History of Izomat, a.s.

Period 1630 - 1907

According to the sources written so far, the glass production in Slovakia has a great tradition ad history directly bound to Slovak mining towns Banská Štiavnica, Kremnica, later also Banská Bystrica and Nová Baňa. It is assumed, that the glass industry was brought to Slovakia by Germans from mining towns, because they of necessity to use glass vessels in the course of gold melting. No less significant reason for glass industry development was also ample presence of beech woods offering beechen wood not only for fumigation of glass furnaces but as well for production of potash - soda supplement.

As a first glass plant is considered one in Sklené Teplice built in 1350, second in order was built in Sklené pri Kremnici. Slovak glass plants got ahead of their Czech sisters roughly in 50 years.

In 1630 a cabinet mining count ship of Banská Štiavnica together with town-council of Nová Baňa summoned Michal Ulmb, a Silesian glass master, to settle a glass production here. Other glass masters with families came in order to work and a settlement of Sklená Huta (Glass Hutte) was found. We don't know how long was Umbl building the glass house, but it is certain, that reputation and superb quality famed me new-mine glass in Austria, Transylvania, in all mining towns. The life was merciless and so, presumably for lack of specialists, the glass plant fell and was closed down in the middle of 18th century.

Its tradition was renewed by one of the last owners Ignác Prokopius in a village Rudno nad Hronom in 1872, who in 1977 sold the municipality to a Moravian glass master Vincent Ružička. He produced mine, pharmaceutical and window glass.

The World War I crises stroke this glass plant as well and in 1922 couldn't keep abreast with the competitive glass businesses and production stopped. The majority of the glass-makers found work in a glass plant owned by Ján Gopfer who married into the Ružička family. In a newly built glass house in Nová Baňa he launched a production in 23 May 1908.

Period 1907 - 1950

Heavy economic crisis of the World War I several times affected the fortune of the glass plant, which repeatedly tried to run production of domestic and industrial glass. In 1939 in time of Munich treachery and during the period of Slovak state, a great need of plate glass occurred. The glass plant in Nová Baňa was being reconstructed to plate-glass plant and by a simple way started to produce plate-glass by blowing of big cylinders cut lengthways. Though the agreement of a sole import of German plate-glass destroyed hopes for more permanent employment of almost 60 glass-makers.

New hope for revival was brought only by Malinec Glass production and sale cooperative society, which bought the glass plant in a difficult year of 1940. Despite the war difficulties the glass plant ran all the way until Slovak national uprising in 1944. Production was again renewed on 2 August 1945 with a number of 75 workers .

Year 1948 made stroked the development plans of glass cooperatives. In spite of the effort to preserve the cooperative form, the glass plant was nationalized under business company Slovak glass plants residing in Bratislava.

Period 1950 - 1966

In this era a new epoch of industries in former Czechoslovakia began - stone-casting industry. This industry is based on utilization of basalt properties mainly its cut-resistance and acid-resistance. it was searched for a way of giving this volcanic material a needed shape and size. It was sought for geological deposits with the most suitable localities. These are apart from the localities in Western Czech also finds in surrounds of Rudno nad Hronom, Tekovská Breznica and Nová Baňa.

The decision to change the line of the glass plant in Nová Baňa meant a historical break in development of the plant.

A time of research, and development of cast basalt technology development began. Experienced were only specialists from France, Germany and Soviet Union. For a relatively short period of time they managed to master the meltdown process, casting of basalt and followed by cooling of the casts and the plant produced the first basaltic tiles and cast fittings.

Approval of the casts was under way in years 1950 - 1952, when a full batch production was started running.

Demand for first thermal-insulation materials occurred during the energy crisis and contributed for the fact, that in 1954 a production of the first basaltic fibre was initiated. Though already the first trials showed a necessity to change the source raw material. the most suitable showed basalt from Northern Czech. Although may have seemed uneconomic, a resolution to import the raw material to Nová Baňa was adopted. The reason of this was a speculation to be more profitable to import one wagon of raw material than to import ten wagons of fibres made of this material.

The movement of technical development was merciless so considered was a production of sintered basalt. Products of high resistance to abrasion, of electrical insulation properties, and acid and base-resistant products were considered. Production technology was based on a powder metallurgy, pressing of basaltic powder and paraffin products and their calcinations. In spite of effort of several years they weren't successful in ensuring a batch production.

Demand for insulations was very low then and a notion of building a new factory started to prove right, because stone-casting industry had a good reputation world-wide.

A stimulation for building was realized already early in 1958. New production was meant to be oriented to basaltic paving, casts and sintered basalt. In 1963 the intention changed and production was to focus on production of basaltic fibre with a 2,5 x higher capacity. A novelty was an implementation of production of boards made of basaltic felt in volume weights from 50 to 150 kg/m3.

Period 1966 - 1990

A time of building a new plant came and on 21 April 1966 a laying ceremony of cornerstone took place on a green field. Hydro-geological conditions caused, that the building foundation must have been solved by using piles. The base of contemporary producing plant is made of 1550 pieces of 6-metre long piles. The entire complex of the production mono-block, energy-block, boiler room and administrative building was supplemented by accommodation capacities in housing estate Vstup and on Cintorínska street. The old of glass-makers' settlement was after 1972 demolished.

Not only the new factory had gone through changes but until 1970 also a construction of a new stone pit in Tekovská Breznica took place. Surveys showed reserves of basalt for 170 years in quarry wall 15 metres high. The stone pit became a property of the factory.

In sixties and seventies, within the saving program of energies, a need of thermal insulation materials was increasing constantly and demand for basaltic paving and casts started to decrease.

Following the survey, a conception of production in the newly built plant was changed and an advanced line was purchased for production of boards, strips and mats from mineral fibres. The production and line alone got a name IZO-FIBRE.

