ROCKWOOL North America eyes expansion in Walla Walla County
By Dan Thesman on Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLULA – The Port of Walla Walla has announced ROCKWOOL North America has signed an agreement to acquire 250 acres at the port’s Wallula Gap Business Park located in the western portion of Walla Walla County.
ROCKWOOL North America intends to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility featuring proprietary electric melting technology for its stone wool insulation products. Manufactured from volcanic rock, ROCKWOOL’s stone wool is used in a range of insulation, acoustic, design, and other applications in buildings, industry, transportation, horticulture, and water management. It is also fully recyclable and sustainable.
“On behalf of the Port of Walla Walla, I’d like to be among the first to welcome ROCKWOOL to Walla Walla County,” Port Commission President Kip Kelly said. “Their facility and corporate culture will be a welcome addition to our community. Port staff, specifically Executive Director Pat Reay and Economic Development Director Paul Gerola, have been instrumental in making this project a reality.”
No construction timeline has been announced for the new facility, which would be ROCKWOOL’s fifth North American manufacturing facility and would support growing demand for the company’s products in the western United States.
“ROCKWOOL has operated in North America for more than 30 years,” ROCKWOOL North America President Rory Moss said. “We are excited to take this first step toward establishing ourselves in the Mid-Columbia region and growing our stone wool production capacity to better serve customers in the western United States. We look forward to engaging with the local communities and sharing more as plans develop.”
To introduce ROCKWOOL locally, the company will host open houses in Burbank and Walla Walla next month:
April 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Walla Walla County Fire District 5
460 W. Humorist Rd.
Burbank, WA 99323
April 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Walla Walla Regional Airport Terminal Building – Conference Room
45 Terminal Loop
Walla Walla, WA 99362 According to ROCKWOOL North America, the Wallula facility would represent a $175 million local investment, creating more than 670 jobs over the course of construction. Once operational, the facility would create 125 direct new jobs earning $8.6 million and generate $2.4 million in state and local taxes.
