News Release

Partnership will strengthen the Commonwealth’s cleantech industry.

Governor Deval Patrick today celebrated a partnership between the Somerville clean tech incubator Greentown Labs and the French-based global building materials corporation Saint-Gobain and its North American construction products subsidiary, CertainTeed. The announcement was part of Governor Patrick's Massachusetts-France Innovation Partnership Mission, aimed at strengthening the Commonwealth's relationships with France in order to create growth and opportunity throughout Massachusetts.

"This partnership between Greentown Labs and Saint-Gobain is further evidence that Massachusetts clean tech companies are competing in the global marketplace," said Governor Patrick.

Saint-Gobain is Greentown Labs' first-ever corporate sponsor to operate and share an R&D test facility at the Labs. Saint-Gobain will be testing new, innovative technologies and will make the lab space and its engineers available to member companies.

"At Greentown Labs, our mission is to help clean tech and energy tech startups solve the world's biggest energy and environmental challenges," says Emily Reichert, Ph.D., executive director of Greentown Labs. "We believe that the kind of direct, shared-space collaboration and expertise-sharing between a global company like Saint-Gobain and our resident startups paves a new kind of pathway to commercialization with extraordinary potential."

Saint-Gobain is an established global leader focused on bringing innovation to the field of building materials. The two-year sponsorship agreement will build upon Saint-Gobain's presence in the Commonwealth and help create connections between Saint-Gobain and the innovative member companies of Greentown Labs that are developing potentially game-changing technologies. 

"As a company with 350-year-old roots in Paris and significant business concentrations in Central Massachusetts, we can speak first-hand to the limitless opportunities for collaboration that exists between the flourishing entrepreneurial communities across Massachusetts and France," says John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Corporations. "Through our partnership with Greentown Labs, we seek to work alongside more cleantech start-ups so that we may foster greater innovation that ultimately yields material solutions that can improve the way we construct, sustain and experience the built environment."

"It will be exciting to see how the partnership between Greentown Labs and Saint-Gobain evolves to help boost job creation and the Commonwealth's standing on the global clean energy stage," says Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett.

"As an early supporter of Greentown Labs, MassCEC is excited to see leading global corporations like Saint-Gobain recognizing the value of partnering with Greentown Labs and the more than 50 promising companies and organizations based there," says MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. "This type of public and private support for startup companies and centers of innovation will accelerate the development of technologies that will help tackle global energy challenges, while creating jobs in the Commonwealth." 

Governor Patrick highlighted the partnership during a reception at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. The reception was the final stop on Governor Patrick's Innovation Partnership Mission to Denmark, The United Kingdom and France, which started on September 14 and runs thought September 19. The Innovation Partnership Mission made stops in Copenhagen in Denmark, London in the United Kingdom and in Lyon and Paris, France where the Governor and members of the delegation visited companies and business organizations to expand opportunities between the Commonwealth and the European Union for economic development and job creation in the innovation economy sectors.

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About Saint-Gobain in North America

Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy-efficient buildings. The company has more than 265 locations in North America and approximately 15,000 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $7.9 billion in 2013.

Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Saint-Gobain earned the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. For more information about Saint-Gobain in North America, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Greentown Labs

Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Located in Somerville, MA, Greentown Labs is the largest cleantech incubator in the Northeast, operating a 33,000 sq. ft. facility that enables entrepreneurs to solve today's biggest energy and environmental problems. Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events and programs for the cleantech community and tours more than 5,000 visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing access to the space, resources, and funding need to thrive. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com, or find us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Saint-Gobain in North America:
Dina Silver Pokedoff, APR
610-341-7031 (office)
484-919-2103 (mobile)
Dina.Pokedoff@saint-gobain.com