Guardian Europe: Hosts Cornerstone-Laying Ceremony at New float glass plant in Czestochowa, Poland

Located in the south-central Polish city of Czestochowa, the new plant represents an investment of more than 100 million Euros.

Guardian announced its intent to build its 21st float glass manufacturing facility and fabrication line in Czestochowa last December. Construction on the facility began in June and production is scheduled to begin in late 2002, bringing more than 250 jobs to the region. The new plant will operate 24 hours a day; seven days a week, producing 650 tons of float glass per day.

Ralph J. Gerson, executive vice president of Guardian Industries Corp., and Janos Egyd, general manager of Guardian Poland, joined their Guardian Europe colleagues in welcoming several distinguished guests to the cornerstone-laying ceremony, including Wieslaw Maras, mayor of Czestochowa, and Jan Korzeniec, 1st deputy voivode of the Silesia region. The ceremony was held in honor of the strong economic development leadership shown by officials of the Polish Ministries of the Economy, Finance and Treasury; the City of Czˆstochowa and the Special Economic Zone of Czestochowa.

The Czestochowa facility represents a continuation of Guardian’s commitment to the Central and Eastern European markets. Guardian’s Orosh za, Hungary, float glass plant was built in 1988, and its Thalheim facility in eastern Germany was built in 1995. The strong growth in float glass markets in these regions, coupled with growing customer demand for Guardian fabricated products, made Poland a high priority for Guardian’s expansion plans.

Since launching its first international float line in Luxembourg in 1981, Guardian has significantly expanded its float glass capacity and fabrication capabilities in Europe. In addition to float glass, Guardian Europe produces mirrors, laminated glass, tempered glass, and reflective and low-emissivity coated glass for the residential and commercial construction industries as well as European automakers.

Guardian Industries Corp. is a leading worldwide manufacturer of float glass and fabricated glass products for the commercial and residential construction industries, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. One of the Top 100 Global Automotive Suppliers, Guardian Automotive provides complete exterior systems to the global automotive industry. Guardian Fiberglass, Inc., a Guardian subsidiary, is one of the largest manufacturers of fiberglass in the world and occupies a significant and growing position in the building materials distribution business. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 17,500 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.