Company News

Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont is working to upgrade its Butacite® polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet business throughout the world. In this effort, it is expanding its plant in Hamm-Uentrop, Germany. According to the company, by the end of this year, 30 percent more PVB sheeting capacity will be available at the plant, including the new capability to supply 321-cm PVB interlayer sheets for architectural laminated glass.

“The Hamm-Uentrop project is the first in a series of plant and technology upgrades which will help us grow our PVB business over the next five years. It will allow us to serve the European architectural market faster and more efficiently so that we meet customers’ growing demand for wide architectural sheeting,” said Jack Welch, vice president of the Vinyls Enterprise in DuPont’s Packaging and Industrial Polymers business unit.

The company says it plans to continue the expansions of its plants during the next five years and hopes to boost its manufacturing capacity approximately 33 percent in that time.

American Architectural Products Corp. (AAPC) of Miami voluntarily filed for bankruptcy on December 18. While under the status of Chapter 11, the company hopes to restructure its financial system and will immediately seek preliminary court approval for a new $35 million debtor-in-possession financing facility to be provided by the CIT Group/Business Credit Inc. The new facility will allow AAPC to continue normal operations during the Chapter 11 process.

“The decision to file for Chapter 11 protection was a difficult one although necessary to complete the restructuring plan with our bondholders and others. We want to assure our employees, customers, vendors and stockholders that we will continue to operate without interruption and that this filing is a critical step in completing the restructuring plan and emerging as a stronger company,” said president and chief executive officer Joe Dominijanni. “The Chapter 11 process gives the company access to additional working capital financing while at the same time providing the company with adequate protection during the restructuring process to ensure the long term viability of our operating companies for the benefit of our employees, customers, vendors and the communities in which we operate.”

Minneapolis-based Apogee Enter-prises has received a tax refund of $2.5 million plus interest of about $700,000 as the result of an IRS tax audit for fiscal years 1993-1999. Due to the large adjustment, Apogee currently is working to notify 700 states and cities where the company operates its various businesses via letter or amended returns regarding the adjustments.

Oldcastle Glass Group of Santa Monica, Calif., has purchased the assets of Telford, Pa.-based Laminated Glass Corp. (LGC).

“Bringing Laminated Glass into the Oldcastle Glass family strengthens our lamination capabilities and services in the East and Midwest regions of America,” said Ted Hathaway, Oldcastle Glass chief executive officer. “LGC’s president Michael Lerner and his people have built a high-quality, dependable reputation for architectural, residential and security applications.”

According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office’s Patent Biblio-graphic Database, Zenon Grodziski recently received a patent for the apparatus and method for bending glass sheets for PPG Industries on June 20, 2000. The patented method for bending glass sheets utilizes a support frame and a shaping rail supported on the frame.