Company News

PPG Announces 13% Price Increase in Performance Glazings 

Citing higher raw material, energy and transportation costs, in June Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries hiked prices 13 percent for all clear, tinted, coated and tempered glasses from its performance glazing business and an 8-percent increase for all Starphire ultra-clear glass products.

“PPG continues to experience double-digit cost increases in the costs of raw materials associated with the production of our glass and coated glass products,” says Scott Follett, director of marketing and new product development for PPG Performance Glazings. “In addition, the increases in costs associated with diesel fuel and natural gas have far outpaced our ability to recover costs through current energy surcharge practices.”

Follett says that in the past five years, costs for glass batch materials including sand and soda ash have grown dramatically, and the price of natural gas that powers glass melt tanks has skyrocketed. In the last year alone, he adds, diesel fuel used for transportation of raw materials and glass products has increased more than 40 percent.

“PPG has implemented ‘lean’ practices and ‘cost-out’ initiatives to minimize inflationary impact to our costs for the past six years, but these efforts are not enough,” Follett says. “We remain committed to investing in technology and capacity to support the performance glazings business, but in order to do so, a price increase is now necessary.”

The company will continue to offset energy cost inflation with a surcharge that will be updated on a quarterly basis, Follett says. Also, where the company has contract pricing in place, he says pricing will be renegotiated upon expiration to include either open pricing or inflationary quarterly adjustments similar to those used for other basic construction products. www.ppg.com

Defenshield Partners with North American Specialty Glass 
Defenshield in Syracuse, N.Y., has announced a strategic partnership with North American Specialty Glass (NASG) in Trumbauersville, Pa. NASG’s full line of flat armored glass products will be represented exclusively by Defenshield. The partnership will allow Defenshield to offer additional transparent armor solutions to its military, law enforcement and government customers.

“We’ve worked with NASG for many years as one of our key suppliers, and are impressed with the quality of their products and services. Their level of engineering expertise and on-site capabilities meets, and often exceeds, the requirements of Defenshield and our customers,” says Collins White, president of Defenshield. “The combined resources of Defenshield’s ballistic solutions expertise and NASG’s quality transparencies will provide tremendous value and opportunities for customers of both companies.”

The NASG line of laminated transparent armor systems will be available through Defenshield’s GSA schedule (GS-07F-5660P) to all federal agencies and to state, local, and municipal law enforcement under the Justice Department 1122 program. Additional funding is available through the DHS Homeland Security Grant Program. www.naspecialtyglass.com

Ohio Gratings Joins Forces with American Metalco 
Ohio Gratings Inc. in Canton, Ohio, has announced that American Metalco in Longwood, Fla., became an Ohio Gratings company through a joint venture focusing on the Florida architectural market. Over the last several years, Ohio Gratings has expanded into the architectural metals market providing aluminum, carbon and stainless steel products for projects requiring sunscreens, grilles, fencing, handrail infill, building facades and louvers. 

American Metalco operates from a 30,000-square-foot facility in Longwood. www.americametalco.com

Pilkington Plans to Put $100 Million into California Float Plant 
Pilkington Building Products has proposed an investment of around $100 million in its float glass facility in Lathrop, Calif. The plant, which currently produces float glass products for the architectural and automotive markets, will be upgraded to produce a wider product range, including on-line coated glazing (see June 2008 USGlass, page 18, for comments from Pilkington’s marketing and communications manager on the new plant).

Part of the investment will involve the installation of new advanced pollution control systems, which will reduce the overall environmental impact of the site. The project is located in the new San Joaquin County Enterprise Zone, and is expected to maintain and expand employment there.

The investment approval is contingent on obtaining required regulatory approvals and sufficient support from local utilities and state and local governmental bodies. If approved by Nippon Sheet Glass, Pilkington’s Japan-based parent company, site construction activities will commence in the fall of 2008. www.pilkington.com 

USG
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