Eco comes from the Latin oeco and the Greek oikos, which mean home, house.
Phon originates from the Greek phone, which means voice, sound. Translated, our name means approximately sound in house, which corresponds well with what we concentrate on - room acoustics.
1958 First acoustic products (baffles) manufactured by the then Gullfiber (now Isover)
1968 Special product group for acoustic products formed. The Acoustics business area subsequently developed successfully during the 1970s through its sales organisations in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
1981 Gullfiber Akustik AB formed. Danish manufacturing company Ecophon A/S acquired.
1983 Beginning of Ecophon's globalisation through the formation of sales companies in Benelux and the UK.
1984 ONY AB acquired - the start of what was to become Ecolux.
1986 The entire group of companies takes the name Ecophon. Head Office and production moved to new premises at Hyllinge, Sweden.
1991 Three new companies formed: Ecolux (lighting) in Sweden, and Ecophon sales companies in France and Germany.
1994 Sales company established in Poland
1995 Creation of sales company in the USA
1997 Sales company formed in Russia
1998 Local offices opened in Czech Republic and China.
1999 Acquisition of Canadian company Decoustics.
2001 Establishment of sales company in Finland.
2002 Sales company established in Czech Republic.
2003 Local office opened in Thailand.
2005 New markets: Slovakia, Brazil, Ukraine, Hungary and Italy.
Part of the leading worldwide building materials group
Since 1988, Ecophon has been part of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's leading industrial conglomerates. Its history dates right back to 1665, when the company was started to make mirrors for the famous Gallery of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris. Today, The Saint-Gobain group consists of five different sectors (building distribution, high performance materials, flat glass, packaging and constructions products) a business model that makes the group both robust and effective. Ecophon is part of the insulation activity within the constructions products sector.
The Saint-Gobain group consists of over 1000 companies with some 173,000 employees in 46 countries and a turnover of 30 billion euro.
Product development, production and distribution
The technical development department at our head office in Hyllinge, Sweden, works closely with all our sales companies and the various production units. Global marketing contacts give us valuable information from the people directly involved in the building process: architects, building consultants, acoustics consultants, contractors, installers and more. Extensive collaboration with researchers, trade organisations and individual experts gives us insights into how people are affected by and react to sound in different situations and contexts. This enables us to develop our systems into elements that contribute to a good general environment.
Ecophon acoustic ceilings are now marketed in some 40 countries through either national sales companies or local distributors. A well-developed in-house training programme ensures a high level of competence among our employees as well as our partners.
Partners: end users
Our aim is to create value for our customers by constantly developing solutions that satisfy the needs of the end users, i.e. those who will work in or occupy the building. For example, a school should be planned from the point of view of the pupils and teachers, and a hospital with the objective of promoting healing and recovery.
Partners: specifiers
In addition to contributing to a good sound environment, an acoustic ceiling must also satisfy many other essential functions, for example fire safety, effective lighting and the indoor environment. Frequently, an acoustic ceiling also accommodates various services such as ventilation equipment and sprinklers, etc.
We make every effort to provide architects, acoustics consultants and other project designers with resources in the form of technical solutions, a CAD library and technical advice. These allow professionals to produce specifications that are well adapted to and useful in all steps of the building process.
Partners: installers
A high-quality product and excellent performance are not enough to create a good end result. Professional installation of our acoustic ceilings is just as important. We are therefore constantly involved in providing practical know-how about our ceiling systems to ceiling contractors and installers.
Environmental classifications
70% of the basic material in our sound absorbers comes from recycled glass from consumer and production waste, which considerably reduces the extraction of natural resources.
Allergies are a growing problem in many environments. Most Ecophon products are recommended by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association. All absorbers with Akutex T finish, plus a few with other surfaces, carry the Indoor Climate Label. These products also satisfy the criteria for the Nordic "Swan" eco-label, which applies to both the indoor and outdoor environments.
Did you know that at least 70% of the glass wool in Ecophon sound absorbers consists of recycled glass? Coloured as well as clear glass can be utilised.