EPS and XPS insulating materials producer Austrotherm (Waldegg-Wopfing / Austria; www.austrotherm.com) is investing around EUR 8m in a third European XPS sheet facility in Horia / Romania. The new plant is scheduled to come in operation in summer 2008 with an annual capacity of 250,000 m³. The investment will create 30 jobs at the site, where Austrotherm has been producing EPS since 2006.

The new facility will meet demand from the Romanian market and export XPS to the rest of eastern and southeastern Europe. XPS was previously imported from the company’s plant in Purbach / Austria. Austrotherm has 690 employees at 13 sites in 11 countries and generated sales of EUR 184m in 2007.