Our Story

At the turn of the 20^th century, glass manufacturing was focused on containers. By the 1920s, Owens Bottle Machine Company had a strong foothold in bottling. However, the advent of U.S. Prohibition and the Great Depression brought a series of challenges that drove the exploration of glass’s other capabilities. Experiments with glass fibers led to products such as glass block and, notably, the first glass mineral wool insulation. This convergence of glass and insulation led two of America’s then-leading glassworks companies, Corning Glass Works and Owens-Illinois, to form a partnership in 1935 to share knowledge and costs to explore fiberglass developments. The partnership produced a variety of new materials, processes, and applications in glass and insulation, and in 1938, the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation was officially formed.

The company, which became known simply as Owens Corning, continued to innovate and form partnerships to expand and strengthen our capabilities in the years that followed. As we found new uses for our materials, we launched our roofing and asphalt business in the 1960s and composites in the 1990s. Other businesses were created and divested as we grew. We survived a hostile takeover attempt in the 1980s, supported global architectural feats throughout the 1900s and 2000s, and have consistently earned numerous awards and distinctions for safety, sustainability, corporate leadership, and product quality. 

Here are some of the ways our innovations have made a material difference.

• May 15, 2024: Owens Corning acquires Masonite International Corporation, expanding the company’s offering to include doors and door systems.
• August 2021: Owens Corning launched PINK Next Gen™ Fiberglas™ insulation featuring advanced fiber technology.
• May 18, 2021: Owens Corning earned the No. 1 ranking on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for an unprecedented third year in a row.
• August 17, 2020: The company celebrated the 40^th anniversary of its relationship with The Pink Panther™. Through the years, the iconic MGM character and company “spokescat” became one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved brand mascots.
• 2020: Owens Corning introduced the FOAMULAR® NGX product line designed to help architects, contractors, and engineers meet their sustainability goals.
  

• 2019: Owens Corning announced the issuance of its first green bond. The $450 million bond was the first green bond issued by any industrial company in the U.S.
• February 5, 2018: Owens Corning completed the acquisition of Paroc Group, a leading producer of mineral wool insulation for building and technical applications in Europe headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.
• 2018: Owens Corning became the first company to offer a formaldehyde-free perimeter fire containment system in North America. The system is made with Formaldehyde-Free Thermafiber® Firespan® and Safing™ mineral wool insulation.
• 2015: Owens Corning dedicated a new solar parking canopy at its world headquarters, the single largest parking lot solar installation in the Midwest region of the United States.
• April 10, 2014: The company received the highest honor of the National Safety Council, the 2014 Green Cross for Safety medal.
• October 31, 2013: Owens Corning sites around the world celebrated the 75^th anniversary of the company’s founding.
• 2012: the company launched a next generation of Duration® shingles – TruDefinition® Duration® Series Shingles.
• 2011: Owens Corning teamed with vendor DuPont to create a SAFER barrier around auto racetracks. SAFER (steel and foam energy reduction) barriers combine Owens Corning Hydrovac® technology with a DuPont Formacel® foam expansion agent to create a foam that absorbs energy during impact.  
• 2011: Owens Corning launched its EcoTouch™ PINK™ FIBERGLAS™ Insulation platform with PureFiber™ Technology featuring natural materials and a formaldehyde-free formulation.  
• 2010: Owens Corning launched the Duration® Series Shingles Designer Colors Collection, a line of roofing shingles featuring vibrant color combinations that help home and building owners make a colorful statement.
  

• 2009: Owens Corning introduced EnergyComplete™ with Flexible Seal Technology, a whole home insulation and air sealing system.
• October 31, 2007: Owens Corning completed the acquisition of Saint-Gobain's Reinforcements and Composite Fabrics businesses.
• 2007: Owens Corning announced a contract to provide 5,000 cubic meters of FOAMULAR® XPS foam insulation for the “Bird’s Nest,” the main stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
• 2007: Owens Corning launched Duration™ Series shingles with SureNail® Technology. Due to a liberal nailing area, contractors reported improved productivity and greater accuracy. Duration Series shingles also deliver greater wind protection – resisting up to category three hurricane-force winds.
• 2007: Owens Corning published its first sustainability report.
• October 31, 2006: After six years in reorganization, Owens Corning emerged from Chapter 11 – 68 years to the day after the company’s founding in 1938.
• 2006: Owens Corning materials were used in the 9/11 memorial fountains at New York City’s World Trade Center.
• 2006: Owens Corning introduced new technology for its Oakridge PRO® Series Shingle that offered faster installation, higher wind performance and a better appearance immediately after installation.
• 2006: The National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, announced that Owens Corning innovators Dale Kleist, Dr. Russell “Games” Slayter, and John T. "Jack" Thomas – would be inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame on May 5. Collectively, the trio invented the process for making glass fiber insulation in commercial quantities. Their innovations also led to the formation of Owens Corning in 1938.
• 2003: The company took a formal stand, dedicating itself to an unconditional commitment to safety. CEO Dave Brown said, “The days of incremental improvements are gone. We have one objective: zero injuries.”
• 2000: to address the growing demands on its cash flow resulting from its multi-billion-dollar asbestos liability, the company voluntarily filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

