Dr Elie Saad has become President and CEO of Kopp Glass Inc, succeeding Grant Wirth, who recently retired after a decade at the company. Mr Wirth continues to serve the company as Chairman.

Glaston has completed a deal for an RC Series flat tempering line to Technical Glass and Aluminium Co LLC, based in the United Arab Emirates. With a capability to process glass up to a maximum size of 3300mm x 12000mm, the furnace will be delivered in the early part of 2019.

The Society of Glass Technology is holding a conference on raw materials for glassmaking in Cambridge, UK on 1-4 September 2019. It will feature dedicated sessions on particular glass ingredients, as well as the batch as a whole. There will be keynote speakers on the four main ingredients: Sand, soda ash, limestone/dolomite and cullet, with contributions by major suppliers and glassmakers. Particular focus will be given to sands and the batch, what is required in terms of composition and the merits of dry or wet sand.

Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has announced the appointment of Ricardo Maiz as President of the company, succeeding Richard Beuke, who has held the post since 2016. Mr Maiz began his career at Vitro SAB de CV in Monterrey, Mexico, the parent company of Vitro Architectural Glass, in 2000 as a strategic planning and business development associate and has been promoted into a number of increasingly responsible positions during the past 18 years.

British Glass has brought together glass manufacturers, equipment suppliers and industry experts to discuss future energy options for glass melting. Staged in Wakefield on 4 December, the seminar combined a series of short presentations and discussions focused on the future low carbon energy mix in the UK and the current and future melting technology the glass industry will need to adopt in order to meet the 2050 decarbonisation goal.

CelSian Glass & Solar BV is planning three expert training sessions in early 2019, starting with a two day introduction to glass melting, scheduled for 16-17 January at the Wentbridge House Hotel in Wentbridge, West Yorkshire, UK.