Knauf Insulation
Knauf Insulation manufactures mineral wool insulation — Glass, Rock, Wood, and Blowing Wool — serving residential, commercial, industrial, and OEM customers across 40+ countries through 29 plants and a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersEdge Hill, Australia
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Knauf Insulation does
Knauf Insulation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of mineral wool insulation, producing Glass Mineral Wool, Rock Mineral Wool, Wood Wool (under the Heraklith brand), and Blowing Wool solutions (SUPAFIL). The company operates 29 manufacturing sites across 15 countries and serves customers in more than 40 countries through regional direct sales offices, an extensive distributor and stockist network, and a dedicated OEM division serving industrial integrators in appliances, chimneys, prefabricated construction, and shipbuilding. Its proprietary ECOSE Technology — a formaldehyde-free binder introduced in 2009 after five years of R&D — underpins product differentiation, supported by Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold, Declare Red List Free, and full Environmental Product Declarations aligned with BREEAM, LEED v4.1, DGNB, and WELL.
The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Knauf Group, a family-owned multinational founded in 1932 and headquartered in Iphofen, Germany, and reports turnover exceeding €2.5 billion with approximately 6,000 employees. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of insulation products to distributors, contractors, architects, and OEM customers, with quote-based pricing not publicly disclosed. Knauf Insulation has pursued a consistent growth strategy through acquisitions (Heraklith in 2006, Manson Insulation in 2008, SCHWENK in 2013, Guardian Insulation in 2014, Texnopark's Rock Mineral Wool business in Uzbekistan in 2024, and Glasstech Industries in 2025) and brownfield capacity additions (Johor Bahru in Malaysia in 2021, the McGregor site in North America in 2024, and a €135 million Romania upgrade). Leadership has transitioned through Thies Knauf (2015), Jean-Claude Carlin (2017), and Dominique Bossan (2021), with regional Managing Directors overseeing Western, Northern, Central, Eastern Europe & Middle East, and Asia-Pacific operations.
Knauf Insulation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Knauf Insulation
- Legal name
- Knauf Insulation
- Website
- https://knaufinsulation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Knauf Insulation manufactures mineral wool insulation — Glass, Rock, Wood, and Blowing Wool — serving residential, commercial, industrial, and OEM customers across 40+ countries through 29 plants and a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Knauf Insulation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Insulation Materials
- NAICS
- Mineral Wool Manufacturing (327993)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mineral Wool (Rock/Slag Wool) Insulation (IMADAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiberglass Insulation (IMADAGAA), Thermal & Acoustic Insulation Textiles (Insulation Felts/Soundproofing) (IMAOADAL)
Keywords
Where Knauf Insulation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edge Hill
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices8 records
Markets served
Knauf Insulation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insulation Products and Solutions: Knauf Insulation generates revenue through manufacturing and selling a comprehensive range of insulation products including Glass Mineral Wool, Rock Mineral Wool, Wood Wool, and Blowing Wool solutions. Revenue is derived from one-time product sales to distributors, contractors, and direct OEM customers. Turnover exceeds €2.5 billion annually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B insulation products sold through regional offices and distributors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Knauf Insulation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Knauf Insulation manufactures and sells mineral wool insulation products including Glass Mineral Wool, Rock Mineral Wool, Wood Wool, and Blowing Wool for residential, non-residential, OEM/industrial, and technical insulation applications. The company operates 29 manufacturing sites in 15 countries and serves more than 40 countries with insulation solutions for thermal, acoustic, and fire safety performance, leveraging proprietary binder technology and recycled content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SUPAFIL: Blowing Wool insulation product range for residential and commercial applications
- ECOSE Technology
- Heraklith
- Power-teK
- Thermo-teK
- Fire-teK
- Sea-teK
- Urbanscape
- Captain K
- SUPAFIL
- Knauf Energy Solutions
- Heraklith Wood Wool
Products and services
- Glass Mineral Wool
- Rock Mineral Wool
- Heraklith Wood Wool
- SUPAFIL Blowing Wool
- Power-teK (Technical Insulation for Industrial Plants)
- Thermo-teK (Technical Insulation for HVAC)
- Fire-teK (Passive Fire Protection Insulation)
- Sea-teK (Marine Insulation for Shipbuilding)
- Urbanscape Green Solutions
- Knauf Energy Solutions
- OEM Insulation Solutions
Quantifiable outcome
- 3.6 million tonnes of operational carbon reduction annually from buildings using Knauf Insulation mineral wool
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Knauf Insulation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Knauf Insulation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Knauf Insulation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Texnopark (Uzbekistan)coreJoint agreement for Knauf to acquire Texnopark's Rock Mineral Wool insulation business in Uzbekistan, including a new plant in Tashkent with advanced electric melting technology for low CO2 emissions production.
- Exeed Industries LLC (Abu Dhabi, UAE)coreKnauf Insulation signed agreement with Exeed Industries LLC to acquire holding in Exeed Insulation LLC operating as a joint venture under Knauf Insulation management, establishing presence in UAE and Middle East region.
