• Ardagh Group is to buy (from Wayzata Investment Partners) US-based Anchor Glass Container Corp. for $880 million. The deal is expected to close at the end of August 2012. Anchor, the third largest glass container manufacturer in the US, produces 5.6 billion containers annually from its eight facilities in the US.
• Flat glass prices increased by 0.1% in June 2012 following no change in May 2012, according to the latest Producer Price Index report released by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the price of flat glass increased by 1.4% from June 2011 to June 2012.
• It’s official now: Vitro’s Spanish subsidiary Vitro Cristalglass has been declared insolvent. The company said it took the decision as a result of the economic crisis in Europe, particularly the construction industry, where Vitro Cristalglass conducts its business.
• Calderys B.V. (Netherlands) has been awarded a contract by Technip Benelux B.V. for detailed engineering and supply of refractory materials for the biggest hydrogen reformer Technip has ever built, with final destination at LCC-RN Tuapse Refinery in Russia.
• It is reported that PT Krakatau Steel Corp. of Indonesia is set to build a mega blast furnace worth $621.81 million with a target of the operation in early 2015.