A solid commitment to the environment
Rockwool Polska is a part of the Denmark-based Rockwool Group, which is the world's number one supplier of stone wool solutions. The Group's first activities in Poland took place about 41 years ago, when Rockwool's insulation materials were delivered to shipyards in Gdańsk and Gdynia.
Mr Nick Vince, who has been with the Group for 13 years, has been the Managing Director of Rockwool Polska for just over four years now. He is the Chairman of the Management Board, and as well as overseeing all of Rockwool's activities in Poland, he is also responsible for the Group's daughter companies in the Ukraine and Belarus. He tells us about Rockwool's products and the company's remarkable commitment to the natural environment - which has been recognized and awarded by
the Polish Ministry of the Environment.
Rockwool in Poland
Rockwool has been producing in Poland for 11 years. The company purchased its first factory in Poland in 1993, in Cigacice; three years later, Rockwool decided to purchase a second production plant, this one in Małkinia. Rockwool Group's investment in Poland has been substantial. Mr Vince tells us that "We have completely re-equipped all six of our production lines with the latest Western technology. In the eleven years that Rockwool has been in Poland, the Group has invested over zł.450 million in its Polish factories." This investment has most certainly paid off: Rockwool Polska now exports 50 percent of its production to markets in both the East and West: to Russia, the Baltic States, the Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, as well as Germany, Holland, Norway and France.
Currently, the two Polish plants are the most efficient facilities in the Rockwool Group's impressive list of producers. Massive investment and well-planned organization have combined with the Group's "first mover" advantage and the excellent partnership maintained with over 850 customers. The result is that Rockwool Polska has achieved a 50 percent market share in the country.
What exactly is rock wool? Well, quite simply, it is literally "wool made from rock". Mr Vince explains: "We take volcanic rock and melt it at 1500 degrees Celsius. The molten lava flows onto some spinning wheels that throw it into strands. It solidifies as it flies through the air...it's a bit like making candy floss. We then add one percent to three percent resin binder to bond the strands together. So, in the end, rockwool is 97-99 percent rock." This final, soft product is used for a number of different things: for thermal insulation to keep things hot or cold (it gets its insulation properties from the many tiny pockets of trapped fresh air); for acoustic insulation to protect against noise; and for fire protection, as it's inflammable. In Poland's northern shipyards, for example, it's used in shipbuilding as fire protection in the ships' bulkheads.
Commitment rewarded
Besides the production of insulation materials, Rockwool is very much focused on pro-environmental activities. The Group's pro-ecological guidelines include taking part in the pro-ecology programme 'LIFE', carried out by the European Commission. In Poland specifically, 20 percent of the company's annual investment resources are earmarked for improving the environment. In the 11 years that Rockwool Polska has been in existence, the Group has invested approximately zł.77 million in environmental technologies to significantly reduce the harm inflicted on the Polish environment.
This pro-ecological policy has been recognized by the Polish Ministry of Environment, and the company was awarded the title of "Polish Leaders of Ecology". This highly prestigious award was founded in 1996 by the Minister of Environment Protection, in response to the increasing vandalism and exploitation of the natural world. The goal of the competition is to promote initiatives that are both environmentally-friendly and highly effective.
Mr Vince says, "There are three categories in which you can win the award. One is only for local authorities, the second is for factories and the third is for products. Once a company has won an award, it can't reapply again in the same category. Rockwool is the only company in all of Poland to ever win the award in two categories." Rockwool Polska won the award two years ago for the implementation of waste-free production of mineral wool in the Cigacice factory. And just this year, the company won again for its energy saving products that guarantee the effective insulation of buildings and installations with rock wool. Exceptional insulation results in a decrease of energy consumption which, in turn, has a positive impact on the environment.
Any company that has been awarded such honors may be forgiven for having a slightly swollen head. Mr Vince is, however, quick to point out where Rockwool Polska's strength and motivation comes from: "We really benefit from the support of our multinational parent company - who is the world's number one stone wool manufacturer - in terms of huge investments and access to the latest Western technology. But at the same time, Rockwool Polska is a truly Polish company with more than 600 Polish staff and only four foreigners, including myself. Our success is due to our Polish staff who should rightly receive the credit for all of our achievements."
