INTRODUCTION

|Knauf, a family name, and a corporate group of global dimensions. A leading | |

|manufacturer of building materials worldwide, including plasterboards, | |

|plasters, insulation materials and external renders, with a turnover of Euro| |

|2.5 bn. With over 100 plants in Europe, Asia, USA and South America, it is | |

|through technical innovation and high quality standards that Knauf leads the| |

|development of markets across the Globe. Committed to the environment, Knauf| |

|is active in retaining the natural balance across all oour operations. | |

|[pic] | |

| |

|[pic] |

| |[pic][pic] |

| |Established in 1932, Gebr. Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke, Iphofen, is not | |

| |only one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in Europe, but | |

| |also a global group whose activities are no longer limited solely to the | |

| |production of gypsum-based building materials. | |

| |  | |

| |The families of Alfons and Karl Knauf still wholly own the strongly | |

| |expanding company. Their oldest sons, BBaldwin and Nikolaus Knauf are the | |

| |managing partners.  | |

| |  | |

| |The company is based in Iphofen, midway between Nuremberg and Frankfurt. | |

| |  | |

| |All the other shareholders also belong to the family aand some are | |

| |responsible for the various business activities of the company both at home | |

| |and abroad. | |

-2-

Established in 1932, Gebr. Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke, Iphofen, is

not only one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in Europe,

but also a globally operating group whose activities are no longer limited

solely to the production of gypsum-based building materials.

The families of Alfons and Karl Knauf still wholly own the strongly

expanding company. Their oldest sons, Baldwin and Nikolaus Knauf are the

managing partners. The company is based in Iphofen, midway between

Nuremberg and Frankfurt.

All other shareholders also belong to the family; some are responsible

for the various business activities of the company both at home and

abroad. 

Profile

Knauf nowadays ooperates more than 100 production plants in over 30

countries. Annual sales of more than € 2.5 billion are achieved with more

than 16,000 employees. The main markets are to be found in northern,

western and central Europe as well as the entire Mediterranean area

including Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. In recent years Eastern Europe,

the former CIS states and China, in particular, have made an increasingly

significant contribution to the development of business.

Knauf was one of the first companies to invest in modern pplants in

eastern Germany, Eastern Europe and the CIS. In 1997 a new Knauf

plasterboard factory was opened in Wuhu, near Shanghai, a second plant

supplies the markets in Canton, Hong Kong and southern China with Knauf

plasterboards. A third factory was acquired in 1999 from Siam Cement, which

produces in Tianjin, near Peking.

Knauf has spent recent years building up the Brazilian and Argentine

markets. The first Knauf plasterboard factory in South America commenced

production since 2000 in Queimados, near Rio de Janeiro. A further factory

produces in Mendoza in Argentina directly on the border to Chile to service

the Argentine and Chilean markets.

In addition to plasters and plastering accessories, Knauf manufactures

insulating materials made from glass fibers at four sites in the USA.

A further business field is the production of distended pearlites that

are used in plastering, cement bound boards and dry mortars.

With the production of carton for Knauf boards Knauf has continued its

strategy of vertical diversification. Knauf owns two paper factories;

Inland AB in Lilla Edet, Sweden and St Petersburg Polygraphie- und

Kartonkombinat in St. Petersburg in Russia, and also holds shares in

Tecnokarton located in Mayen.

Lime and lime cement plaster and even bricks round off the product

assortment offered by the Knauf group.

The range of products ffor the drywall sector is rounded off by plaster

fiberboards that are manufactured in factories in Satteldorf, Germany, in

Vidin, Bulgaria, in Dzershinsk and Tscheljabinsk, both in Russia.

A new business sector is the production of moulded plastics in France,

Italy, Spain, England, The Netherlands, Brazil and Poland. The construction

of a factory in Belgium for the production of polystyrene is a further step

in the strategy of vertical integration pursued by Knauf in this sector as

well. -3-

Its diversified portfolio of partner companies also highlights the

commitment of Knauf to the construction industry.

The company Putz- und Fördertechnik (PFT) located in Iphofen leads the

market for the development and manufacture of machines for the machine

application of plasters for interior and exterior use. The plaster machine

G4, which is legendary in industry circles, is probably the best-known

product manufactured by PFT.

Richter-System, a leading manufacturer of metal profiles and angle

protectors in Europe, is also a member of the Knauf group.

With more than 30 furnaces in nine factories, Knauf is Europe’s largest

producer of distended Perlites that are used in the production of dry

mortar to improve the heat insulation qualities. 

