JEB’s New Plant Begins Fabrication
J.E. Berkowitz L.P. (JEB), in Pedricktown, N.J., began glass fabrication at its new 200,000-square-foot plant in Pedricktown in February, two months ahead of schedule. Included in the new location is the addition of a Lisec insulating line, which gives the company three IG production lines. With the addition, the company says it now has maximum length capabilities up to 158 inches. The new line also adds an on-line gas filling component and two sets of pumps for JEB’s black and new light grey silicone lines. In addition to the Lisec line, the company will add a fully automated cutting line supported by an automatic Gantry system, an automatic seaming line, a horizontal double edger and CNC machinery. 

JEB also announced that it named Dow Corning of Midland, Mich., its 2006 Supplier of the Year. Dow Corning has been supplying its silicone insulating glass sealants to JEB for more than two decades.  www.jeberkowitz.com

Trainor to Focus on Preglazed Projects 
Trainor Glass Co. in Alsip, Ill., has formed a new operating division. The Illinois Engineered Wall Division of Trainor Glass Co. will focus on unitized and preglazed wall projects and serve the entire Midwest region. 

The company decided that spinning the division off will better service what it sees as the increasing trend toward unitization and pre-glazing of curtainwalls in Illinois and the surrounding states. The company says that unitized and pre-glazed wall systems are no longer just for high-rise buildings; they are growing in market share on mid-size as well as major projects. The new division will allow the company to have a narrower focus on unitized projects.  www.trainorglass.com

Milestone: 10 Billion Feet of Intercept Installed
GED Integrated Solutions in Twinsburg, Ohio, congratulated Silver Line Windows, an Andersen Company, as the producer of the 10 billionth foot of Intercept Spacer.

Since its introduction in 1992, Intercept Spacer has been installed in more than 500 million windows throughout North America and Europe. Silver Line achieved this landmark in the fourth quarter of 2006. 

“Our state-of-the-art, fully-integrated i-3 lean manufacturing IG frame production system, in conjunction with the proven Intercept Spacer, has enabled our customers to routinely produce thousands of IG windows day-after-day with 100-percent computer controlled repeatable quality,” says Ron Auletta, president, GED Integrated Solutions. “It is no surprise that the 10 billion foot milestone has been achieved in just 14 years. All of us at GED offer our sincere thanks to our customers who have made this milestone a reality, and who continue to add significant additional mileage to the record each and every day.” www.interceptspacer.com 

Linetec Named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year
Linetec in Wausau, Wis., won the 2006 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award for overall outstanding achievement in the category of large company. The award is sponsored by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce; Virchow, Krause and Co. LLP; and Michael Best and Friederich LLP. Company president Rick Marshall thanked the hosts, judges and Linetec’s employees when he accepted the award at a banquet held in March. In his acceptance speech, he noted that Linetec “has a long-standing history of values-based management. The company’s core values—created almost ten years ago based on employee input—have remained unchanged since that time.” www.linetec.com 

Oldcastle Glass® To Open New Georgia Fabrication Facility
Oldcastle Glass® based in Santa Monica, Calif., announced the formation of Oldcastle Glass Atlanta—a 207,000-square-foot, glass fabrication operation serving the Southeast. According to the company, the new facility features advanced glass fabrication equipment and will be operational in September. 

“Designed to capitalize on the $34 billion Southeast U.S. non-residential construction market, the new manufacturing facility will substantially increase tempering, laminated glass and insulating glass capacity,” said Oldcastle Glass general manager Paul Mahedy. “Oldcastle Glass is consolidating its existing Lithia Springs and Stone Mountain [Georgia] facilities into a new, world-class glass fabrication facility,” Mahedy added. The new plant will produce a complete range of architectural glass products and, according to the company, is positioned to grow market share for Oldcastle Glass’s® exclusive high-performance StormGlassTM hurricane-resistant glass and SunGlassTM solar control glass.

“Atlanta is the right strategic fit for our hurricane-resistant glass strategy, in part, because many states in coastal hurricane regions have enacted new building codes that require hurricane-resistant glazing similar to those of Florida’s Miami-Dade County, the most stringent in the nation,” said Ted Hathaway, chief executive officer of Oldcastle Glass. “With the implementation of these new, more rigorous building codes, hurricane-resistant laminated glass is the fastest growing segment of the architectural glass market. This new plant re-positions Oldcastle Glass in the Southeast U.S. non-residential construction market and increases our capacity for high-volume projects,” Hathaway added.

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