When did we open our manufacturing facility?

When ROCKWOOL opened the manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, British Columbia in November of 1999, it was our second stone wool operation in North America. This operation has enabled the organization to service markets on the west coast.

The fit between the values of this small community and ROCKWOOL, which was founded as a family business more than 80 years ago, has been evident since the very beginning.

Our 950,000-square-foot facility, located on Industrial Park Way, was purchased as a brownfield site from Enertek Product International. Brownfield meaning that the land was formerly developed for industrial purposes.

Since that time ROCKWOOL Grand Forks, BC has expanded, with a 2011 acquisition of a closed particle plant that has been converted into warehousing, and investments into upgrading the production line – installing the latest environmental monitoring and control technologies.

We’re proud to be celebrating more than 20 years of operations in Grand Forks. We look forward to continuing our track record of environmental responsibility and making a positive and meaningful impact in the community.

For a detailed look at what it means to have ROCKWOOL in your community, we created a Community Brochure. It covers everything from how our manufacturing facilities operate to working at ROCKWOOL and our social responsibility efforts to support local programs and causes.

Grand Forks, British Columbia BC landscape image on a sunny day view of the town. Location of GRF facility.

Respecting the local environment

As a proud neighbor of the communities in which we operate, ROCKWOOL is continuously working to improve the sustainability of our operations, so that we leave the smallest footprint possible to safeguard the local environment.

Learn more about our commitment to sustainability
ROCKWOOL continues to be a positive member of the Grand Forks community with continued investment in its operations, contribution to downstream economic growth, and support for local programs and causes.

Brian Taylor

Mayor, Grand Forks

How does our factory operate?

As the world’s leading manufacturer of stone wool, our production process continues to be refined with the intention of improving efficiencies and reducing the environmental impact of our operations.

This is realized in practice through the robust environmental management systems we have in place in Grand Forks and at the rest of our manufacturing facilities, that start with investments in state-of-the-art technology.

This manufacturing facility produces our stone wool insulation products for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, including pipe sections for our ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation business.

The making of stone wool insulation starts with natural rocks (such as basalt, dolomite, and bauxite) and may be supplemented with recycled mineral wool and slag from the steel industry. From there, this modern and advanced manufacturing operation combines people and equipment working together to ensure the highest levels of product quality and employee safety.

From a sustainability perspective, our proprietary technology enables us to fully recycle stone wool waste from this facility, helping us eliminating waste to landfill. We are also working toward several other ambitious commitments from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing CO2 emissions and improving water- and energy-efficiency in operations.

See below for a video walkthrough of our production operation, beginning with the hot end and moving through to the cold end of the process where we conclude with the packaging and shipment of the products seen in store.

Have a question or concern?

Please don’t hesitate to let us know and a member of our community relations team will follow up with you.

 

 

People working together, doing their jobs, teamwork, plant operations at the production manufacturing factory facility in Milton, ON

Advanced Manufacturing Factory Tour

Our manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, British Columbia operates 24/7 and has both a hot end process and a cold end process. To run this facliity it takes a combination of the latest equipment and a well-trained team who together, ensure workplace safety and the highest standards of product quality.

During the time that they have been operating in Grand Forks, ROCKWOOL has contributed to countless Habitat for Humanity build projects within the community. Over the years our two organizations have formed a close partnership to ensure shelter for families in need of safe, decent affordable housing.

Bob Huff

Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Southeast BC

How are we positively impacting the community?

We take great pride in supporting members of the communities in which we operate. It is here that we along with many homes and other businesses went through a unique and devastating situation during the Grand Forks flood of May 2018. We also work closely with organizations including the Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce, the City of Grand Forks, and Community Futures Boundary, to support shared progress in the area.

ROCKWOOL continues to contribute to the local economy annually between payroll, local economic activity via supplier and contractor business opportunities, and our community support.

Our community support is done through contributions to major community events and programs, such as the Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament, Habitat for Humanity, Family Day sponsorships, and local scholarships for post-secondary education and training in engineering and technical fields.

The ROCKWOOL Grand Forks facility is today one of the largest employers and industries in town, currently employing close to 200 people, a number that has nearly tripled since we acquired the facility twenty years ago. Being a stable and well-organized company enables us to offer our employees job security and invest in their growth and development.

Working at ROCKWOOL Grand Forks you will find that you’re an integral part of respectful workplace culture and an engaged group of skilled employees that continuously challenge each other. We all share a passion for making the world more sustainable and doing our part – from our operations to the end solutions we create.

See below for the current job openings with ROCKWOOL in Grand Forks.

People working together, doing their jobs, teamwork, plant operations at the production manufacturing factory facility in Milton, ON

Working at ROCKWOOL

Meaningful careers in manufacturing with job stability and security for Grand Forks, BC

01

Process Engineer

In this role, you will pursue capacity and efficiency improvements together with cost reductions whilst providing leadership and technical expertise to the factory via effective contributions to the development and analyses of new processes and the continual improvement of current processes which contribute to effective and efficient production. This includes quality and environmental systems at the site thereby ensuring both internal and external customer satisfaction is achieved.

ROCKWOOL is an inspiring place to work with solutions that improve the lives of people while protecting the environment. We are committed to developing our workforce because we recognize that our employees are our most important asset. A career at ROCKWOOL opens up a world of opportunities to develop your skills, explore your limits and realize your full potential.

02

Operations & Production

Don't see a current job opening that sparks your interest? Don't get discouraged. One of the areas we are always accepting applications is in operations and production at our ROCKWOOL manufacturing facility in Grand Forks. Submit your resume and we'll keep it on hand for future opportunities when something comes available.

ROCKWOOL is an inspiring place to work with solutions that improve the lives of people while protecting the environment. We are committed to developing our workforce because we recognize that our employees are our most important asset. A career at ROCKWOOL opens up a world of opportunities to develop your skills, explore your limits and realize your full potential.

03

Engineering

Don't see a current job opening that sparks your interest? Don't get discouraged. One of the areas we are always accepting applications is in engineering at our ROCKWOOL manufacturing facility in Grand Forks. Submit your resume and we'll keep it on hand for future opportunities when something comes available.

ROCKWOOL is an inspiring place to work with solutions that improve the lives of people while protecting the environment. We are committed to developing our workforce because we recognize that our employees are our most important asset. A career at ROCKWOOL opens up a world of opportunities to develop your skills, explore your limits and realize your full potential.

04

Leave us your resume

There are several areas where we are always accepting applications to support our ROCKWOOL manufacturing facility in Grand Forks. Submit your resume for an area of interest based on your skills and experience, and we'll keep it on hand for future opportunities when something comes available.

ROCKWOOL is an inspiring place to work with solutions that improve the lives of people while protecting the environment. We are committed to developing our workforce because we recognize that our employees are our most important asset. A career at ROCKWOOL opens up a world of opportunities to develop your skills, explore your limits and realize your full potential.

Great company, good work environment, and good support for the community.

Current Employee (Glassdoor)

ROCKWOOL Grand Forks, British Columbia

More information about ROCKWOOL

The Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament has been a yearly tradition in the community for many decades and it’s through the support of our sponsors like ROCKWOOL that we are able to host what’s become recognized as one of the best tournaments of its kind in North America.

GFI Board of Directors