An official ceremony was held on 10 September this year to mark the beginning of construction work on the Guardian Industries float glass plant in Porto Real, a district of Resende in the State of Rio…
An official ceremony was held on 10 September this year to mark the beginning of construction work on the Guardian Industries float glass plant in Porto Real, a district of Resende in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The plant will be the US-based corporation“s 19th float glass facility worldwide. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Russell J. Ebeid, president of Guardian“s Glass Group; Marcello Alencar, governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro; Marcio Fortes, Secretary of State for Industry, Commerce and Tourism; and Augusto Leivas Nordskog, mayor of Resende. Mr. Ebeid acknowledged the efforts of local and state government and development officials to attract the new US$ 120 million plant, which is intended to improve the company“s ability to meet the demands of the Brazilian market. Most production will serve the domestic market in Brazil, says Guardian, with the balance being exported throughout the Mercosur*. Construction work is scheduled to last 18 to 20 months. Explaining the Brazilian commitment, Mr. Ebeid said that strong growth in the country“s construction and automotive markets, coupled with Guardian“s growing customer base there, had made Brazil “a high priority for Guardian“s expansion plans”. According to Guardian, the region chosen for the plant has all the necessary infrastructures: roads, rail links, ports, as well as ample water and energy supplies, and a high level of technical education to ensure the availability of a capable workforce. Guardian currently distributes float glass products in Brazil through its distribution company Guardian do Brasil Ltda., which is based in Sao Paolo. Guardian has three other float glass plants under construction, in Saudi Arabia, Germany and Thailand, all scheduled to begin commercial production by early 1997. Guardian is also planning to build a US$ 125 million, 500,000 sq. ft. plant in Geneva City, New York state in the spring of 1997. The plant, which will employ 250 people by 1998, will produce 600 tons of float glass per day. As stated above, Guardian has 19 float plants around the world but needed a Northeast American location to serve its customers in the region and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Guardian has also begun commercial operations at its newest facility in DeWitt, Iowa, USA. * A free trade zone set up in 1990 as the result of a treaty signed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.