Zeledyne LLC celebrated the USD 30 million rebuild of its 600 tons-per-day T2 furnace and float line in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 17 June 2008 with a tour of the revamped facility. Plant manager Dennis Ervin…
Zeledyne LLC celebrated the USD 30 million rebuild of its 600 tons-per-day T2 furnace and float line in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 17 June 2008 with a tour of the revamped facility. Plant manager Dennis Ervin led Zeledyne chairman Robert Price, other company officials and visitors on a rare walk-through of the 1.4 million-square-foot (130,000-square-meter) area. Zeledyne acquired the 34-year-old glass plant from Ford Motor Co.“s Automotive Components Holdings Group earlier in 2008 for an undisclosed sum that included a USD 80 million loan from Bank of America Business Capital, according to reports. Ford financed the rebuilt furnace, but Mr. Price has promised to put another USD 100 million into the plant“s infrastructure. The previous T2 line, which is focused on making architectural glass, lasted 11 years, 6 months and 23 days, said Zeledyne area manager David Burkett. The T2“s campaign was a record among Ford“s glass producers. “The dying months of T2 was touch and go”, Mr. Burkett said. “The furnace was worn out, but we kept it running”. “We“re expecting 12 years or longer for this one”, Mr. Ervin said. Many of Zeledyne“s nearly 600 employees have worked at the plant since its time under Ford and ACH ownership. Ford opened the giant plant in 1974, then spun it off along with other vehicle components units into Visteon Corp. in 2000. Visteon was in difficulty, however, so Ford took it back under the ACH wing in 2005, planning to sell facilities or close them if no buyer was found. Robert Price stepped forward in 2007, but it took until the winter to agree a deal with the United Auto Workers union. UAW Local 1895 initially rejected Mr. Price“s offer, which cut some pay rates by up to 50%, but approved it a second time around. Local 1895 president Fred Dorrell praised the glass plant“s historically high quality ratings among Ford suppliers and predicted that, despite the early struggles over the labor deal, Zeledyne will produce similarly excellent materials. “We“re a can-do plant”, Mr. Dorrell said. “I feel very confident we will not only succeed, but we will prosper”. The T1 line produces 75% of its glass for the automotive market, while another quarter will go to architectural customers. The new T2 line makes only architectural glass that will be sold around the world, including to customers in China and Dubai. Mr. Price applauded the union“s traditional commitment to getting the most out of its infrastructure, including the record-length campaign for the old T2 furnace. Zeledyne plans to rebuild the T1 line by next year. “It really is a testament to the men and women who maintained that float line day in and day out”, he said. Officials hope the new T2 will operate 24 hours a day, all year for the next 12 years. Eventually, it may produce 30,000 miles worth of glass. “It“s incredible how much glass we can produce at this facility”, said Mr. Price, the Zeledyne chairman. “Isn“t it a nice little gem for Tulsa, Oklahoma? It“s going to be here a long time”.