- Fire Safe EuropeminorKnauf Insulation works with Fire Safe Europe and construction experts to highlight fire safety discrepancies in regulations and advocate for robust building fire safety standards across Europe.
- World Green Building CouncilminorKnauf Insulation participated in BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions series initiated by the World Green Building Council, showcasing projects demonstrating long-term thinking for better buildings.
- RambollminorSustainability study partnership with Ramboll to analyze and validate the carbon payback period of Knauf Insulation mineral wool insulation products.
- United Nations Global CompactcoreKnauf Insulation is a signatory of the UN Global Compact, committing to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves18 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Knauf Insulation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Saint-Gobain (Isover): Saint-Gobain's Isover division is the world's largest mineral wool insulation manufacturer, producing glass and stone wool products for buildings, technical, and OEM applications across all continents. Directly comparable to Knauf Insulation in product range, customer base, and global manufacturing footprint.
- Rockwool International: Rockwool is a Denmark-based pure-play manufacturer of stone wool insulation for buildings, technical, and marine applications, with comparable revenue scale (~€4B) and a similar focus on fire protection, acoustics, and sustainability. Closest publicly traded comparable for Knauf Insulation.
- Owens Corning: Owens Corning is a major US-headquartered building materials company whose Insulation business manufactures fiberglass (glass mineral wool) batts, rolls, and loosefill, plus extruded polystyrene. Knauf acquired Owens Corning's European activities in 2001-2002, and Owens Corning remains a direct competitor in North America and Asia.
- Johns Manville (Berkshire Hathaway): Johns Manville, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, manufactures fiberglass and mineral wool insulation for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, along with acoustic and engineered products. Directly competes with Knauf in North American and European building insulation markets.
- URSA (Emea Holdings / Xella): URSA is a European manufacturer of glass mineral wool and extruded polystyrene insulation, headquartered in Spain and serving residential, commercial, and HVAC markets. Direct competitor in Iberian and broader European insulation markets, comparable in product mix and channel structure.
- Paroc Group (Owens Corning): Paroc, acquired by Owens Corning in 2024, is a Finland-based manufacturer of stone wool insulation for buildings, technical, and OEM applications across Northern and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable product portfolio and customer base to Knauf's rock mineral wool brands.
- Superglass Insulation (Egger): Superglass is a UK-based manufacturer of glass mineral wool insulation for pitched roof, wall, and floor applications. Smaller and more regionally focused than Knauf but directly comparable in core glass wool product family and UK/Irish distribution channels.
Broad incumbents
- Kingspan Group: Kingspan is a global leader in high-performance insulation (primarily rigid PIR/PUR boards) and building envelope systems. While its core technology differs from mineral wool, Kingspan directly competes with Knauf in commercial and industrial thermal envelope applications and pursues adjacent decarbonization-driven growth.
- BASF (Construction Chemicals / Styrodur): BASF is a global chemical incumbent producing Neopor graphite-enhanced EPS and other construction insulation chemistries as part of its broader materials portfolio. Competes with Knauf in rigid foam insulation segments and is a relevant comparable for technology, scale, and sustainability positioning.
Emerging players
- Armacell: Armacell is a Luxembourg-headquartered manufacturer of flexible elastomeric foam and engineered insulation for HVAC, industrial, and OEM applications. Comparable to Knauf's Thermo-teK and technical insulation brands in industrial/OEM channels, though focused on flexible foams rather than mineral wool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Knauf Insulation social profiles
Digital presenceKnauf Insulation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Knauf Insulation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Knauf Insulation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Knauf Insulation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Knauf Insulation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Knauf Insulation
What does Knauf Insulation do?
Knauf Insulation manufactures and sells mineral wool insulation products including Glass Mineral Wool, Rock Mineral Wool, Wood Wool, and Blowing Wool for residential, non-residential, OEM/industrial, and technical insulation applications. The company operates 29 manufacturing sites in 15 countries and serves more than 40 countries with insulation solutions for thermal, acoustic, and fire safety performance, leveraging proprietary binder technology and recycled content.
Is Knauf Insulation a public or private company?
Knauf Insulation is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Knauf Insulation founded?
Knauf Insulation was founded in 1978. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Knauf Insulation based?
Knauf Insulation is headquartered in Edge Hill, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Knauf Insulation make money?
One revenue line is on record: insulation Products and Solutions.
Who are Knauf Insulation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Saint-Gobain (Isover), Rockwool International, Owens Corning, Johns Manville (Berkshire Hathaway), URSA (Emea Holdings / Xella), Paroc Group (Owens Corning) and Superglass Insulation (Egger). Broad incumbents are Kingspan Group and BASF (Construction Chemicals / Styrodur). Armacell is listed as an emerging player.
Does Knauf Insulation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Knauf Insulation.
What industry is Knauf Insulation in?
Knauf Insulation's product category is Building Insulation Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADAGAB, Mineral Wool (Rock/Slag Wool) Insulation, with a secondary code of IMADAGAA, Fiberglass Insulation. Its NAICS code is 327993.