Insulation Maker Thrives, not fiberglass

Insulation maker thrives in down building market

01/01/2011 - Starting a construction-related business in the midst of a recession and real estate bust in 2009 may not have seemed like a smart move.

But for fiberAmerica in Upper Macungie Township, it appears to have paid off.

In its first year, the expansion-minded company that makes Green Seal cellulose insulation using shredded newsprint has doubled its staff to 20 and hopes to double that number again by the end of 2012.

"We are providing jobs for 20 people and have the capability of doubling that in this facility rather easily over the next two years," said company business development director George Day.

The privately held company does not report financial results, but says it has exceeded revenue and profit forecasts, nearly tripled the number of truckloads of insulation it has shipped in its first year, and added a second shift of workers to its manufacturing floor to meet rising demand.

In August, the company announced it had expanded distribution and sales into the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland.

It now is looking to expand its market beyond the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, a move that might involve opening a second plant in another region of the country, Day said. In the past, it has projected employing 53 people in its first three years. {continued}