This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at “La tecnología juega un papel fundamental en nuestra actividad a todos los niveles”.

"Technology plays a key role in our activities at all levels".

15/07/2006

Jose Vicente Cordera Fernández. Director of factory Saint-Gobain Glass (insulation Division).

ISOVER is a company belonging to the Saint-Gobain group that is present in Azuqueca since 1962, year in which began the manufacture of glass wool products. Later, in 1986, our industrial implementation grew with the arrival of Roclaine, rock wool production line, from Alcalá de Henares. Today, isover is one of the few factories that owns both lines of products in the same industrial site. With production in m² of 2005 be could completely cover the town of Azuqueca, and still with left over to cover several football stadiums.

In that measure Isover is part of Azuqueca?

As good azudenses we are, the factory participates in the life of the community in everything is at your fingertips. In the same way, the community participates in the life of the factory as seen recently during the celebration of the II international day for safety and health at the centers of the Saint-Gobain group.

What kind of technology is used in your factory?

ISOVER is a factory that develops an activity in which we are leaders at national and international levels through the Saint-Gobain group. As leaders we, technology plays a critical role in our activities at all levels, either productive or, for example, environmental.As an example of a technology that has greatly enhanced the plant emissions include the electric furnace for fusion of the raw materials we use. This oven was introduced in 1999 and has allowed us to eliminate CO2 emissions that occurred with the old fusion of gas oven.

What is the key factor to make everything work properly?

Safety and hygiene are the cornerstone of all industrial activity. Security starts with maintaining order and cleanliness in the factory. A place for everything and everything in your site. A Centre for clean work and an investment program appropriate to progressively improve working conditions. The key element to achieve all this is the involvement of every employee of Isover. Each and every one of us must see the factory like ours, not in vain here spend much of our lives. We must not be allowed in the factory, situations that we permitiríamos not in our House.

The company produces various thermal, acoustic insulation and fire protection solutions. These products are standard or made to measure?

Of course. One of the keys to the success of Isover is the ability to customize isolation solutions so we can deliver to clients that thus require it at any given time. We speak not only of products and solutions, and with this vision, Isover is able to solve any situation arising on them to our customers.

What quality systems used Isover in their production facilities?

Our quality system is certified by Aenor in accordance with the ISO 9001: 2000. This system basically certifies that the Organization of production and controls which we make about our products ensures that the quality meets our specifications and the needs of our customers.

Climaver is one of their most important products. What other products have been released recently and are used for what?

You mention how the Climaver is one of the products of major interest for Isover, but not only by what is economically but by their technical characteristics and the market segment to which target: the air conditioning. The Climaver, leading product in Spain without a doubt, but also Isover dedicated efforts in innovation in other segments. For example, the range sand. Range of constructive solutions which is intended to dry partitions, to achieve a maximum sound absorption with the least possible space.

What features would you highlight of these products or constructive solutions?

Specifically the range sand, we could say that it is quite specialized, finding us with products ranging from the sand optima - 1.5 cm. thick-, to improve the acoustic insulation in the walls of separation between neighbors... which as you know today is usually consist of a simple brick wall. Up to the arena master, product of 9 cm. thick which is intended to premises with high levels of noise, such as discos, cinemas, etc. Too bad we can not extend this interview, but what if I can do is locate readers to visit our web site. Page that has more than 32,000 visitors a month and which offers the visitor everything you need to know about the isolation.

What objectives it has set factory for 2006?

During the year 2006, the objectives of the factory are three: security, environment and capacity. Security is a way in which the goal is never reached and it should be understood as a way of living our job, not as a requirement that is imposed on us. This is an arduous task that will address permanently, not just in this year. Environment, we must prepare our dossier to obtain the integrated environmental authorization, as all Spanish companies, before October 2007. In regards to capacity, we have good news as our market grows and us must do so also. At the moment we are starting the necessary studies to increase the productive capacity of the plant of Azuqueca. We have much work ahead but it is to grow, and this is an authentic privilege that we have to take advantage of. The factory of Isover in Azuqueca has a bright future and in it we work all of us here.