Honda Chooses FiberTite for Flagship Facility

FiberTite® has been selected to cover the flagship facility for the manufacturing of Honda's new HondaJet aircraft in Greensboro, North Carolina. A new business venture for Honda, construction on the facility began in September.

"There are a lot of eyes on this project both internally and externally," commented Nick Lovato, owner of CyberCon Engineering, Inc., the Colorado based consulting firm that locked FiberTite into the construction specifications. "This building must function superbly from the onset and be trouble free for many years to come."

Honda's demanding design parameters and North Carolina's inclement weather led Lovato straight to FiberTite.

"We anticipate that in the manufacturing process of aircraft parts, exhaust vents may exude oils on this roof," said Lovato. "The chemical resistance of Fibertite's KEE membrane is unsurpassed and was deemed the best choice in this regard. The building also falls in the "hail belt" as defined by Factory Mutual. The puncture resistance of Fibertite's weft-inserted reinforced polyester membrane is also incomparable."

Honda also requires their buildings to comply with the requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program and the Energy Star Program. FiberTite membranes meet the requirements of LEED and Seaman Corporation was one of the first manufacturers to label its products under the Energy Star program.

"Honda bought this FiberTite system based on the value it will deliver," said Tom Ghidotti, Western Region District Manager for FiberTite. "It is always a big deal for us when this happens. It allows FiberTite to be exactly what it is – a highly engineered, superior performing product."

A high performance FiberTite Fleece Back fully adhered roofing system installed with hot asphalt will protect these facilities. Much of this 180,000 square foot roofing project will occur during North Carolina's winter months, which also impacted the product selection process. Installing the FiberTite Fleece Back product in hot asphalt is not only economical, but it is a more versatile choice than water–based and foam adhesives in cold temperatures. Furthermore, unlike many competitive products, in cold temperatures, FiberTite membranes remain flexible and weldable.

"The FiberTite product is very compatible with hot asphalt compared to other thermoplastic and elastomeric membranes." Lovato went on to explain. "The fleece provides a strong mechanical bond rather than a cohesive bond to the cover board, which gives the membrane extraordinary uplift resistance."

The Honda facility is expected to be operational in early 2008.

Strategic Expansion Takes FiberTite to the UK Market

Through a strategic international expansion effort, FiberTite Roofing Systems have become readily available in the United Kingdom. Wooster, Ohio based Seaman Corporation, manufacturer of FiberTite Roofing Systems, is partnering with Hambleside Danelaw, a major manufacturer of building products in the UK, to offer FiberTite Roofing Systems to the UK market.

Established in 1975, Hambleside Danelaw is based in three UK locations, including Daventry, Inverness and Portsmouth. FiberTite complements Hambleside Danelaw's existing product portfolio, which includes roof lights, cladding, ventilation systems and the Dryseal GRP roofing system, a high-end, non-flexible low slope roofing system for commercial and domestic use.

The partnership is a promising venture for both companies. The UK roofing market is a hospitable environment for single ply technology, though no significant manufacturers of single plies are based there today. Imported products with a solid track record for durability are especially welcome. Moreover, FiberTite's proprietary coating formula gives the membranes unmatched resistance to chemicals as well as long-term flexibility – qualities both desirable and unique to single ply buyers in the UK market.

Hambleside Danelaw's business philosophy centers on environmental efficiency and sustainability. The company has received numerous environmental awards, including the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation in 2006. The Queen's Award recognized the company's Insulator Rooflight System – a system of roof lights that improve thermal efficiency and reduce energy requirements and the release of carbon emissions. FiberTite's energy efficient, highly reflective membrane surface makes it a good fit in Hambleside Danelaw's repertoire of environmentally friendly, award winning products. Furthermore, with a track record of almost 30 years of proven rooftop performance in the most challenging environments, FiberTite is an invaluable component of a sustainable building solution.

Seaman Corporation Invests in FiberTite's Future

Seaman Corporation recently announced a three-year plan to invest $7 million at its manufacturing plant in Bristol, Tennessee. Four million dollars are being invested to design, build and install a state-of-the-art coating line for primer application, while the balance will be required for mixing equipment and weaving and knitting machinery.

"The primary purpose of making this investment is to further increase our capability so that we can remain globally competitive," said Richard Seaman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaman Corporation.

Seaman noted that the current plan continues the company's aggressive commitment to invest in necessary manufacturing technology.

"Between 2001 and 2004, Seaman Corporation invested more than $20 million in designing, acquiring and installing state-of-the-art hot melt coating equipment in its Ohio and Tennessee manufacturing facilities," he said.

These earlier investments were necessary to increase production capacity and provide the ability to produce fabric in wider widths, a necessary product evolution preferred especially by customers of the company's FiberTite roofing membrane product. However, the wider width of fabric produced on the hot melt coating equipment was still limited by the capabilities of existing primer coating equipment.

"The investment in this new primer coating equipment will allow us to fully utilize the capability of our previous hot melt equipment investments and offer FiberTite roofing membrane in widths up to 100 inches."

The newest investment also gives the company unique capability to do future research and development work for the industrial fabric market, which enables Seaman Corporation to continue being  competitive worldwide.

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