In September, Carlisle Construction Material (CCM) GmbH displayed its new production facility in Waltershausen, Thuringia, to the public for the first time when it invited selected guests to tour the plant. Carlisle is an American company that manufactures moistureproof roof sheeting made from EPDM synthetic rubber. In addition to offi cers of the companies that built the new factory, government officials and media representatives were present at the viewing. The state’s Minister for Economic Aff airs, Wolfgang Tiefensee, congratulated Gregor Ellegast, CEO of the CCM Europe Group, on Carlisle’s most significant investment in Europe to date. For his part, Ellegast announced: “For the next few years we have budgeted an aggregate of 42 million euros for this new facility and its future expansion. We are thus doubling our manufacturing capacity, with the aim of consolidating our position as leaders of the EPDM rubber market.” Carlisle’s state-of-theart plant stands on a 5 hectare site at the Waltershausen industrial estate. On a 11,600 sqm area, it comprises a large production building , a logistics center with an annex for administration and also a CARLISLE® ACADEMY training center, all under one roof. The extension of the training center in Waltershausen, located at the geographical center of Germany, aims at further qualifying the product users. In addition, the academy makes sure young talents find their way into the company: it trains process technicians specialized in rubber technology as well as warehouse logistics specialists. (maa)