New production line positions JM to serve customers, boost lead in variety of global filtration product markets

BERLIN. - Thursday, June 18th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of premium-quality building, specialty and filtration products and a Berkshire Hathaway company, today celebrated the inauguration of a state-of-the-art polyester spunbond production line at its Berlin, Germany, facility.

The new production line is part of a strategic plan to support the growing demand for high-end polyester filtration media. The new production line utilizes newly developed proprietary spinning technology and will increase the Berlin plant’s spunbond lightweight capacity by more than 40 percent. Johns Manville invested more than 32 million Euro to build the line.

An inauguration ceremony at the plant included customers, local elected officials, project partners and JM employees.

“This new capacity at our Berlin plant will benefit Johns Manville’s global customer base,” said Mary Rhinehart, President and CEO. “Customers will have even greater access to our high-quality filtration products and to a new generation of spunbond filter media for cabin air, air pollution control and liquid filtration applications. This new lines also puts Johns Manville in a prime position to handle continued growth and customer demand in the many global markets we serve.”

JM’s innovative enhanced BiCo technology enables unmatched product performance especially in the field of gas and liquid filtration.

“Innovation continues to help make Johns Manville a market leader in our industry,” said Enno Henze, Senior Vice President and General Manager Engineered Products. “The technological advances on this new line in Berlin will give our customers an even more robust array of Johns Manville products to help them be successful.”

The Berlin site was founded in 1919 as “Spinnstofffabrik Zehlendorf AG.” In 1960, Hoechst acquired the factory and in 1967 changed the production from Perlon (artificial silk) to polyester spunbond and filaments. In 1999, Johns Manville acquired the Berlin plant from Hoechst Trevira. Plant employees produce and market Evalith™ polyester spunbond nonwovens mainly for the filtration, roofing and geotextile industry.

About Johns Manville

Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B), is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, and roof insulation, as well as fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. JM serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has annual sales of approximately $2.6 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. JM employs approximately 7,000 people and operates 44 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.

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Contacts

Johns Manville

Martin Kleinebrecht, +49 8234 9670-545

Martin.Kleinebrecht@jm.com

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