U.S., Mexico to See Almost $470 Million in Glass-Manufacturing Kickoffs in Second-Half 2017

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The production of glass is a delicate matter, and the procedures for adding, expanding and rebuilding glass-related facilities or equipment are calculated with care. Industrial Info is tracking 18 projects worth $468 million in the North American glass-manufacturing industry that are slated to kick off during the remainder of 2017, with 11 projects totaling $426 million in the U.S. and seven projects totaling $42 million in Mexico.

Kick-offs for U.S. in Second-Half 2017
The highest-valued glass venture in North America comes from Corning Optical Communications, a division of Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) (Corning, New York), which is planning for a $109 million expansion of its optical fibers manufacturing plant in Midland, North Carolina. The project is expected to kick off this August, with completion anticipated for August 2018. According to Cabarrus Economic Development, the lead economic development agency for Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the expansion will add about 200 jobs. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

For the remainder of the year, the flat-glass sector has the most kickoff spending within North America's glass-producing industry, with Industrial Info tracking five projects totaling $317 million. These projects include Guardian Industries Corporation's (Auburn Hills, Michigan) $50 million float flat-glass jumbo coater line addition at a plant in Carleton, Michigan, for which the company is seeking permits.

At the float flat-glass plant, Guardian Industries will construct a 205,000-square-foot building to house a new jumbo coater line to produce high-performing, energy-efficient and low-emissivity glass. Span Construction (Madera, California) is serving as the general contractor. The project is set to kick off this month, with completion expected by mid-November 2018. For more information on the Guardian project, see Industrial Info's project report.

"Architects are increasingly designing projects with larger glass sizes to deliver desired aesthetics with more expansive views and higher daylight penetration," explains Rick Zoulek, vice president of Guardian Glass. "Guardian's new jumbo coater will combine the larger-size glass that architects demand with the world-class energy savings of the Guardian SunGuard portfolio of high performance, low-E coatings."

Carlex Glass America LLC, a subsidiary of Central Class Company Limited (Tokyo, Japan), is reviewing plans for a $25 million major rebuild of its automotive float glass furnace No. 2 in Nashville, Tennessee. At its 1.8 million-square-foot complex, Carlex will dismantle and rebuild its 500-ton-per-day, natural gas-fired float-glass furnace, with supporting hot-end equipment to improve operations. Upon approval, the project is estimated to kick off this month, with completion anticipated by early August this year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Owens-Illinois Incorporated (NYSE:OI) (Perrysburg, Ohio) is engaged in equipment studies for the $8 million major rebuild of its glass container furnace D at Portland Glass Containers in Portland, Oregon. Upon approval, Owens-Illinois will dismantle and rebuild its 300-ton-per-day, gas-fired furnace D to improve furnace operations. The project is estimated to kick off this December, with completion anticipated by late February 2018. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Kick-offs for Mexico in Second-Half 2017
Owens Illinois Mexico S.A., a subsidiary of Owens-Illinois Incorporated, is in the preliminary engineering stages for the $21 million rebuilding of glass container furnaces nos. 2, 3 and 4 at the glass containers plant in Tlalnepantla De Baz, all to be initiated in the fourth-quarter. Furnace nos. 2 and 4 are scheduled for completion by mid-February 2018, while furnace No. 3 expects to be finished on January 2018. For more information, see the reports for furnace No. 2, furnace No. 3 and furnace No. 4.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.