The week's business headlines

Oldcastle parent reports big gains in first half of the year
Officials from Ireland’s CRH plc, parent of Oldcastle Glass of Santa Monica, Calif., reported a 27 percent increase in sales revenue for the first half of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005, according to an Aug. 29 earnings statement… read more

Chinese glass production to increase 10 percent in 2006
A recent report from China’s National Development and Reform Commission estimated the country’s output of building materials to reach $138 billion in 2006, up 20 percent from last year, according to an Aug. 28 article from Asia Pulse… read more

Group of Persian Gulf states exceeds $564 million in flat-glass production for 2005
Member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council produced more than $564 million of flat glass in 2005, according to a report from the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting, as reported in an Aug. 26 article on AMEInfo.com.

The GCC states include: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates… read more

Glaverbel Czech plans $136 million expansion at Teplice facility
Officials from Glaverbel Czech, part of Japan’s Asahi Glass Co., announced Aug. 24 the company would invest $136 million to expand its Teplice glass plant, where it already operates two float-glass lines, according to an article the same day from the Czech Republic Business Newswire… read more

More Pilkington workers go on strike in New Zealand
About 60 workers went on strike at a Pilkington facility in Auckland, New Zealand, citing low pay, according to an Aug. 31 article in the Scoop, an online independent news publication in New Zealand... read more