glass. Overall, three firms largely dominate U.S. production of flat Two--PPG Industries, Inc., and Libbey-Owens-Ford Company--are large multiproduct firms producing both a wide range of flat glass products (sheet, plate, float, and rolled glass, and tempered glass), and products other than glass. These two concerns participate in foreign production of flat glass through arrangements ranging from process licensing agreements to co-ownership with foreign companies of plants that produce flat glass. The third firm--Ford Motor Company-produces float, sheet, and tempered glass primarily for use in its production of automotive vehicles, but secondarily for sale to the trade. Three smaller firms--American Saint Gobain Corp. (ASG), Rolland Glass Co., and Harding Glass Co. (the latter two operating as Fourco Glass Co.)--produce substantial quantities of flat glass. One (ASG) produced plate, sheet, and rolled glass, as well as tempered glass. The other two firms produce sheet glass; one also produces tempered glass on a very limited scale. Six of the remaining 23 firms are essentially producers of rolled glass. One of these firms- --accounts for about one-third of the U.S. production of rolled glass and over one-half of the U.S. production of polished wire glass; it has recently commenced production of tempered glass. Four of the other five firms produce colored rolled glass for use in decorative windows; the fifth firm The remaining 17 firms which do not produce flat glass produce the tempered glass covered in this investigation. One of these firms is a motor vehicle manufacturer (Chrysler Corp.) producing tempered glass almost exclusively for its own use. Three other firms produce tempered glass primarily for the automobile industry while the remainder produce tempered glass for uses other than automotive. Many of these firms also produce non-tempered products fabricated from flat glass, in addition to products not composed of glass. A few firms not mentioned above produce very small quantities of flat glass for their own use. A few others purchase small quantities of rough flat glass and process it, usually by grinding and polishing. On June 30, 1969, U.S. producers were operating 12 plants producing sheet glass, 3 plants producing plate glass, 3 plants that produce float glass, 4 plants producing both plate and float glass, and 1 plant producing float and sheet glass. Rolled glass was being produced in 8 plants, 5 of which account for the great bulk of the production of such glass. Small quantities of rolled glass (rough plate glass blanks) were also being produced in some of the plate glass plants. Since 1964, 8 plate glass lines and 1 sheet glass line have been dismantled in the United States. Nine new float glass lines have been built; 3 have been constructed in the same locations as former plate glass lines, and 1 in the same location as a sheet glass line. Four float glass lines are currently under construction; three are being built by flat glass producers, and the fourth by a non-flat glass producer (Guardian Industries, Inc.). In 1967 a new rolled glass plant was established by a non-glass producing firm. On June 30, 1969 tempered flat glass was produced in 40 plants in the United States. Fifteen of these plants, which accounted for about 80 percent of annual production, were owned by U.S. flat glass producers. Flat glass was produced in 12 of the 15 plants. The remaining 25 plants were owned by non-flat glass producing firms. Several firms have announced plans for expanding existing production facilities or building completely new plants. The location of flat glass producing plants is determined by a number of factors. Some of the plants are located adjacent to the principal manufacturing industries they serve, while others are located to serve advantageously a particular geographical area. Considerations such as local wage rates, fuel costs, access to transportation facilities, and availability of raw materials help determine actual plant sites within an area. The following tabulation shows the number and distribution of flat glass and tempered glass production facilities in the United 1/ Plate and float glass produced in the same plant. Capacity The theoretical aggregate annual capacity of the U.S. producers to manufacture flat glass was about an eighth larger in 1968 than in 1964. The current U.S. furnace capacity to produce sheet glass and rolled glass, and the combined capacity to produce plate and float glass, is larger than in 1964. Although statistical data are not available, the annual U.S. capacity to produce tempered glass, based on the number of 1/Theoretical annual capacity is that quantity of glass that can be |