A giant family celebration for more than 600 people was held at Knauf Insulation’s Visé plant on September 20 to mark the 35th anniversary of the Belgian site.
Around 530 adults and 80 children enjoyed a family day extravaganza of circus shows, clown performances, face-painting and horse rides as well as barbecues, unlimited ice-cream and family tours of the plant.
“At Visé we are proud to be part of the Knauf Insulation family and we are proud of our achievements over the past 35 years,” said plant manager Olivier Douxchamps. “So it felt appropriate to mark this landmark anniversary with a giant party for the families of everyone who has contributed to our success.”
Today a total of 200 people work at the Visé plant which has a capacity of 72000 tonnes per year. When VB1, the first site, opened in 35 years ago the plant had a capacity of about 33000 and employed 250.
The production of energy-saving insulation started at the Visé plant in 1979 as the world was still coming to terms with the impact of volatile fuel prices caused by the international oil crisis.
Visé was an instant success with capacity increasing dramatically within a year of opening. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 a huge new construction market opened up in the East and production soared to 45,000 tons.
By 1995 a second plant at Visé was opened with a capacity of 27,000 tons to meet demand and in 2003 the site joined the Knauf Insulation family.
“Visé has always enjoyed a reputation for being a place where people can thrive and on our 35th anniversary we can be proud of our achievements and look forward to another 35 years of future success,” said plant manager Olivier Douxchamps.