Mr Nick Vince, who has been with the Group for 13 years, has been the Managing Director of Rockwool Polska for just over four years now. He is the Chairman of the Management Board, and as well as overseeing all of Rockwool's activities in Poland, he is also responsible for the Group's daughter companies in the Ukraine and Belarus. He tells us about Rockwool's products and the company's remarkable commitment to the natural environment - which has been recognized and awarded by
the Polish Ministry of the Environment.
Rockwool in Poland
Rockwool has been producing in Poland for 11 years. The company purchased its first factory in Poland in 1993, in Cigacice; three years later, Rockwool decided to purchase a second production plant, this one in Małkinia. Rockwool Group's investment in Poland has been substantial. Mr Vince tells us that "We have completely re-equipped all six of our production lines with the latest Western technology. In the eleven years that Rockwool has been in Poland, the Group has invested over zł.450 million in its Polish factories." This investment has most certainly paid off: Rockwool Polska now exports 50 percent of its production to markets in both the East and West: to Russia, the Baltic States, the Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary, as well as Germany, Holland, Norway and France.
Currently, the two Polish plants are the most efficient facilities in the Rockwool Group's impressive list of producers. Massive investment and well-planned organization have combined with the Group's "first mover" advantage and the excellent partnership maintained with over 850 customers. The result is that Rockwool Polska has achieved a 50 percent market share in the country.
What exactly is rock wool? Well, quite simply, it is literally "wool made from rock". Mr Vince explains: "We take volcanic rock and melt it at 1500 degrees Celsius. The molten lava flows onto some spinning wheels that throw it into strands. It solidifies as it flies through the air...it's a bit like making candy floss. We then add one percent to three percent resin binder to bond the strands together. So, in the end, rockwool is 97-99 percent rock." This final, soft product is used for a number of different things: for thermal insulation to keep things hot or cold (it gets its insulation properties from the many tiny pockets of trapped fresh air); for acoustic insulation to protect against noise; and for fire protection, as it's inflammable. In Poland's northern shipyards, for example, it's used in shipbuilding as fire protection in the ships' bulkheads.
Commitment rewarded
Besides the production of insulation materials, Rockwool is very much focused on pro-environmental activities. The Group's pro-ecological guidelines include taking part in the pro-ecology programme 'LIFE', carried out by the European Commission. In Poland specifically, 20 percent of the company's annual investment resources are earmarked for improving the environment. In the 11 years that Rockwool Polska has been in existence, the Group has invested approximately zł.77 million in environmental technologies to significantly reduce the harm inflicted on the Polish environment.
This pro-ecological policy has been recognized by the Polish Ministry of Environment, and the company was awarded the title of "Polish Leaders of Ecology". This highly prestigious award was founded in 1996 by the Minister of Environment Protection, in response to the increasing vandalism and exploitation of the natural world. The goal of the competition is to promote initiatives that are both environmentally-friendly and highly effective.
Mr Vince says, "There are three categories in which you can win the award. One is only for local authorities, the second is for factories and the third is for products. Once a company has won an award, it can't reapply again in the same category. Rockwool is the only company in all of Poland to ever win the award in two categories." Rockwool Polska won the award two years ago for the implementation of waste-free production of mineral wool in the Cigacice factory. And just this year, the company won again for its energy saving products that guarantee the effective insulation of buildings and installations with rock wool. Exceptional insulation results in a decrease of energy consumption which, in turn, has a positive impact on the environment.
Any company that has been awarded such honors may be forgiven for having a slightly swollen head. Mr Vince is, however, quick to point out where Rockwool Polska's strength and motivation comes from: "We really benefit from the support of our multinational parent company - who is the world's number one stone wool manufacturer - in terms of huge investments and access to the latest Western technology. But at the same time, Rockwool Polska is a truly Polish company with more than 600 Polish staff and only four foreigners, including myself. Our success is due to our Polish staff who should rightly receive the credit for all of our achievements."