In other part of the new factory a CAST BASALT line was constructed. The project was based on a high level of mechanisation and in some ways automation. Seeing that in those times it was not possible to draw experience from abroad the line was constructed on basis of mainly home experience. In 1973 after machine parts modifications, an experimental production was launched. In regard to frequent failure rate of the conveyer system, in 1974 a reconstruction took place.

Despite the continuous problems to sell basaltic paving the line was closed down for good in 1985.

A decision to build another productive line in Nová Baňa for mineral fibre production helped significantly to this step. The sale of mineral fibres was secured by stable market.

Paving production continued only in the old plant and later was completely stopped.

Other of a completely differing production that moved the history of producing plant in Nová Baňa was production of insulating large area boards IZOMIN on basis of mineral fibre. This production was recommended from the building practice and from abroad, because the products were also characterized by high fire resistance. The supplier of technology on basis of wet processing was Swedish company JUNKERS. The production launched in 1973.

Products from this line - HARD BOARDS got a name IZOMÍN.

Already in this period, the main part of the production processes was managed by automated management systems with a direct use of industrial television.

Raised demand for IZO-FIBRE was a motivation for building revision and utilization of other line for mineral fibre board production and rolled products. The construction of line with higher capacity than IZO-FIBRE started in 1986.

The start-up of line MV 2 in 1988 with a high degree of mechanisation and automation managed by computer control centres, achieved a substantial quality enhancement and secured a flowing trade with products.

Period 1990 - 1994

The political system changes affected also the life of producing plant. As the market gradually started to fall apart and demand for ceiling boards lowered, production was decreased.

As a substitute program and a novelty on the market was established production of AGROBAN - agrophilous plant cultivation. Prospective in this direction seemed in particular foreign markets, e.g. The Netherlands.

In 1991 a new line for Lamella bands was purchased with the possibility of assortment enhancement.

In 1993 the line IZO-FIBRE was modernized.

Production and sale in these years depended on market economy and development on individual markets.

Period 1994 - 1999

The second period - modernisation of MV2 line was realized in years 1996-1997. Technical level of producing lines MV1 and MV2 achieved the level of foreign competetive producers. Firm under name IZOMAT JSC was transformed on the base of approved privatization project on joint stock company in year 1995.

IZOMAT in 1995 transformed to a joint-stock company followed by approved privatization project.

In 1996, IZOBA, a.s. Nová Baňa was established. It became a business marketing company and an exclusive seller of Nobasil products but omly till June 1999 when it became a part of IZOMAT a.s.

Company IZOMAT MONT, a.s. was established in 1997 by transformation of assembly activities centre. In present, it permanently secure construction activities as an independent economic organization under a business name NOBAMONT a.s. since October 1999.

In 1997 entered the system of companies a subsidiary joint-stock company IZOMAT Káranice, a.s. in Czech Republic. It is a production-business company focused on production of sanitary bathroom equipment and a sale of mineral fibre insulations. This company was sold later at change of owners.

In years 1996-97 was realized reconstruction of main administrative building.

Firm under trade name IZOMAT,a.s. obtained certificate of quality EN ISO 9002 for introducing and using of quality managment system in department of production, sell and assmbling of termoinsulating products NOBASIL. This certificate is justified each year.

In 1998 was finished an ineffective and energy demanding production of IZOMIN, NOBAMIN and AKUMIN hard boards. In 1999 the production of new product NOBASIL BIOFIBRE was mastered. At the same time a line for complete scrap processing was launched under an abbreviation MASO (grinding and scrap processing) for recycling back to production.

In the second half of year 1999 became change of company owner. IZOMAT, a. s. became a part of division Dämmen- Austrian concern Radex Heraklith International AG and Slovenian company Termo d.d. Škofja Loka. Both companies belong among leading European producers of termoinsulating materials for building industry.

Period 2000 - 2006

In September 2000 was open business company IZOMAT BOHEMIA, Ltd in Brno for stabilisation of products NOBASIL position as well from reason enlargement and improving of business relations with Czech Republic .The aim was to improve sellable service, to shorten delivery terms and to to look for suitable form of sale also for small customers.

In 2002 was launched a line for grinding and processing of waste from producing process which essentially solved non-waste technology of production.

6.5. 2003 IZOMAT BOHEMIA Ltd transformed on NOBASIL CZ Ltd. from the reason of organisation and sell-marketing aims was changed. Firm engaged 7 employees, from that 4 vere sales representatives in the frame of Czech Republic.

In the second half of year 2005 company HERAKLITH AG obtained further shares in company Termo d.d. and its shares in Croatian TERMIKA and IZOMAT, a. s. Participation of HERAKLITH AG in TERMO d. d. by that increased about more than 80%.

The basic change in ownerś relations became 13.1.2006 when Radex Heraklith International AG signed purchase agreement with 2 companies of group Knauf on sell of whole group Heraklith Dämmstoffe where belongs also IZOMAT, a.s. Economic transition was done back to 01.01.2006.

On the base of decision of extraordinary general assembly of society which was held on day of 8th March 2007 it was approached to perform the change in trade name of company IZOMAT, JSC on Knauf Insulation, J.S.C. to date of booking in trade register, 02.04.2007.

Initiated changes in the Company´s structure were continued according to the extraordinary general assembly statement for altering the law form of this company from the Knauf Insulation Inc. to the Knauf Insulation Ltd. on the date of registry in the Companies Register, i.e. on 29th May 2007.

The effort of whole company Knauf Insulation, a.s. Nová Baňa was not only to increase volume of production, quality of service for customer, acquisition of new territories for sale, but also to obtain better position of mark NOBASIL in Europe.