Ceramic and glass business news of the week for November 6, 2023

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

EV assembly plant to open operation in Nigeria

Come December 2023, U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Saglev says it will open an EV assembly plant in Lagos, Nigeria. The company also says plans are underway to roll out charging stations at every Ardova and Enyo Petrol Station across the country.

US to award up to $440 million for Puerto Rico rooftop solar power

The Biden administration is launching talks with solar energy companies and nonprofit groups in Puerto Rico on awards of up to $440 million for rooftop solar and battery storage systems in the commonwealth where storms have wiped out the grid in recent years.

Taiwanese chip firm to build a $5.3 billion factory in Japan

Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation and Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings chose a site in northern Japan for an 800 billion yen (US$5.3 billion) chip manufacturing plant. The factory will manufacture semiconductors in the 28 nanometer, 40 nanometer, and 55 nanometer categories.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Italian glassmaker bought by Portuguese investment groups

Household appliances glass manufacturer the Vetrerie Riunite Group was acquired by Teak Capital and Tangor Capital. Vetrerie Riunite manufactures glass doors for washing machines from its industrial facility in Verona, Italy.

Hahn & Co. to acquire SK Group’s fine ceramics business

Hahn & Co., one of the largest private equity firms in Korea, signed a definitive agreement with SKC, a semiconductor material arm under SK Group, to acquire its fine ceramics business for 360 billion won (US$267 million).

Georgia Power inks deal to turn 8 million tons of coal ash into cement

Utility giant Georgia Power and Eco Material Technologies, a Utah-based producer of sustainable materials, signed a deal to remove 8 million tons of coal fly ash from a retired coal-fired power plant over the next 15 years to produce cement for infrastructure projects in Georgia and Florida.

Şişecam partners with Turkish technology company

Earlier this year, Şişecam signed a letter of intent to invest in Icron, a Turkish technology company that provides operational and strategic decision optimization services to various sectors. It has now entered into a partnership with the company, which is Şişecam’s first investment in the field of software technologies.

OTHER STORIES

Brick Industry Association names Tricia Mauer as next president

The Brick Industry Association has appointed Tricia Mauer its new president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2025. She will succeed longtime president and CEO/CFO Ray Leonhard, who will retire effective Dec. 31, 2024.

NUTEC Group announces Marc Carter as vice president of North America, Fibers Division

NUTEC Group announced the appointment of Marc Carter to the position of vice president of North America, Fibers Division. He joined NUTEC from John Cockerill, where he was head of sales for the Americas. In all, Carter has spent nearly 25 years in the steel and related industries.

International Product Assurance Laboratories receives customer quality service award

International Product Assurance Laboratories was honored with the American Council of Independent Laboratories Customer Quality Service Award. IPA Laboratories is one of 10 independent laboratories recognized with this award. IPA Laboratories also received a Special Recognition Award as one of the top three laboratories for timeliness.

MFG diversifies into refractory market with new branch MFG Materia

Raw material producer and trader Metall-und Ferrolegierungsgesellschaft mbH Hafner, Blondin &Tidou (MFG), based in Meerbusch, Germany, diversified into supplying chromite and refractory raw materials by launching a new subsidiary, MFG Materia GmbH.

Lithoz sells first North America CeraMax V900 and multimaterial CeraFab 2M30 printers

Lithoz GmbH installed the CeraMax V900 and multimaterial CeraFab 2M30 3D printers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. These printers will also be the first of their kind on the North American continent.

MARKET TRENDS

The Arctic is becoming one giant construction site

An unprecedented infrastructure boom, made possible in part by global warming, is transforming the Arctic region into an increasingly militarized and industrial landscape—one where the extraction of natural resources and degradation of the environment are accelerating in tandem.

US solar panel manufacturing boom threatened by cheap imports

U.S. companies announced plans to build dozens of solar panel factories when President Joe Biden’s signature climate law unleashed billions of dollars of subsidies. But global solar panel prices have collapsed due to a wave of new Asian production capacity, leading many in the U.S. solar industry to worry that these factories may not be economical.

NEW PRODUCTS

ROSS ribbon blenders improve powder blending process efficiency and safety

ROSS ribbon blenders handle a wide range of dry materials, from seasonings and beverage mixes to pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics, and agricultural powders or granules. These blenders also efficiently incorporate minor liquid components to effectively coat individual solid particles.