Austrian insulation specialist Austrotherm (Waldegg-Wopfing; www.austrotherm.at) in April 2013 commissioned a second plant in Turkey. The site in Turgutlu, near Izmir, turns out sheet cladding made of grey EPS. The total cost for the new facility, including the sales price, amounted to EUR 4m. Once the plant is fully operational, about 40 employees will work here, Austrotherm said. Group CEO Peter Schmid added that the region constituted an independent market, with access to about 10m inhabitants, also pointing out that Izmir’s application to host “Expo 2020” would further spur construction activity in the area.

Even though Turkey’s construction boom – characterised by double-digit annual growth rates – has abated somewhat in several regions of the country, Schmid remains optimistic. “Numerous holiday houses erected during the 1990s are in need of renovation. It is up to us to raise awareness for the fact that proper insulation can yield significant savings, especially for the summer months when air-conditioning is required.” The Austrian company is also hoping for support from the Turkish government with regard to energy savings. The state currently is discussing a proposal to tie real estate tax to an energy certificate, which could mean that owners of properly insulated homes will have to pay less tax in future.

Austrotherm raised sales by 8% last year to EUR 245m. The company employs some 830 workers across 18 production sites in 11 different countries.