Praana Unites 3B and Owens Corning Glass Fiber Businesses Under Original Composites & Fiberglass

Updated on August 24, 2026 • 4 min read

Praana Group is moving quickly to reshape its global glass fiber reinforcements business following the completion of its acquisition of Owens Corning’s former glass reinforcements operations on May 1, 2026.

The acquired business is now operating as Original Composites & Fiberglass (OCF), and Praana plans to integrate it with 3B – the fibreglass company, which it acquired in 2022.

The combination brings together two businesses with common roots in Owens Corning, but with complementary manufacturing footprints, product portfolios and market positions.

One Global Glass Fiber Business

Under the integration plan, the 3B and former Owens Corning glass reinforcements operations will ultimately operate under a single Original Composites & Fiberglass identity.

The combined organization brings together approximately 4,200 employees from the former Owens Corning business and almost 1,300 from 3B.

OCF president Marcio Sandri described the newly formed company as simultaneously one of the industry’s oldest fiberglass businesses and one of its newest organizations.

The integration is already progressing at different speeds across the company’s geographic operations.

According to OCF, integration in the Americas is largely complete, while operations in India have also moved rapidly toward a unified organization. Europe requires more extensive integration because both businesses have significant manufacturing operations in the region.

The company expects the European integration to be completed by early 2027.

Combined Capacity Strengthens Global Glass Fiber Supply

One of the most significant outcomes of the transaction is manufacturing scale.

OCF says the combination with 3B adds approximately 400,000 tons of capacity while expanding its manufacturing presence across North America, Europe and Asia.

3B brings manufacturing operations in Battice, Belgium; Birkeland, Norway; and Goa, India, as well as an R&D center in Belgium.

These operations complement the former Owens Corning glass reinforcements network.

The company says European demand is currently strong enough that its available capacity in the region is essentially sold out, creating an incentive to optimize production between the combined facilities.

OCF is also expanding its technical fabrics capacity by 30% globally.

Wind, Automotive and Infrastructure Targeted for Growth

The combined product portfolio gives OCF exposure to several major composites markets.

3B has established positions in short fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and wind energy, while the former Owens Corning business adds capabilities in fabrics, preforms, kits and other forward-integrated reinforcement products.

Wind energy will remain an important target, with the company planning to supply not only glass fiber but also fabrics, kits, preforms and pre-shaped reinforcement products.

Another opportunity is dry use chopped strand (DUCS), which is commonly incorporated into thermoplastic compounds used in automotive, electrical and appliance applications.

Infrastructure is also receiving increased attention. OCF sees potential for glass fiber composites in construction, electrification, water infrastructure, transportation, data centers and other applications traditionally dominated by steel, concrete and wood.

Praana Plans Further Investment in India

India is expected to play a larger role in the company’s manufacturing strategy.

Praana plans to ramp up production at 3B’s Goa facility and bring both furnaces there into operation.

The company is also integrating small-furnace development capabilities in Europe and India. These facilities can be used to develop and qualify new glass formulations at a scale between laboratory experiments and full commercial furnaces.

OCF believes this could shorten development cycles for new glass fiber formulations and applications.

China is also returning to the company’s strategic agenda after Owens Corning previously exited glass reinforcement manufacturing in the market. Praana views China as an important composites market while also identifying Taiwan, South Korea and Japan as potential sources of technology development and licensing opportunities.

Circular Glass Fiber Production Remains a Priority

Circularity is another central part of the new company’s strategy.

At L’Ardoise, France, waste glass fiber can be returned to the furnace for production of the company’s Sustaina glass fiber products.

OCF has also introduced Sustaina production at Besana, Italy, where recovered ceramic waste can be used as furnace feedstock.

According to the company, products manufactured at Besana and Kimchon, South Korea, have achieved up to 50% mass-balance recycled content.

The Birkeland facility in Norway is also capable of incorporating recycled material into production.

Rather than treating recycled content solely as a regulatory requirement, OCF says it intends to develop circularity into a commercially viable part of its reinforcement portfolio.

Building a Larger Alternative in the Global Glass Fiber Market

The strategy extends beyond combining manufacturing plants.

OCF’s management argues that the composites industry needs larger, more coordinated supply chains capable of supporting high-volume applications.

The company sees standardization, regional manufacturing, technical support and collaboration between material suppliers and end users as increasingly important if composites are to gain share from conventional materials.

For Praana, the acquisition therefore represents more than ownership of the former Owens Corning business.

By combining it with 3B, the group is creating a geographically diversified glass reinforcement supplier with operations across several of the world’s major composites markets — while investing in additional capacity, technical fabrics, new glass formulations and recycled-content production.

With European integration targeted for completion by early 2027, the next stage will show how effectively Original Composites & Fiberglass can translate its expanded manufacturing footprint into growth across wind energy, automotive, infrastructure and other high-volume composites applications.