Jason Krol moves product at Unifrax Corp. in New Carlisle on Tuesday. South Bend Tribune/SANTIAGO FLORES (October 17, 2012)
NEW CARLISLE -- Unifrax, descended from the Carborundum ceramic fiber insulation company that opened a New Carlisle plant more than 40 years ago, has enjoyed rapid global growth in the last decade.
The New Carlisle operation, with 150 employees in a 300,000-square-foot facility, is the largest fiber-producing plant among the company's 25 manufacturing sites around the world, says plant manager Tom Lord.
Its widely known Fiberfrax ceramic fiber products replace banned asbestos for high-temperature insulation products in applications from furnaces to fireproof ductwork, airplanes and railroad tank cars.
"Our niche in the market is generally for high-temperature product," says Lord, who came to the New Carlisle plant more than 20 years ago. "We have a number of products that are used in fire protection applications.
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