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There’s a certain hum in the air when a factory springs to life, especially when it’s the first time in a long time that the old bones of a building have felt the thrum of production. Last week, that hum turned into a full-throated roar at Kingspan’s new facility in Mattoon, Illinois, where the first test runs of pre-insulated metal wall panels rolled off the line. One, even, designed purely to push the limits of what could possibly be transported by Semi – 52 feet.

For most sheet metal and HVAC contractors, Kingspan is a familiar name – just usually in a different aisle. The company’s KoolDuct system and phenolic-insulated ductwork have become go-to solutions for energy-efficient air distribution, with shops like Airside Fabricators and Sheet Metal Werks in Chicago using the panels to streamline installation, save weight, and meet tough energy codes. KoolDuct, constructed from rigid phenolic insulation panels faced with reinforced aluminum, has made a name for itself by offering high R-values, low leakage, and labor savings – qualities that have made it a favorite for tight ceiling spaces, hospitals, and retrofits. And Thermaduct, built on the same KoolDuct core, brings those benefits outdoors with weather-resistant cladding.

While much of the recent attention in the insulated panel world has focused on the megaproject boom – EV battery plants, chip fabs, and the like – industry watchers know that’s not the whole story, especially with shifting federal policies and some headline projects facing delays or cancellations. Kingspan’s new Mattoon facility is designed with this broader landscape in mind, serving data centers, healthcare, education, cold storage, and a range of applications where safety, speed, and energy performance matter.

The plant, which Kingspan acquired about 18 months ago, represents a substantial investment in both technology and community. The company, which started in a small Irish town in the 1970s and now boasts nearly 27,000 employees in almost 100 countries, is betting big on Mattoon.

“We rarely ever close something. We're always looking to get bigger and better,” said Alswinn Kieboom, president of Kingspan Insulated Panels, during remarks at the opening, underscoring the company’s approach to growth and investment.

Karim Muri, Kingspan vice president of marketing, added the small-town feel and the skilled workforce drew the company to this spot in the heart of Illinois.

“This is almost a perfect example of where we thrive,” Muri said.

TEAM EFFORT: Plant Manager Jake Hanner addresses members of the media and Mattoon business community during the grand opening, highlighting the teamwork behind the launch.

A Complicated Craft

Insulated metal panels aren’t your average sheet metal product. The process, as Muri explained, is intricate and capital-intensive, with only a handful of players in the market.

“There’s a lot of complexity to the process,” he said, pointing out that architectural creativity is alive and well in this sector, even if the products are often destined for fast, mass installations. “We’ve seen some amazingly creative buildings by architects that use these.”

Inside the plant, the real magic happens when volcanic rock – yes, actual rock – is spun into something that Plant Manager Jake Hanner describes as “rock cotton candy.” This mineral fiber, compressed and sandwiched between thin-gauge sheet metal, becomes the heart of Kingspan’s fire-resistant panels.

“It’s a lot heavier than the foam insulation people might know from ductwork,” Hanner said, “but it has its place, especially when you’re dealing with safety concerns in big factories.”

KINGSPAN: Alswinn Kieboom, president of Kingspan Insulated Panels, shares Kingspan’s growth philosophy with guests before introducing Mattoon Mayor Rick Hall at the grand opening ceremony.

Precision and Quality Assurance, Panel by Panel

On the floor, production is built around flexibility and careful tracking. The line can run nearly nonstop, with operators able to swap out coils and keep jobs moving without pausing the process. As Hanner explained, “the goal is we’ll never stop the line.” Multiple coilers are kept ready so that when one runs out, the next can be spliced in immediately.

Each stage of production is monitored for quality and precision. Benito Morales, who helps oversee the mineral fiber laydown and lamination process, pointed out stations where the fiber is checked for fit and thickness, with dust and waste collected for recycling back to the supplier. Plant automation allows operators to control the speed and tension of the line, as well as monitor production data in real time. 

“The operator controls the speed of the line from here. They control the tension They control the flow,” Morales noted.

Further down the line, Matt Osborn with quality assurance, explained how each job is tracked from steel coil to finished panel. “We have different job numbers. Each job has its own specific job number,” Osborn said. “We run one order at a time … that’s the only way we can do it with one line.” If any issues pop up, panels can be diverted out for scrap or rework before leaving the line. Osborn and his team’s checks include width, length, and depth, all down to tight tolerances to ensure panels fit perfectly on site. 

“My goal is to make sure that panels go out the door and they don’t come back,” he said.

Serving the Modern Economy

Kingspan’s panels aren’t just about looks, or even energy savings. Increasingly, they’re about safety in high-stakes facilities – think battery divisions in electric vehicle plants, chip fabrication facilities, and sprawling data centers. “If you’ve got something flammable, like lithium batteries, you want to put these walls up,” Hanner said. The panels are flexible, too, able to be installed vertically or horizontally, and up to 52 feet long – limited only by the length of a semi-trailer.

The North American insulated panels market, as Muri put it, is “growing quite tremendously.” Here and globally, the segment now makes up more than half of Kingspan’s business. While there’s competition out there, Muri said, the complexity of manufacturing and the broad range of applications – from cold storage to hospitals and stadiums – means Kingspan feels well-positioned to lead.

The Mattoon building itself was a bit of a fixer-upper, but Kingspan saw potential.

“A lot of the work that we have done is mainly on the inside,” Muri said. “We’ve given it a facelift on the exterior … but most of the works have gone on internally.”

And the work isn’t done. The plant is already producing, but plans are in place for a 1.2 megawatt solar array on the roof, which will eventually provide 100% of the facility’s electricity. There’s talk of rainwater harvesting and a move to electric forklifts, all part of Kingspan’s push toward sustainability.

ROCK: Volcanic rock transformed into mineral fiber insulation, often described as “rock cotton candy," forms the fire-resistant core of Kingspan’s insulated metal panels.

A Community Effort

If there’s one thing both Kingspan leaders and city officials agree on, it’s that this project wouldn’t have happened without the people of Mattoon. Hanner, who describes himself as “a community guy,” was quick to credit his team in blue shirts on the factory floor. “Not a one of us had made a panel before, but now we’re making panels – this is awesome,” he said, beaming with pride. “We’re not only building panels here, we’re building community.”

The company has already fostered strong ties with local leaders, including Mayor Rick Hall. “Kingspan is the kind of company that we love to bring to Mattoon,” Hall said, citing the promise of jobs and the boost to ongoing economic development efforts.

As Kingspan’s global business surges past $10 billion, its leadership is bullish on the future in central Illinois. “We invest in the best equipment, but also in our people,” Muri concluded. “We buy a building, we improve it, and then we invest in state-of-the-art equipment.”

In Mattoon, that recipe seems to be working. There’s still work to be done – on the line, on the roof, and in the community – but the first panels are out the door, and the feeling in the air is more than just the hum of machines. It’s the sound of a new chapter being written, one rock cotton candy panel at a time.