The week’s business headlines

Sales up 7.7 percent for Vitro in fourth quarter 2006
Consolidated sales increased 7.7 percent, year over year, in fourth quarter 2006 for  Mexico’s Vitro S.A.B. de C.V., company officials announced, according to a  Feb. 26 Yahoo Finance article.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 3.6 percent and the consolidated EBITDA margin decreased 15.5 percent, 60 basis points, according to the article … read more

Southwall Technologies reports decline in revenue for 2006
Fourth quarter 2006 revenues declined to $9.2 million, down 23 percent from fourth quarter 2005, for Southwall Technologies Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., according to a company release. The thin film coatings producer’s revenues were down 4 percent from third quarter 2006, according to the release.

Constraints on machine capacity was the main reason for the revenue decline, according to the release.
For the full earnings report, click here.

Chambers prepares for NSG chief role
Stuart Chambers will take over as chief executive officer for the Flat Glass Business of Japan’s Nippon Sheet Glass April 1, according to a Feb. 27 Manchester Evening News media article. He was formerly CEO for United Kingdom’s Pilkington, acquired by NSG in June.

Chambers says his initial goals for the new position are increased profits, reduced debt and overhead, and then growth in markets such as China, Russia, India and the Middle East, according to the article… read more

Advanced Energy to close German facility
Officials from Advanced Energy Industries Inc., a solar cell company out of Fort Collins, Colo., announced the company will close its facility in Stolberg, Germany, according to a March 2 company release.

The company will transfer manufacturing operations from the Stolberg site to its manufacturing locations in Fort Collins and Shenzhen, China, according to the release … read more

Construction begins on Pilkington’s Kazakhstan joint venture float line
Officials from Britain-based Pilkington's joint venture company in Kazakhstan, KZ LLP, announced infrastructure work starting on the site of the new float glass production line in Kyzylorda, according to a March 2 Asia Pulse News article.

Construction on the highly automated float line is expected to start this summer and will take about two years to build, according to the article … read more

GlasWeld announces green partnership
Officials from GlasWeld of Bend, Ore., announced partnership with Polar Bears International of Occidental, Calif., part of the company’s 2007 mission to affect climate change, according to a March 1 company news release.

Partnership launch included GlasWeld’s corporate staff travel to the Oregon Zoo, Portland, Ore., to meet the PBI president and a leading polar bear research biologist, according to the article… read more

Crystal Window & Door Systems opens Taiwan subsidiary
Officials from Flushing, N.Y.-based Crystal Window & Door Systems announced a new Taiwan subsidiary, Crystal Union Co., according to a Feb. 28 company release. The subsidiary will provide project design and installation services for curtain wall and architectural windows to Taiwanese construction and property management industries, according to the release… read more

Solutia agrees to buy Akzo Nobel’s stake in Flexsys joint venture
Officials from Solutia Inc. of St. Louis, announced a definitive agreement with Akzo Nobel N.V. of the Netherlands to purchase its stake in Belgium’s Flexsys, according to a Feb. 27 Solutia release.

Flexsys is a 50 percent/50 percent rubber chemicals joint venture between Akzo Nobel and Solutia. The companies committed to executing the definitive agreement after consultation with Dutch employee works council representatives, according to the release… read more