In fiscal year 2018/19, Schott AG increased sales by 5.1% to approximately EUR 2.2 billion. The operating result (EBIT), which now stands at EUR 275 million, also improved slightly. Consolidated net profit for the year amounted to EUR 206 million. The group’s precision materials, optical industries and home appliances businesses all contributed positively. Business with special glass tubing for pharmaceutical packaging produced particularly dynamic results. Elsewhere, a difficult situation in the automotive industry impacted the electronic packaging division’s performance.

Saint-Gobain has again been named as a member of the ‘Climate Change A List’, drawn up by CDP, a global non-profit organisation that identifies companies involved in the fight against climate change. The group was recognised for its actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the past year, mitigate climate risks and develop a low carbon economy. For example, Saint-Gobain has installed turbines in India and Italy to produce electricity from previously non-recovered energy. By the end of 2018, the organisation had reduced its CO2 emissions by 12% compared to 2010.

The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has selected Bertrand Paulet, President and CEO of Ardagh Group, Glass – North America, as Chairman of its Board of Trustees. His term as Chairman began this January.

INX International, North America’s third largest manufacturer of printing inks, recently signed an agreement to acquire Germany’s RUCO Druckfarben, A M Ramp & Co GmbH. The agreement is part of the future strategy of the long-established German company and it secures the succession of the current owners, the Menke family. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2020.

USA-based Anchor Glass Container Corp has announced that Chief Financial Officer Steve Jackson has left the company to join another organisation. Don Leclair, Anchor Glass Board Member, will assume the role as Interim Chief Financial Officer until a permanent successor to Mr Jackson is named. Mr Leclair will also remain a Director on the Anchor Glass Board.

One of Brazil’s leading glass container producers, Vidroporto has confirmed plans to expand manufacturing capacity in Brazil and has contracted the Fives industrial engineering group to undertake an important part of the project. The glassmaker intends to increase production to 370 tons/day at its Indústria Videira do Nordeste (IVN) site in Sergipe, Estância, north east Brazil. The project includes design, equipment and engineering services from Fives to upgrade the furnace’s electric boosting capacity, while also incorporating an additional high speed production line.

In December 2019, leading German flat glass processor Joh Sprinz GmbH installed the latest XXL JetScreen! LT 55/32 computer-to-screen system from Switzerland’s Lüscher Technologies AG. This further reinforces a working relationship between the two organisations dating back two decades.

With some 380 employees and based in Grünkraut, Joh Sprinz GmbH processes approximately 110 tons of raw glass every day to manufacture shower enclosures, glass doors, exterior facades and other high quality special glass products.

One of the UK’s leading providers of recycling and resource recovery solutions, Enva, has joined the European glass packaging industry in calling to ‘Close the glass loop’ and improve the quality and quantity of glass collected. Enva - a major processor of glass - has warned of the dangers of removing dedicated bulk collections (bring banks) in favour of co-mingled kerbside collections, which can result in less material being of high enough quality to reuse in the manufacture of new glass bottles or jars.