Компания Saint-Gobain открыла в Нортеборо передовую лабораторию для ускоренного тестирования строительных материалов

NORTHBOROUGH – A state-of-the-art lab straddling the Northborough-Marlborough line is expected to significantly accelerate work at Saint-Gobain’s 26-acre Innovation Hub North America. The new lab was announced on July 30. The new fire lab, which features one of the most advanced emissions control systems available, will be used to safely and sustainably test Saint-Gobain’s construction materials for compliance with fire certification standards. Bringing this capability in-house enables Saint-Gobain to be more nimble in its innovation, offer customers solutions more quickly, and provide additional opportunities for collaboration and customization. “This allows us to accelerate innovation. We can iterate more. We had to go to external sites in the past, but it’s very expensive, and you can’t iterate on ideas. This facility will allow us to innovate faster,” Saint-Gobain Vice President Todd DiNoia told the Community Advocate. This is the latest major investment on the campus, which is in the midst of a decade-long transformation and modernization into a best-in-class innovation hub supporting Saint-Gobain's business operations in North America. This 15,000-square-foot project, which broke ground in October 2024, represents a nearly $30 million investment in the region. Construction of the fire lab involved more than 40 local trade partners and subcontractors. The facility joins a campus where more than 400 permanent employees will work every day. The fire lab features two cutting-edge furnaces, equipped with fully electronic controls for maximum temperature precision and industry-leading emissions control systems, drastically reducing the carbon emissions released by a traditional furnace. The state-of-the-art emissions system far exceeds regulatory requirements and ensures the lab is aligned with Saint-Gobain’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050. The introduction of in-house fire lab testing further differentiates Saint-Gobain’s commercial construction offerings, advancing a key component of the company’s “Lead and Grow” strategy, announced last October. When combined with the existing large-scale acoustic and weather testing capabilities available at Northborough, Saint-Gobain will be able to offer large-scale, on-demand customizable testing to meet a wide range of commercial construction needs. Saint-Gobain has been in Northborough since 1985. “Northborough has great talent, and we can hire great talent in Massachusetts. There’s WPI, Boston University, Northeastern, MIT, and co-ops and students. We have great access to students. I’m able to bring that talent pool together,” said DiNoia. Northborough is excited to see Saint-Gobain’s expansion, said Town Administrator Stephanie Bacon. “It’s amazing,” she said. “ This will present a lot of economic opportunities for us as a town. They’ll be doing a lot of training there, and it will bring people to our town – they’ll use our gas stations, or restaurants. It’s an excellent economic opportunity for us.”