The product range of Deutsche Perlite GmbH, one of the leading processors

of perlites, also includes the cement-based Perlconboard, dry composition

floor elements and perlite charges.

Group member AAMF is a manufacturer of high-quality mineral fibre boards

used to form innovative ceiling systems.

Knauf Bauprodukte GmbH offers the most extensive range in Europe of

building chemicals for DIY and professional users.

Marmorit GmbH located in Bollschweil, to the south of Stuttgart, produces

and sells an extensive range of lime and lime cement renders.

This extensive and diverse product programme ensures that Knauf is the only

gypsum-based manufacturer in the market offering this complete range of

services and products.

-4-

As expectations for the performance of our buildings rise, so must the

performance of the materials used in their construction. As a result, the

demand for gypsum is on the increase. Due to its exceptional performance

characteristics, we call it the magic material.

Nature is innovative

Nature possesses exceptional innovative spirit. Gypsum, a sedimentary rock

that is over 200 million years old, is so easy to handle that it has been

used for building purposes for thousands of years. For example, 11,000

thousand years ago, the walls and floors in ancient Jericho were made of

gypsum. The utilisation of this building material reached a new peak in the

stucco masterpieces and cornice-work of the Baroque Age. Today gypsum is

used to create a comfortable living environment through both plaster and

plasterboard. And it continues to be used for creative

interior designing. 

Securing the raw material base

It is little wonder that we constantly need more of this magic material.

Knauf combines modern energy-saving methods with state-of-the-art

production processes to ensure that enough of this superb building material

will be at our disposal well into the new millennium.

The ecological outcome is positive

At Knauf, gypsum is extracted, manufactured and transported in a safe and

environmentally friendly manner.

-5-

The white natural stone gypsum was formed in several geological eras 100 to

200 million years ago. Defined chemically defined, gypsum bbears the name

calcium sulphate and has the formula CaSO4 2H2O. It sediment when water

evaporated in shallow bays around the earth.

In the course of the earth’s history, when the gypsum deposits were covered

by other masses of rock or exposed to additional geological influences,

gypsum lost its crystallisation water, and anhydrite (CaSO4 ) was formed.

As soon as water-free anhydrite comes into contact with water again, it

will slowly be reconverted to gypsum.

Both natural materials are important for the manufacture of our products.

Both above ground aand underground extract them.

In many countries, legislation requires that power plants fired with

fossil fuels have to be equipped with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD)

systems. This was a great step towards keeping the air clean.

We at Knauf made a decisive contribution ttowards the further development of

the desulphurisation technology. It is a simple, wet cleaning process using

natural lime, in which the final product is fine FGD gypsum. This gypsum

can be introduced directly into the economic cycle of the construction

materials industry as a raw material.

Both the desulphurisation technology and the development of the processes

of using FGD gypsum in the building materials industry are based on our

research and development work and our comprehensive know-how, as well as

the close cooperation with the operators of power plants.

-6-

FGD gypsum is formed according to the same natural laws as natural

gypsum. The only difference is that the process takes place at an enormous

velocity, within a few hours, whereas nature needed millions of years to

form its gypsum deposits. AA study on the quality of FGD gypsum, which was

carried out over several years and is recognized in international

scientific circles, confirms that its properties are identical to those of

natural gypsum. 

Just like its natural counterpart, FGD gypsum is also a completely harmless

building material, with regard to both health and ecological construction

principles. We constantly check its quality in accordance with our own high

standards, in the same way as with natural gypsum. 

We use FGD gypsum for the manufacture of high-quality gypsum products.

Every available ttone of this renewable resource is processed in our own

works.

In both function and effect, the surface of the wall made of gypsum is

very similar to the human skin. Knauf plasters meet the highest standards:

good insulation, excellent humidity regulation, high impact resistance and

an attractive surface finish. All this leads to a comfortable living

environment.

A skin for the wall

Gypsum is the ideal surface for a wall because it has the same P H value

and thermal conductivity properties as the human skin. Gypsum is made up of

minerals, and is free of any materials that could negatively influence a

sense of well-being. Gypsum is not harmful to human skin: modern medicine

uses gypsum directly on the skin to set broken bones; dental technology

uses gypsum for moulds. It is not surprising that gypsum is extremely

popular with the installers – protective gear is not necessary when working

with any pure gypsum Knauf materials.

Feel the warmth

Building materials made of gypsum always feel warm when touched. This is no

deception as gypsum possesses low thermal conductivity properties. As a

result, gypsum building materials store warmth within a building.