• 1999: Owens Corning announced participation with General Motors and Ford Motor Company in vehicles featuring its advanced composite materials.
• 1998: The Heathrow Express Station was constructed using Owens Corning materials.
• 1997: Owens Corning announced the launch of Advantex™ glass fiber reinforcement, a new industry standard featuring enhanced heat and corrosion resistance.
• 1996: the company moved into its new world headquarters on the banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The campus setting with a three-story building reflects the commitment to a flatter organization and greater teamwork.
• September 9, 1992: Owens Corning unveiled its new (and current) logo, a square with an arc, symbolizing global commitment, and the words “Owens Corning.”
  

• 1989: Owens Corning materials were used for the Johannesburg, South Africa, soccer stadium.
• October 31, 1988: The company celebrated the 50^th anniversary of its founding.
• May 12, 1987: The color PINK® was registered as an Owens Corning trademark for insulation. Owens Corning thus became the first company to trademark a color.
• 1986: Wickes Companies, Inc., presented an unsolicited offer to purchase Owens Corning. Owens Corning’s Board of Directors rejected the offer.
• 1985: Owens Corning produced the glass fibers and installed fabric in the renowned Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• 1984: Owens Corning began marketing double-wall underground storage tanks.
• August 15, 1980: Owens Corning for the first time used United Artists’ cartoon character “The Pink Panther™” to help promote sales of pink Fiberglas insulation.
  

• 1977: Owens Corning purchased the Lloyd Fry Roofing Company and its subsidiary, the Trumbull Asphalt Company.
• 1975: The Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, opened featuring a 10-acre Fiberglas fabric roof.
• 1974: Owens Corning opened a temporary plant in Tukwila, Washington, specifically to produce insulation for the Trans-Alaska pipeline project. The 800-mile pipeline was completed in 1977 and went on to transport an estimated 20% of U.S. petroleum production.
  

• 1969: Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon wearing a suit made from Owens Corning Beta® Fiberglas® yarns. The lunar module was also insulated with Owens Corning fiberglass.
• 1966: Armstrong Rubber Company introduced an Owens Corning reinforced automobile tire following a joint development effort between the two companies.
• 1964: Structures made of Owens Corning reinforced plastics were prevalent among the 200 pavilions of the New York World’s Fair.
• 1963: Beta Yarn was first made; it was used, among other purposes, in NASA spacesuits.
• 1960: the Granville Technical Center was completed, housing more than 250 research and development employees.
  

• 1956: an experimental machine in Newark, Ohio, manufactured the first all fiber (AF) fiberglass wool, using the first AF fiberizer design. The Sales Department requested a method of distinguishing the new AF insulation from the standard PF product. In response to this request, red dye was added to the AF Wool binder, thus creating the company’s iconic PINK insulation.
• 1956: Disneyland incorporated Fiberglass materials into its miniature automobiles, boats, and “Rocket to the Moon.”
• 1955: The former H.C. Penney farm near Granville, Ohio, was purchased as the future site for the company’s principle research and testing facility.
• 1953: Owens Corning and General Motors announced the first production automobile to be made entirely of Fiberglas® reinforced plastic, the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 1952: The first fiberglass roving was made by Owens Corning for use in FRP fabrication.
  

• 1948: Owens Corning developed chopped strand for FRP applications.
• 1947: Owens Corning invented the Pre-Forming Process for making FRP parts. The first commercial product made using pre-forming was the Eames one-piece FRP chair.
• 1945: Owens Corning worked with William Stout to develop the Stout-Scarab automobile: the first automobile with an FRP body. The Stout-Scarab did not go into production.
• 1940s: Throughout World War II, Owens Corning operated at capacity. The principle product was Navy Board, a PF board insulation covered with woven Continuous Fiber cloth for use in insulating warships.
  

• 1939: The U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships established Owens Corning insulation as the standard insulation for all horizontal and vertical spaces in all new warship construction.
• 1939: Owens Corning revealed an attention-catching display at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., USA. Products were manufactured on site and samples and booklets were given to visitors.
• October 31, 1938: Papers incorporating the Owens Corning fiberglass operation as a separate company were filed with the state of Delaware. On the following day, Owens Corning Fiberglas Corporation was announced.