Trulite Announces Acquisition Of American Insulated Glass
This week Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions (“Trulite”), a leading glass and aluminum fabricator for low and mid-rise buildings, announced the finalization of its acquisition of American Insulated Glass (AIG).
The official press release described the deal as a “thoughtful merger” between the two Georgia-based companies, as well as “a significant opportunity for growth and collaboration.”
From a geographic standpoint, Trulite says the AIG addition will allow the company to better serve the fast growing Midwest and East Coast markets. From a product standpoint, AIG’s portfolio will allow Trulite to offer customers a wider variety of residential applications.
For AIG, the news demonstrates the M&A opportunities that unfold for owners of glass and glazing business owners that focus on growing the business from a single location to becoming a seven-location, regional super player. Going forward, AIG President Clint Blair views the acquisition as a tremendous boost for his team members and customers alike.
“Joining forces with Trulite presents tremendous opportunities for AIG and our valued team members. We believe that this merger will allow us to leverage our combined expertise and resources to better serve our customers and drive continued success in the market.” -AIG President Clint Blair
Dialum To Build $25 Million Glass Finishing Factory In Florida
One of South America’s leading providers of ready-made sheets of glass for commercial and residential applications is building its first North American plant in Florida, according to an article today in Florida Weekly.
Chile’s Dialum is building a 100,000 square foot glass processing facility in Ave Maria. Site preparations have already begun on the $25 million building which will also serve as Dialum’s North American headquarters.
In anticipation of expanding to the Sunshine State, Dialum began negotiations with Collier County officials years ago. Last August, Collier County’s Board of Commissioners approved $1.5 million in grant incentives for Dialum’s glass processing facility to be built in Ave Maria’s Innovation Zone.
Planting a flag in South Florida makes sense for Dialum considering that over three quarters of the company’s customer base resides in the United States.
In addition the financial incentives from the county, Dialum Director Fernando Diez Vidal said another decisive factor for the plant location was Ave Maria’s proximity to ports in South Florida and major urban markets where glass high-rises dot both coastlines.
Construction Glass Market Will Grow To $144 Billion By 2029
A new report from a leading global consulting firm forecasts growth in the “Construction Glass Market” from a current level of $112 billion in 2024 to $144.3 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 5.2% over the next five years.
The new report from MarketsandMarkets attributes growth in the residential glass market to factors like increases in population, urbanization and climate extremes.
The report notes that double glazing glass and similar products should continue to dominate the global construction glass market thanks to their unique properties like low heat transmission and impact resistance.
In terms of global production, the report notes the highest concentration of “key players” in the Asia Pacific region. Beyond China and Japan, the key players are listed as Saint-Gobain (France), Schott AG (Germany), Vitro (Mexico), Sisecam (Turkey), Corning (USA) and Guardian (USA). (Full Story)
Global Glass Companies Buying Their Own Container Ships
One of the Asia Pacific glass companies mentioned in the industry report above is taking a unique approach in order to avoid rising cargo costs and future supply chain challenges similar to the ones we witnessed beginning in 2020.
According to The Load Star, Hong-Kong based Xinyi Glass just put their third container ship into service in May. The company previously put its first two container ships into service in 2020 and 2022. Each of these 325 foot vessels are able to carry 150 TEU.
The Load Star’s Martina Li says the container ships are being used to transport both raw materials and finished glass products between the company’s factories in Malaysia and China.
Hong Kong-based Xinyi Glass manufactures architectural glass as well as float glass and automobile glass. The company posted 2023 revenue of US$3.43 billion (HK$26.80 billion).
With supply chain issues beginning to impact the global glass arena again, we may see more glass manufacturing players deciding to put their own container ships into service. An article in The Economist this week notes that container rates are once again on the rise.
PGT To Showcase New Winguard Vinyl Slider In Orlando
One of the Southeast’s most anticipated building industry conferences is just weeks away, and Florida-based PGT is giving attendees a sneak preview of the new products they will be showcasing in Orlando.
At this year’s Southeast Building Conference, PGT will be showcasing their recently launched WinGuard® Vinyl Preferred View Sliding Glass Door (Model SGD5570NS) which features a very narrow panel (2.5″) profile on all sides.
Some unique characteristics of the new Preferred View SGD from PGT allows:
- Up to 8 glass door panels to move horizontally
- Expansions of up to 40′ for uninterrupted views
- Maximum nominal panel size of 5′ x 10′
- Maximum nominal opening size of 40′ x 10′
- Dual-point locking mechanisms
- Heavy duty quad rollers for fingertip operation
SBC attendees are encouraged to stop by Booth 915 to see the full line of WinGuard vinyl and aluminum products. The registration link for SBC 2024 is here.
Contact CII Today
If you own an established glass or glazing business in Florida or Georgia and would like to get a better understanding of the current market value of your company and important steps you can take today to maximize that value, get in touch with a CII business advisor today.