Balanced Climates

The secret of a balanced room climate lies primarily in balanced humidity

levels.

-7-

The Knauf group and the Swiss Alcopor conclude a strategic alliance

The GGerman Knauf Group, one of the leading worldwide building material

companies is taking 50% participation in the Alcopor subsidiary AOC, which

comprises the European activities of the Alcopor Group in the field of

glass wool and XPS (expanded polystyrene hard foam). The participation is

mainly through capital investment. The joint venture needs only the

approval of the European Competition Commission.

AOC is one of the leading European producers of insulating systems in

building and includes the former activities of the American Owens Corning

in Europe in the field of insulating materials.

The company sells its products in about 10 countries and runs seven

production plants in Europe (Belgium, Italy, Spain and four plants in

England). They produce both insulating materials based on mineral wool

(glass wool and rock wool) and XPS. Mineral wool accounts for 80% of sales.

With about 1,000 staff, AOC has an annual turnover of around € 235 million.

The company is the market leader in England and the Benelux countries and

is one of the most important companies for the leading European markets in

the trade.

The Knauf Group and Alcopor, or their subsidiary AOC expect further

great stimulus for business development in both groups, from the

partnership.

· The groups complement each other almost ideally, both geographically

and in their products. AOC has aa strong position in Europe and adequate

production capacity in the mineral wool field, while Knauf has a very

strong position in the expanded polystyrene hard foam field, especially in

France. The European glass wool works of AOC will gain access to Knauf

technology, a technology which has proved itself in the USA.

· The strong sales organisation of the Knauf Group will give considerable

support to AOC and their sales activities. AOC’s presence will be

strengthened particularly in those countries where Knauf is already well

established. The partners expect a considerable increase in sales by the

opening of further sales channels for AOC and its glass wool products. This

will further optimise the capacities of the AOC glass wool works.

· Knauf has an important logistic capacity in Europe. The integration of

the logistics and distribution functions will result in significant

optimisation of costs and a further improvement in customer service.

· New product developments (system products as combinations of different

materials, such as plaster boards with glass wool) will open additional

market opportunities and further demonstrate the technological competence

of AOC.

The Knauf Group and Alcopor will direct their main attention to this

obvious potential for synergy.

-8-

CONCLUSIONS

In my project I wrote about “Knauf “ it is firm leading manufacturer

of building materials worldwide, including plasterboards,

plasters,

insulation materials and external renders. With over 100 plants in Europe,

Asia, USA and South America, it is through technical innovation and high

quality standards that Knauf leads the development of markets across the

Globe.

Established in 1932, Gebr. Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke, Iphofen, is

not only one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in Europe,

but also a globally operating group whose activities are no longer limited

solely to the production of gypsum-based building materials.

Knauf nowadays operates more than 100 production plants in over 330

countries. Annual sales of more than € 2.5 billion are achieved with more

than 16,000 employees.

With more than 30 furnaces in nine factories, Knauf is Europe’s largest

producer of distended Perlites that are used in the production of dry

mortar to improve the heat insulation qualities. 

As expectations for the performance of our buildings rise, so must the

performance of the materials used in their construction. As a result, the

demand for gypsum is on the increase. Due to its exceptional performance

characteristics, we call iit the magic material. The utilisation of this

building material reached a new peak in the stucco masterpieces and cornice-

work of the Baroque Age. Today gypsum is used to create a comfortable

living environment through both plaster and plasterboard. And it continues

to bbe used for creative interior designing. It is little wonder that we

constantly need more of this magic material. Knauf combines modern energy-

saving methods with state-of-the-art production processes to ensure that

enough of this superb building material will be at our disposal well into

the new millennium.

In both function and effect, the surface of the wall made of gypsum is

very similar to the human skin. Knauf plasters meet the highest standards:

good insulation, excellent humidity regulation, high impact resistance and

an attractive surface finish. All this leads to a comfortable living

environment.

My opinion about this firm is really good because I use “Knauf

“materials and didn’t think change in another. Gypsum need for as and be

needed in future, so use this material and enjoy your llife.

-9-

LIST OF LITERATURE

WEBPAGE : WWW. knauf. com

Firm booklets from exhibition

-10-

VILNIUS COLLEGE OF CONSTRUCTION

Prepared by:

Lecturer:

Vilnius 2001 m.

CONTENS

INTRODUCTION……………………….

