Austrian EPS and XPS insulation manufacturer Austrotherm (Waldegg; www.austrotherm.at) is strengthening its activities in Southeast Europe. Around EUR 12 mn is being invested in the construction of an EPS insulation production plant in Zabok, Croatia, the company announced. The new plant, located around 30 km north of the Croatian capital of Zagreb, is scheduled to start operations in the first half of 2024, and is expected to employ 30.

At the production facility, Austrotherm plans to manufacture insulation boards made of white and grey EPS, as well as moulded parts. The space for production, storage, and offices is to cover around 8,000 m². In addition to customers in Croatia, the plant is also to supply customers in Slovenia.

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Austrotherm sees great potential for insulation materials in both countries. More than 60% of the Croatian housing stock is poorly insulated or not insulated at all, says company boss Klaus Haberfellner. And high energy prices and climate protection have long been an issue in the northern Balkan states.

In Croatia, Austrotherm has so far only been represented by a trading company. The production network of the company, which generated a turnover of EUR 627 mn in 2022, currently comprises 26 plants in Austria (3), Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina (2), Bulgaria (2), Poland (2), Romania (3), Serbia (3), Slovakia, the Czech Republic (2), Hungary (3), and Turkey (4).

Austrotherm is part of Schmid Industrieholding, which generated a turnover of EUR 2.6 bn in 2022 with 6,900 employees.