ROOFING A
lthough the Firestone brand was born more than a century ago as Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, it only dipped a toe into the
waterproofing industry in 1980, and began to forge a reputation in rubber-based roofing and lining systems. In that time, thanks to a focus on research and development and innovation, more than 1.5 bn sq m of single ply membranes produced and installed worldwide. In 1991 Firestone Building Products UK & Ireland was established as part of a wider growth plan to increase market share globally. Over the last three decades, the UK business has rapidly expanded driven by a growing demand for EPDM and TPO roofing and lining systems across the residential and commercial sectors.
The company was acquired by Holcim in April 2021 – a move that saw it for the first time integrate products outside of its core business. Reflecting Holcim’s ambition to accelerate further growth, the Elevate brand was revealed in June 2022.
Widening the offer
“As Elevate, we will become a part of Holcim’s new Building Envelope division, which forms part of its Solutions and Products business unit,” says Phillip Moors, managing director UK and Ireland. “This will see us join a large and growing portfolio of respected brands providing a vast range of solutions to the commercial and residential sectors.”
Over the next three years, Holcim is aiming to significantly strengthen its market presence across the world, including Europe. The Elevate brand is key to this strategy and, Moors says, in the UK, this will see the company cement its position in the EPDM industry, including becoming more prominent in the commercial sector.
“Steps have already been taken to achieve these aims. Our recent investment in NBS Source, which will make it easier for specifiers to access product data, is just one example. We are also seeking to bolster our technical sales team ensuring we have the expertise to build relationships with contractors, specifiers and developers working in the commercial sector,” he says.
In terms of EPDM presence, the focus is on new product development and building awareness of the complete systems offered, enabling contractors to benefit from roofing membranes, insulation and accessories from a single supplier.
“As Elevate, sustainability will run through the heart of our approach, ensuring we can continue to deliver highly durable products that minimise environmental impact while
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NEW HEIGHTS REACHING FOR
Firestone Building Products is changing its name to Elevate, beginning a new chapter in its long and successful history, as BMJ finds out.
responding to our customers’ changing needs.” With excellent recyclability and an extended service life, EPDM is already the most environmentally friendly material available for flat and low-slope roofs. Moors points out, however, that there is always room to develop and raise standards in our sector to meet changing customer and market demands – an ethos shared by Holcim. “We must keep innovating to further minimise the impact of our products on the environment and develop long-term solutions that deliver efficiency benefits to contractors and resilient roofs for the end user,” he says.
A sustainable future
Increasing the use of recyclable materials and reducing waste is just one way that Elevate will seek to achieve this. This is leading to investment into innovation, research and development that is driving the launch of new products such as RubberGutter EPDM SA, for waterproofing of residential and commercial gutters.
With no need to apply adhesives on site, this is a self-adhered, synthetic EPDM rubber waterproofing membrane designed for gutter repair. It is installed using a release liner, which when removed can be recycled along with the packaging.
Moor says that, from a sustainability perspective, it is chemically inert, minimises waste during application, and providers gutters with a long service life. “As it is so quick and easy to install, it also helps contractors to overcome issues linked to skills shortages and
rising labour costs, enabling them to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging market.
“With the financial backing and support of Holcim, similar technologies are being developed that will not only deliver sustainability benefits, but reduce costs, labour and installation times for installers. This will result in new products launching under the Elevate brand within the next three years,” he explains.
The next level
With a new name comes a large amount of work to change the branding across all platforms, materials and literature, which is now starting. Moor expects that customers are now seeing Elevate on roofing and lining products, all of which will remain in the market. Warranties, and distribution network will also stay the same.
“In the meantime, we are already responding to Holcim’s ambition to accelerate green growth. We are looking forward to bringing our customers with us so that we can continue to deliver advanced solutions across wider applications and sectors.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2022
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