CertainTeed history

In 1912 General Roofing published its first annual report; the company reported an impressive $3 million in assets and a net income of $201,949.

By 1914, General Roofing was opening offices throughout the United States, and its factories worked around the clock.

In 1917, the company restructured, incorporated, and changed its name to the Certain-teed Products Corporation.

In 1917, the company restructured, incorporated, and changed its name to the Certain-teed Products Corporation. It began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1918.

In 1919 Certain-teed's sales reached an all-time high of over $10 million.

1921 – Based on the success of its roofing line, Standard Paint changes its name to the Ruberoid Company

The next year the company began producing floor coverings using the same felt material it was using to manufacture roofing materials, and in 1923 again expanded its product line when it began manufacturing gypsum wallboard, a type of plasterboard.

By 1935 Certain-teed had begun to turn a profit once again, and Brown retired from his posts as president and CEO of Certain-teed.

In 1938, the year in which company founder Brown died, Certain-teed was acquired by Celotex Corporation of Chicago, which gained control by purchasing a majority of the company's outstanding stock.

1942 - CertainTeed is awarded a national defense contract.

1944 - Rawson G. Lizars wins proxy battle and takes control of CertainTeed from Celotex.

In 1946 the company started paying dividends on its stock, something it had stopped doing during the Depression.

In 1951 it introduced 'Fire-Stop Gypsum Wallboard,' which had a better fire rating than previous gypsum wallboards.

The research and development center was the highlight of the company's year; intense price competition, a long, costly strike at the Certain-teed's gypsum plant in Texas, as well as a serious flooding of a gypsum mine, resulted in low sales for the company in 1952.

By 1954 the company was back on the expansion track again.

1955 - Malcolm Meyer becomes President of CertainTeed.

By the end of 1959, Certain-teed had developed the first fully automatic shingle packaging machine, which helped boost its sales to over $100 million that year.

However, in 1962--the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis--a poor economy resulted in many foreclosures, and Certain-teed was left with a surplus of repossessed homes.

In 1964 the company acquired the fiberglass manufacturing facilities of Pall Corporation in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania, and after the acquisition production at that plant tripled.

1965 CertainTeed acquired Plains Plastic Inc, a manufacturer of PVC pipe.

1966 Norton Company purchases United States Stoneware of Akron, Ohio, a maker of engineered ceramic and metal specialty products used in the chemical and petrochemical industries.

1967: Certain-teed forms a partnership with Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials supplier.

1968 CertainTeed acquires controlling interest in Modular Sciences Inc.

1969 - CertainTeed begins producing solid vinyl siding.

1970 CertainTeed acquires Realtec Inc and establishes Builders Investment Group,

The year 1971 marked Certain-teed's purchase of Saint-Gobain's American, Canadian, and Mexican patents for fiberglass and foam, as well as the first year Certain-teed earned a profit from its fiberglass insulation.

1973 - Saint-Gobain increases its shareholdings in CertainTeed to 32%.

In 1975 Certain-teed began to manufacture PVC resin, a material used in the production of PVC pipe and vinyl siding.

1976 - CertainTeed Products Corporation changes its name to CertainTeed Corporation.

1979 - CertainTeed pioneers the development of vinyl windows.

To help turn the company around, Michael Besson was hired as president and CEO of CertainTeed in 1980.

1981 CertainTeed introduces "InsulSafe®," the world's first non-bonded loose fill fiber glass insulation product.

1983 - Saint-Gobain increases its ownership position in CertainTeed to 57%.

On May 12, 1987, Owens Corning made legal history as the first company to trademark a color, in this case, PINK.

In 1988 the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, the world's largest manufacturer of building materials.

1989 CertainTeed acquires Ludowici Roof Tile, Inc.

1990 Saint-Gobain acquires Norton Company, a leading worldwide supplier of abrasives, ceramics and high-performance plastics.

1995 Ball Corporation and Saint-Gobain form Ball-Foster, a joint venture to make glass food jars as well as wine and beer bottles.

1996 CertainTeed acquires Bufftech Vinyl Fencing.

In 1997 CertainTeed bought the assets of Horizon Windows, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, another of its window fabricators.

1998 - CertainTeed enters fiber cement siding business acquiring Roaring River, NC facility from ABT Building Products.

8, 2001, GAF’s principal shareholder became the 27th company in the United States to file for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code from liabilities relating to asbestos-related bodily injury claims.

2003 Saint-Gobain acquires Heye America (now known as GPS America), a supplier of machines, parts and services to the glass container manufacturers.

2004 – Introduced first pre-coated energy-efficient modified bitumen membranes

2005 – Introduced first energy-efficient asphalt shingle available in rich colors

Three Owens Corning innovators, Dale Kleist, Doctor Russell Games Slayter and John T “Jack” Thomas were announced as 2006 inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for their inventions that resulted in the process for the production of glass fiber insulation in large quantities.

2007 CertainTeed acquires Vytec Vinyl Siding.

2008 - CertainTeed enters polyurethane spray foam in North America.

2009 CertainTeed acquires Ottawa Fibre expanding its insulation presence into Canada.

2010 - Introduced solar grade single-ply TPO membranes

Owens Corning was been named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12th annual list of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens™.” The company’s ranking of 68th on the 2011 list.