. 2

THINKING AHEAD –ACTING

AHEAD…………….. 3

PARTNERSHIP……………………. 4

LIVING WITH GYPSUM………………..5

NATURAL

GYPSUM……………………

….. 6

COMFORTABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENT…………7

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE………………….8

CONCLUSIONS…………………… 9

LIST OF LITERATURE………………. 10

Gynimasis

My individual work consist of ten pages and nine parts first is

introduction, thinking ahead –acting ahead, partnership, next living with

gypsum, comfortable living environment and the last strategic alliance,

conclusions and list of literature.

My thirst part is about knouf,

Knauf is aa family name and a corporate group of global dimensions. A

leading manufacturer of building materials worldwide, including

plasterboards, plasters, and insulation materials and external renders.

With over 100 plants in Europe, Asia, USA and South America, it is through

technical innovation and high quality standards that Knauf leads the

development of markets across the Globe.

 My second part of project is thinking ahead –acting ahead

Established in 1932, Gebr. Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke, Iphofen, is

not only one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in Europe,

but also a global group whose activities are no longer limited solely to

the production of gypsum-based building materials. The families of Alfons

and Karl Knauf still wholly own the strongly expanding company. Their

oldest sons, Baldwin and Nikolaus Knauf are the managing partners. The

company is based in Iphofen, midway between Nuremberg and Frankfurt. All

other shareholders also belong to the family; some are responsible for the

various business activities of the company both at home and abroad. 

Firm profile Knauf nowadays operates more than 100 production plants

in over 30 countries. Annual sales of more than € 2.5 billion are achieved

with more than 16,000 employees. The main markets are to be found in

northern, western and central Europe as well as the entire Mediterranean

area including Spain, Italy, Greece aand Turkey. In recent years Eastern

Europe, the former CIS states and China, in particular, have made an

increasingly significant contribution to the development of business.

Knauf was one of the first companies to invest in modern plants in

eastern Germany, Eastern Europe and the CIS. In 1997 a new Knauf

plasterboard factory was opened in Wuhu, near Shanghai, a second plant

supplies the markets in Canton, Hong Kong and southern China with Knauf

plasterboards. A third factory was acquired in 1999 from Siam Cement, which

produces in Tianjin, near Peking.

Next part is about knouf partners. knauf has now I recite some of them

: Putz- und Fördertechnik (PFT), Richter-System, Deutsche Perlite GmbH,

AMF, Marmorit GmbH.

This extensive and diverse product programme ensures that Knauf is the

only gypsum-based manufacturer in the market offering this complete range

of services and products.

After partnership is part about gypsum. As expectations for the

performance of our buildings rise, so must the performance of the materials

used in their construction. As a result, the demand for gypsum is on the

increase. Due to its exceptional performance characteristics, we call it

the magic material. Nature possesses exceptional innovative spirit. Gypsum,

a sedimentary rock that is over 200 million years old, is so easy to handle

that it has been used ffor building purposes for thousands of years. For

example, 11,000 thousand years ago, the walls and floors in ancient Jericho

were made of gypsum.

Next part is about comfortable living environment. In both function and

effect, the surface of the wall made of gypsum is very similar to the human

skin. Knauf plasters meet the highest standards: good insulation, excellent

humidity regulation, high impact resistance and an attractive surface

finish. All this leads to a comfortable living environment. Gypsum is the

ideal surface for a wall because it has the same P H value and thermal

conductivity properties as the human skin.

Building materials made of gypsum always feel warm when touched. This

is no deception as gypsum possesses low thermal conductivity properties. As

a result, gypsum building materials store warmth within a building.

Next is about strategic aliens. The German Knauf Group, one of the

leading worldwide building material companies is taking 50% participation

in the Alcopor subsidiary AOC, which comprises the European activities of

the Alcopor Group in the field of glass wool and XPS (expanded polystyrene

hard foam). The participation is mainly through capital investment. The

joint venture needs only the approval of the European Competition

Commission.

And the last parts are conclusions and list of literature.My

conclusions. In my project I wrote about

“Knauf “ it is firm leading

manufacturer of building materials worldwide, including plasterboards,

plasters, insulation materials and external renders. With over 100 plants

in Europe, Asia, USA and South America, it is through technical innovation

and high quality standards that Knauf leads the development of markets

across the Globe. Knauf materials are popular in the world gypsum is

strong, durable, ecologically clean material. This firm is really good

because I use “Knauf “materials and didn’t think change in another. Gypsum

need for as and be needed in future, sso use this material and enjoy your

life.