Our History

From cork insulation in Pittsburgh and invention of the world’s first flexible foam to best-in-class products for markets worldwide, Armacell’s history has been characterised by a pioneering spirit, entrepreneurial thinking and an open mind for new developments.

This intrinsic attitude has spawned the search for specialisation and the development of in-depth know-how. Driven by the desire to deliver the best, Armacell has always strived to work for the good of society and manufacture products that benefit diverse industries and broad consumer groups.

Best-in-class-products for
markets worldwide

Paving the way to global leadership

The nature and dedication of Armacell’s employees have been key success factors in our corporate history. Our staff devote their talent, inventive skills, and professional expertise to delivering innovative, market-oriented solutions. We live Armacell’s corporate culture every day. It is our employees’ commitment that has positioned Armacell where it is today – a multi-material and multi-product company that leads its global operations from its Luxembourg headquarters working hand in hand with strong regional management teams.

1860 – Bottle corks

Thomas M. Armstrong establishes a workshop to produce bottle corks in Pittsburgh, USA.

1899 – Cork insulation

Armstrong produces the first cork insulation sheets made of ground cork, clay and bitumen.

1954 – ArmaFlex

The benchmark-setting flexible insulation foam material known as ArmaFlex® is launched in the USA.

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2000 – Management buyout

Armacell is founded as a leveraged buyout carved out of the market-leading equipment insulation products division of Armstrong World Industries.

2003 – China

Armacell opens a second plant in China, extending its production capacities and strengthening its position in South-East Asia.

2004 – ArmaSound

Launch of the new acoustic insulation ArmaSound® with excellent noise attenuation properties.

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2005 – PET foams

Armacell develops green PET foam in Thimister, Belgium, making it the first manufacturer to succeed in foaming high-quality recycled bottle-grade PET on an industrial scale.

2006 – India

Armacell inaugurates a production capacity in Pune.

2009 – Lifecycle analysis

Armacell becomes the world’s first manufacturer of flexible technical insulation products to present a lifecycle analysis.

2015 – ArmaFlex Ultima

Armacell launches ArmaFlex® Ultima, the first technical foam insulation material with ultra-low smoke properties.

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2015 – South Korea

Armacell strengthens its presence in Asia and opens a new manufacturing facility in Cheonan in South Korea.

2015 – Turkiye

Armacell acquires OneFlex, a leading Turkish insulation materials manufacturer and expands its global footprint.

2015 – Canada

Armacell acquires the business of Industrial Thermo Polymers (ITP), a leading Canadian manufacturer of extruded polyethylene insulation products.

2015 – Ownership structure

The investment firms Blackstone and KIRKBI acquire Armacell.

2016 – Aerogel blankets

Armacell establishes a joint venture in South Korea to develop and manufacture silica aerogel blankets.

2016 – Brazil

Armacell acquires PoliPlex, a leading Brazilian manufacturer of extruded PE insulation foams.

2017 – PE manufacturing

Armacell acquires the Insulation Business of Nomaco, a leading US manufacturer of extruded polyethylene (PE) insulation foams.

2018 – Technology licence

Armacell and KOPP announce the ”Partnership for Excellence” to increase global product availability and provide customers with extended service coverage.

2018 – ArmaGel

Armacell introduces the next-generation aerogel blanket technology ArmaGel®, which is developed for high-temperature applications up to 650°C (1200 °F) and available in multiple thicknesses.

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2018 – China

Armacell acquires De Xu, a Chinese manufacturer of elastomeric insulation foams.

2018 – Acoustic insulation

Armacell acquires Guarto, an Italian manufacturer of acoustic insulation solutions.

2018 – Pipe support

Armacell acquires TB Concept, the Canadian innovator of insuguard pipe support solutions.

2019 – Bahrain

Armacell launches a new greenfield manufacturing facility in Bahrain.

2020 – Ownership structure

The investment firms PAI Partners and KIRKBI acquire Armacell.

2022 – Singapore

Armacell establishes a new customer experience centre with a training facility and fabrication workshop in Singapore.

2022 – ArmaPET Eco50

ArmaPET® Eco50 Armacell launches a new solution for structural insulation, the first polymeric insulation based on recycled PET, combining an outstanding environmental profile with the stringent requirements of building construction.

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