The US glass and fiber-optic manufacturing industry includes about 2,000 companies with a combined annual revenue of USD 25 billion. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies, whic…
The US glass and fiber-optic manufacturing industry includes about 2,000 companies with a combined annual revenue of USD 25 billion. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies, which include PPG Industries, Owens-Illinois, and Corning, hold almost 90% of the market, as revealed by a recent report from Research and Markets: “Glass and Fiber Optic Manufacturing”. According to the report, most companies in the industry manufacture products from bulk glass bought from a small number of primary glass manufacturers. However, production of optical fiber from glass is included in the industry, while the use of the same fiber to produce fiber-optic cable is not. Since most products are commodities that are bought based on price, the profitability of individual companies depends on low-cost operations. This in turn means that large manufacturers have large efficiencies of scale in operations, and which results in the industry being so concentrated. In any case, small manufacturers can compete effectively by producing speciality products or by serving a local market. The most important products are glass containers, flat glass, fiberglass, and speciality products such as TV tubes, glassware, lenses, mirrors, and optic fiber, while speciality products account for more than 50% of industry revenue, containers about 25%, and flat glass about 10%. Key topics covered in the report include: industry overview; quarterly industry update; business challenges; trends and opportunities; call preparation questions; financial information; industry forecast; website and media links; glossary of acronyms.