• The economic conditions allowed the Vetropack Group to increase its turnover by 2.5 percent. However, the price adjustments that were needed because of rising costs could only be implemented to a limited extent. Profit margins are therefore lower but still at a good level. The sale of two sites in Switzerland that were no longer needed for production led to an increase in profits by 42 percent.
• Photovoltaics manufacturer and project developer Centrosolar plans to dispose of its solar glass operations due to falling market prices and sales volumes. The main determining factor for such final decision was the fall in revenue, down €2.2 million in the previous year to negative €12.6 million ($16 million) in 2012.
• Float glass manufacturer, Saint Gobain Glass India, said it would invest Rs 1,000 crore in various projects over the next two years; while Rs 800 crore would be invested in their new facility coming up in Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, and Rs 100 crore each would be pumped into the company’s existing facility in Chennai and the newly acquired Sezal Glass’ float glass plant in Gujarat.
• Reflecting the European auto glass business constriction, Saint-Gobain is closing a Belgium-based windscreen factory, impacting 263 jobs. Auto sales, upon which the auto glass unit is dependent, have continued to decline as the European market continues to deal with the fallout of the debt crisis.
• With a reduction in glass production during the October-December quarter 2012, soda ash producers of India are witnessing a fall in demand and are now operating at lower capacities. Soda ash is a prime requirement in glass making. Demand from the glass industry has declined mainly on account of slackness in the real estate and automobile sectors.
• ThyssenKrupp Polysius has won a contract from PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk., Jakarta, to build a second cement plant near the town of Tuban on the northern coast of the island of Java. The contract is worth around $250 million and the plant is scheduled to start production in 2015.
• With effect from Feb. 26, 2013, Allegra Capital GmbH of Munich, Germany, has taken over the shares of the Vesuvius Group in Vesuvius VGT-DYKO. This assures that the company can continue its 125-year business.