Today Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Roofing, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark construction toward a new, state-of-the-art roofing manufacturing and distribution center in Bryan, Texas. This multi-year project reaffirms Saint-Gobain’s position as the leader in light and sustainable construction, allowing the company to better serve its customers with quality roofing products in the southern United States.

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Local officials and employees of Saint-Gobain gather together to break ground on the site of CertainTeed Roofing's new plant in Bryan, Texas. (Photo: Business Wire)

The event, hosted at the future site of the facility, featured remarks from Texas Business and Community Development Director Larry McManus, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed Roofing Carmen Bodden, Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez, Brazos County Judge Duane Peters, and CertainTeed Roofing Director of Strategy and Business Development Jill Betters. As a strong supporter of STEM education and building pipelines for careers in manufacturing, CertainTeed Roofing also presented a check for $20,000 to the Bryan Independent School District (ISD) Education Foundation in support of the Bryan ISD Career and Technical Education Center, which neighbors CertainTeed’s location in Bryan.

“It’s critical that we find meaningful ways to invest in the talent of the future for the manufacturing industry, and we’re committed to building a long-term partnership with the Bryan ISD Technical Education Center,” said Mark Rayfield, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed.

The project, which was supported by direct contributions of land, a zero-cost rail easement, locally supported industrial infrastructure, and ten years of property tax savings from the Chapter 313 program, will allow the company to grow its presence and product offerings in Texas and the southern United States. The co-location of the manufacturing facility with a distribution center will reduce the distance the product must travel to market, lowering the company’s carbon footprint and aligning with Saint-Gobain’s global goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We’re excited to expand our service capabilities to our customers in Texas,” said Carmen Bodden, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed Roofing. “With the support of Union Pacific, our new warehouse in Bryan will fully optimize the use of rail transportation, which helps to minimize our carbon footprint for generations to come and live our purpose of ‘Making the World a Better Home’.”

“CertainTeed’s new roofing manufacturing and distribution center in Bryan is an important addition to the state’s booming manufacturing industry,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Texas has been the top exporting state in the nation for the last 21 years in a row, and it’s thanks to our state’s hardworking manufacturers that ‘Made in Texas’ has never been a more powerful global brand. I thank CertainTeed for choosing to grow in Texas, and congratulations on the groundbreaking of this remarkable new facility. We look forward to working with you as your partners for ongoing growth and long-term success here in Texas—the best state for business in the country.”

This new facility, CertainTeed’s first new roofing plant since the completion of its Jonesburg, Missouri plant in 2016, comes at a time of growth for CertainTeed Roofing and as Saint-Gobain continues to execute its global Grow & Impact strategy, which includes expanding its presence in key, fast growing markets. Last year, the company broke ground on a $167 million glass mat facility on its Oxford, North Carolina roofing campus, the largest ever investment in a US roofing site. Also in 2022, the company announced a $100 million expansion at its Peachtree City, Georgia roofing plant, which will double its production capacity at the location. Both projects are currently underway. Additionally, as a business committed to sustainability and creating a circular economy in its production, CertainTeed Roofing recently acquired the rights to technology from recycling partner Asphaltica, which will allow Saint-Gobain to grow its ability to recycle asphalt shingle waste.

Today’s ceremony in Bryan follows several other growth investments taken by Saint-Gobain to grow its business in North America in recent months:

• In October, Saint-Gobain announced that it had acquired the remaining equity interest and assets from Seven Hills Paperboard LLC, including a gypsum paper board liner manufacturing facility in Lynchburg, Virginia, from its joint venture partner WestRock.
• In September, Saint-Gobain completed the $1.325 billion acquisition of Building Products of Canada Corp., reinforcing its leadership in light and sustainable construction in the Canadian market.
• In July, Saint-Gobain announced a $235 million expansion of its CertainTeed Gypsum facility in Palatka, Florida, more than doubling production capacity and creating over 100 new jobs.
• In April, Saint-Gobain celebrated the opening of its CertainTeed Corners facility in Social Circle, Georgia, enhancing its portfolio of high-quality interior finishing products and growing its presence in the southeastern United States.
• Last year, Saint-Gobain announced the acquisitions of both Kaycan and GCP, strengthening its leadership positions in siding and construction chemicals respectively.

With over 145 manufacturing locations in the United States and Canada, every current and future member of the company’s team plays a vital role in achieving its sustainability goals. A current list of job openings at all Saint-Gobain locations, including at the existing NORPRO facility in Bryan, can be found on the company’s career website.

About CertainTeed

With innovative building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds. As leaders in building science and sustainable construction, CertainTeed makes it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient places to live, work and play, so that together we can make the world a better home.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $5.6 billion in 2021. www.certainteed.com

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€51.2 billion in sales in 2022

168,000 employees, locations in 75 countries

Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain.

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