35th Hotbels Glass Industry Seminar

Held in Lexington, Kentucky, USA on 26–27 April, the 35th Hotbels glass industry seminar for suppliers and glassmakers incorporated the presentation of the Business & Technology United (BTU) Award to Chuck Mace of Ardagh Group. The full version of this article appears in the July/August 2022 issue that has been mailed globally and is also now available free of charge in the digital archive*.

35th Hotbels Glass Industry Seminar

This year’s Hotbels conference attracted multiple representatives from 40 glass production facilities, in addition to delegates from 23 different organisations that supply essential services and products to the glass industry.

The highlight of each Hotbels event is the presentation of the Business & Technology United (BTU) Award. This annual award was established in 2007, giving distinguished recognition to an individual or a group that has contributed significantly to the evolution of Hotbels and education in the glass industry.

The 2022 BTU Award was presented to Chuck Mace of Ardagh Group. Mr Mace has worked in the glass industry for 31 years, accruing a broad range of experience in furnace operations and engineering.

He has held many positions of increasing responsibility including Batch & Furnace Manager at Dunkirk, Lincoln, and Dolton; Furnace Design Engineer; Furnace Operations Engineer; Manager of Furnace Operations; and presently he is the Director of Furnaces with responsibility for operations, maintenance, engineering support and process improvement of Ardagh Group’s North American Glass container division.

Mr Mace joins a distinguished group of previous BTU Award recipients, including:

  • C. Philip Ross, Glass Industry Consulting International (2007)
  • Michael A. Nelson, Corhart Refractories (2008)
  • Dr Douglas H Davis, Toledo Engineering Co (2009)
  • John T Brown, Corning Inc and GMIC (2010)
  • Michele Blackburn, Saint-Gobain SEFPRO (2011)
  • Kevin Lievre, Formerly Air Products (2012)
  • Matthew Wheeler, RHI US Ltd (2013)
  • The Verallia Group (2014)
  • George Kopser, Hotwork USA (2015)
  • Roberto Cabrera, Vitro Vidrio Y Cristal (2016)
  • David Boothe, Allstates Refractory Contractors (2017)
  • HarbisonWalker International (2018)
  • Brian Naveken, TECO (2019)

In addition to Mr Mace’s contributions and discussion on Economics of Nano-Tec, attendees had the opportunity to learn from an array of important speakers from Cardinal FG, HarbisonWalker International, Hotwork USA, Fosbel, RHI MAGNESITA, TECO, CelSian Glass & Solar, Ametek & Simpson Combustion & Energy LTD, and ERTL Combustion Products.


Image: BTU Award 2022 winner Charles ‘Chuck’ Mace (centre) with Tom Graham and Demetrius Rankin from Hotwork USA and Bob Chamber and Eric Yaszemski from Fosbel.

Further Information: 

web: www.hotbels.com

 

George Kopser remembered

Former Hotwork USA, Hotbels and glass industry stalwart George Kopser passed away recently.

As a 19-year-old in 1966, Mr Kopser joined Hotwork USA as a start-up company and was personally involved in the application of Hotwork’s innovative technology. In the early years, he held various management positions, including responsibility for the aluminium and steel industries and also for the division responsible for manufacturing burner systems.

The next three decades were spent in service of the glass industry as Hotwork’s Vice President and Glass Industry Manager and he was closely involved in the expansion of services to the glass industry, including glass draining, cullet filling, sulphate burnouts, expansion control supervision and crown rise monitoring. He participated at the Hotwork seminar from its inception and together with Fosbel, was co-host of the event after it became Hotbels. A regular participant/presenter at the annual Glass Problems Conference, he participated in and was nominated to Chair the Phoenix Award Committee, which recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to the glass industry.

After more than 48 years at Hotwork, George Kopser retired in the summer of 2014, a career that was appropriately recognised with the BTU Award at Hotbels in 2015. At that time, Mr Kopser told Glass Worldwide: “I am very honoured to receive this year’s BTU Award, especially because the selection process includes input from previous Hotbels participants. It’s great to know that one’s peers in the glass industry appreciate your efforts!”. For his full interview with Glass Worldwide, see the July/August 2015 issue in the Digital Archive at https://www.glassworldwide.co.uk/Digital-Issues/glass-worldwide-issue-60

 
* The full version of this article appears in the July/August issue that has been mailed globally. The digital version of this issue can also currently be read free of charge in its entirety alongside back copies in the Digital Archive (sponsored by FIC) at https://www.glassworldwide.co.uk/Digital-Issues. To receive the paper copy, all future issues and a free copy of the new Who’s Who / Annual Review 2022-23 yearbook, subscribe now at https://www.glassworldwide.co.uk/subscription-choice