnership with Rebuilding Together," said Gosa.

Ryan Taylor, board president of Rebuilding Together Indianapolis, said the support that Beacon is providing the Indianapolis community will help Rebuilding Together make repairs that will keep people in the homes they love.

“Beacon is committed to putting people first, and that commitment is evident in their actions,” Taylor said.

These new locations continue to demonstrate Beacon’s commitment to growth and achieving its Ambition 2025 goals.

AGAWAM, Mass. — OMG Inc., a Steel Partners Company and a leading manufacturer of fasteners, adhesives, and construction productivity tools, has named Jeffrey Gelinas as manager of sales training for its FastenMaster and Roofing Products Divisions.

In his new role, Gelinas will develop and manage a comprehensive sales training program focused on reducing time to proficiency for sales personnel in both company divisions. Specific responsibilities include developing curriculum, role-specific sales training, as well as analytics for measuring program effectiveness. He will also oversee new hire training as well as advancement training for sales personnel moving into new roles.

“As a teacher and university-level coach by training, Jeff is ideally suited for his new role,” said Web Shaffer, senior vice president and general manager of FastenMaster. “Jeff is a proven leader with outstanding management and teaching skills, and we are excited to welcome him to the OMG team.”

Gelinas joined OMG from Westfield Middle School, where he has been teaching science since 2007 and was on the team that helped develop the school district’s current science curriculum. In addition to the classroom work, he has also been coaching at the collegiate level, overseeing the women’s golf program at Westfield State University since 2021. Gelinas has also been actively involved in coaching a variety of teams at Westfield High School and numerous youth sports programs in Western Massachusetts for years.

Prior to his teaching career, Gelinas held various sales positions for Tommy Hilfiger Golf, TaylorMade/Adidas, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals and Spalding Sports Worldwide.

Gelinas holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Westfield State University, Westfield, Mass., and an associate degree from Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, Mass.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — US LBM, a leading distributor of specialty building materials in the United States, has acquired Comtech, a manufacturer and supplier of structural roof and floor trusses located in North Carolina.

Founded in 1970, Comtech manufactures floor and roof trusses and provides engineered wood products to builders in the Carolinas, including Raleigh, Pinehurst and Greenville, and along the coast from Morehead City to Myrtle Beach and Pawley's Island.

Comtech will operate as part of US LBM’s Professional Builders Supply, which distributes residential and commercial building materials, such as lumber, siding, trim, doors, windows, decking and railing, to builders and remodelers across the Carolinas. Professional Builders Supply also provides turn-key installation services, including residential roofing and siding.

"The addition of Comtech’s truss manufacturing capabilities enhances the strength of US LBM’s network in the Carolinas, expanding our service offering and product mix across several key markets in the region," said US LBM President and CEO L.T. Gibson. "With a well-earned reputation for quality and service, we’re pleased Comtech is joining US LBM."

The announcement comes days after US LBM's previous acquisition of Georgia Truss, an Atlanta, Ga., manufacturer and supplier of structural roof and floor trusses.