Demand for flat glass in the US is forecast to increase 2.5% per year to 6.3 billion square feet in the year 2003, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based indu…
Demand for flat glass in the US is forecast to increase 2.5% per year to 6.3 billion square feet in the year 2003, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based industrial market research firm. It projects the market value of the US flat glass industry will reach US$ 8.2 billion in 2003. Pricing levels will remain favourable, it said, due to the continuing introduction of technologically advanced, value-added products such as electrochromic windows and new generations of solar control glass. Of the three sectors in the flat glass market (construction, motor vehicle and speciality), the strongest gains are forecast for the construction market, with demand projected to reach 3.5 billion square feet in 2003. Advances will stem from an expansion in repair and remodelling expenditures for both residential and non-residential structures, as well as the continuing trend toward the construction of larger houses with greater window area. According to the report, tempered and insulating glass are the largest product segments, together accounting for 60% of total flat glass demand in 1998.