The week's business headlines

Vitro sells facility for $100 million
Mexican glassmaker Vitro S.A. de C.V. sold its Mexico City plant for $100 million, according to a Dec. 14 report from El Economista Empresas y Negocios. The sale will allow Vitro to reach its goal of earning $300 million by the end of 2006, enabling the company to pay off accumulated debt, according to the article.

Sika acquires German glass sealants maker
Sika Corp. of Lyndhurst, N.J., purchased Germany’s Proxan Dichtstoffe GmbH, a manufacturer of sealants for insulating glass units, for an undisclosed sum, according to a Dec. 12 article in Sharewatch… read more

Glass industry competes in India’s fast-growing glass market
Foreign and domestic glass companies are mobilizing to meet India’s rapidly increasing demand for glass due to strong growth in automobile production and the country’s construction boom, according to a Dec. 11 InvestorIdeas.com article… read more

California Solar Initiative spurs interest in photovoltaics
San Diego area homeowners faced with rising utility bills and the California Solar Initiative effective Jan. 1, are considering purchase of photovoltaic solar cells, according to a Dec. 10 article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Under the initiative, homeowners can claim a $2.50, one-time rebate for every watt of solar energy they are capable of generating. Experts project the number of PV homes locally to grow from about 3,600 to more than 20,000 during the next 10 years, with most being retrofits… read more

Isra Surface Vision expands
Isra Surface Vision has expanded its U.S. operation by moving to a larger facility in Duluth, Ga., to meet growing U.S. demand for surface inspection in industries including glass, according to a Dec. 15 company release… read more

Tristar Glass to add 160 jobs
Tristar Glass Inc. of Tulsa is looking to receive up to $2.1 million from the Oklahoma state government for investing in expansions that could increase its workforce by up to 160 people during the next several years, according to a Dec. 8 article in Tulsa World.

Tristar, a manufacturer and fabricator of tempered thermal pane insulating units for commercial glazing, is participating in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program, part of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce… read more

New Omni Glass headquarters’ construction underway
Omni Glass and Paint’s new Oshkosh, Wis. corporate headquarters, showroom and manufacturing facility is now under construction, with plans to move into the 69,000-square-foot building by mid-September, President Dave Miller said, according to a Dec. 8 article in thenorthwestern.com… read more