About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain is a world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of materials for the construction market. Founded in 1665 to deliver a world first – the production of glass on an industrial scale for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles – it has continued to grow via an ongoing commitment to R&D and innovation to develop new services, products and ways of working with customers.

Saint-Gobain’s global strategy is focused around meeting some of the fundamental challenges faced by the world today: reducing energy consumption, limiting our impact on the environment and creating a new generation of buildings which are safe, comfortable and energy efficient.

The company’s solutions span from self-cleaning windows and photovoltaic glass to smart insulation systems, water supply systems, solar solutions and building materials distribution. In the UK and Ireland, some of the best known and respected companies in the construction sector are part of the Group including British Gypsum, Isover, Solaglas, Weber, Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Pasquill, Saint-Gobain-Glass, Saint-Gobain PAM and Ecophon. Together they offer a range of high performance energy-saving products and systems to help create a more sustainable built environment.

Saint-Gobain Group (click to view):

Saint-Gobain is one of the world’s hundred leading industrial corporations. It operates in 64 countries across four operating sectors:

construction products

innovative materials – flat glass and high-performance materials

building distribution

packaging

Saint-Gobain is a world leader in:

building materials distribution

ductile iron pipe systems

plasterboard and plaster

insulation

industrial mortars

ceramics and plastics

abrasives

fire glass

Saint-Gobain recorded sales of €37.7-billion worldwide in 2009 and strengthened its balance sheet with €3.1bn of net debt paid down and cut its gearing ratio to 53% of equity

Saint-Gobain is the 60th largest employer in the world, with a workforce of over 190,000 people

Saint-Gobain is Europe’s largest distributor of building materials

Saint-Gobain employs over 16,500 people at 1,000 sites across the UK and Ireland

Innovation and R&D (click to view):

around 3,500 people employed in R&D across the world

Saint-Gobain invests over £350-million in R&D each year to aid the delivery of sustainable construction

four main R&D sites in Europe, North America and Asia, along with 16 research centres and around 100 development units

the company registered 388 patents in 2009

one fifth of products sold by Saint-Gobain did not exist five years ago

Five Saint-Gobain companies have been selected to feature in the 2010 edition of the Construction Products Association’s annual publication, Construction Products Innovation and Achievement (CPIA), which showcases some of the most innovative new product and process developments from the construction products industry

Products (click to view):

Saint-Gobain insulates 1 out of every 3 houses in Europe with glazing

Saint-Gobain supply one-fifth of the global photovoltaic glass market and half of the European market.

Saint-Gobain manufacture membranes which improve acoustics and thermal insulation of buildings whilst promoting architectural creativity.

Saint-Gobain has equipped 80 capitals and more than 1,000 major cities across the world with ductile iron water pipes.

Saint-Gobain Glass’s SGG PLANITHERM TOTAL+ is the benchmark energy efficient low-e glass for Window Energy Ratings. Developed specifically for the UK market, it offers an optimised balance of low U-value and high solar gain. SGG PLANITHERM TOTAL+ also remains remarkably neutral in both transmission and reflection, maximising the entry of natural daylight into buildings.

Weber has undergone an environmental assessment by the BBA and is the first manufacturer of monocouche renders to be awarded an A+ Green Guide Rating, as defined in the BRE Global 2008 Green Guide to Specification, for weber.pral M and weber.pral D

Saint-Gobain Isover’s party wall insulation system E-WM-17 incorporating Isover RD Party Wall Roll can obtain the maximum possible number of credits under ‘Health & Wellbeing Hea 2 Sound Insulation’ for the Code for Sustainable Homes

Saint-Gobain Isover’s Vario and Timber Frame Batt system provides housebuilders with a complete solution for air-tightness, exceeding Part L1A legislation and Code for Sustainable Homes requirements while meeting Part E acoustic regulations and optimising u-values for Part L compliance. The system uses Isover’s Vario membrane system; the world’s most advanced solution for the management of moisture in timber construction