GENEVA — Guardian Industries’ glass plant in Geneva is sensitive to swings in the housing market, so to survive the past five years without a single layoff is a point of pride, says Joel Daoust, plant manager. The facility produces glass used mainly as windows in commercial and residential buildings. “This group up here has done […]
GENEVA — Guardian Industries’ glass plant in Geneva is sensitive to swings in the housing market, so to survive the past five years without a single layoff is a point of pride, says Joel Daoust, plant manager.
The facility produces glass used mainly as windows in commercial and residential buildings.
“This group up here has done a good job adapting to different manufacturing principles,” Daoust says. “We haven’t had one layoff in this plant’s history. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
The plant has employed lean-manufacturing techniques to help cut costs during the economic downturn. Daoust says employees have been open to more flexible scheduling and other moves to help the facility save money.
The site is well positioned for growth as the economy recovers, he adds.
The plant first came online in 1998, expanding Auburn Hills, Mich.–based Guardian into the Northeast. Having a plant in the region allowed the company to boost its market share in the Northeast, Daoust notes.
Guardian employs 300 people at the 800,000-square-foot plant, located at 50 Forge Ave. That’s up 20 percent from when the site opened.
The plant includes a “floater” that measures more than the length of a football field and is used in manufacturing the glass. The process begins when a mixture of powdered, dry ingredients is added to a massive, 710-ton furnace that heats the materials to 3,000 degrees and melts them into molten glass.
The liquid is then poured into the floater over a bed of liquid tin. Because of the substances’ differing viscosities, the glass “floats” atop the tin, Daoust explains.
Workers can then control the thickness and size of the glass sheets by controlling how it is stretched across the floater.
The plant also includes warehouse space and in 2002, Guardian added equipment that can lend specialized coatings to its glass products. The move was made in response to the changing market for glass, Daoust says.
Customers now are looking for value-added products, he notes. The coatings allow buildings to meet demanding new energy-efficiency standards and gain valuable points in programs like Energy Star.
The coating equipment has also allowed the Geneva plant to produce glass used for shower doors, according to Guardian. The coating in that case makes the glass easier to clean.
Glass like that produced in Geneva is rapidly becoming a commodity product so manufacturers must seek ways to help themselves stand out from the pack, Daoust says. The future of the plant will be focused on working with Guardian research and development to develop new coatings that can help the company get its products into even more markets.
“The more we do that, the more we can differentiate ourselves,” Daoust says.
Guardian Industries, which is privately held, employs 18,000 people in 25 countries. In addition to glass like it produces in Geneva, the company manufactures fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation, and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications.
Guardian was founded in Detroit in 1932.
Post
Share
Tweet
Print
Email
Get our email updates
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
GENEVA — Guardian Industries’ glass plant in Geneva is sensitive to swings in the housing market, so to survive the past five years without a single layoff is a point of pride, says Joel Daoust, plant manager.
The facility produces glass used mainly as windows in commercial and residential buildings.
“This group up here has done a good job adapting to different manufacturing principles,” Daoust says. “We haven’t had one layoff in this plant’s history. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
The plant has employed lean-manufacturing techniques to help cut costs during the economic downturn. Daoust says employees have been open to more flexible scheduling and other moves to help the facility save money.
The site is well positioned for growth as the economy recovers, he adds.
The plant first came online in 1998, expanding Auburn Hills, Mich.–based Guardian into the Northeast. Having a plant in the region allowed the company to boost its market share in the Northeast, Daoust notes.
Guardian employs 300 people at the 800,000-square-foot plant, located at 50 Forge Ave. That’s up 20 percent from when the site opened.
The plant includes a “floater” that measures more than the length of a football field and is used in manufacturing the glass. The process begins when a mixture of powdered, dry ingredients is added to a massive, 710-ton furnace that heats the materials to 3,000 degrees and melts them into molten glass.
The liquid is then poured into the floater over a bed of liquid tin. Because of the substances’ differing viscosities, the glass “floats” atop the tin, Daoust explains.
Workers can then control the thickness and size of the glass sheets by controlling how it is stretched across the floater.
The plant also includes warehouse space and in 2002, Guardian added equipment that can lend specialized coatings to its glass products. The move was made in response to the changing market for glass, Daoust says.
Customers now are looking for value-added products, he notes. The coatings allow buildings to meet demanding new energy-efficiency standards and gain valuable points in programs like Energy Star.
The coating equipment has also allowed the Geneva plant to produce glass used for shower doors, according to Guardian. The coating in that case makes the glass easier to clean.
Glass like that produced in Geneva is rapidly becoming a commodity product so manufacturers must seek ways to help themselves stand out from the pack, Daoust says. The future of the plant will be focused on working with Guardian research and development to develop new coatings that can help the company get its products into even more markets.
“The more we do that, the more we can differentiate ourselves,” Daoust says.
Guardian Industries, which is privately held, employs 18,000 people in 25 countries. In addition to glass like it produces in Geneva, the company manufactures fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation, and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications.
Guardian was founded in Detroit in 1932.
" />
GENEVA — Guardian Industries’ glass plant in Geneva is sensitive to swings in the housing market, so to survive the past five years without a single layoff is a point of pride, says Joel Daoust, plant manager. The facility produces glass used mainly as windows in commercial and residential buildings. “This group up here has done […]
GENEVA — Guardian Industries’ glass plant in Geneva is sensitive to swings in the housing market, so to survive the past five years without a single layoff is a point of pride, says Joel Daoust, plant manager.
The facility produces glass used mainly as windows in commercial and residential buildings.
“This group up here has done a good job adapting to different manufacturing principles,” Daoust says. “We haven’t had one layoff in this plant’s history. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
The plant has employed lean-manufacturing techniques to help cut costs during the economic downturn. Daoust says employees have been open to more flexible scheduling and other moves to help the facility save money.
The site is well positioned for growth as the economy recovers, he adds.
The plant first came online in 1998, expanding Auburn Hills, Mich.–based Guardian into the Northeast. Having a plant in the region allowed the company to boost its market share in the Northeast, Daoust notes.
Guardian employs 300 people at the 800,000-square-foot plant, located at 50 Forge Ave. That’s up 20 percent from when the site opened.
The plant includes a “floater” that measures more than the length of a football field and is used in manufacturing the glass. The process begins when a mixture of powdered, dry ingredients is added to a massive, 710-ton furnace that heats the materials to 3,000 degrees and melts them into molten glass.
The liquid is then poured into the floater over a bed of liquid tin. Because of the substances’ differing viscosities, the glass “floats” atop the tin, Daoust explains.
Workers can then control the thickness and size of the glass sheets by controlling how it is stretched across the floater.
The plant also includes warehouse space and in 2002, Guardian added equipment that can lend specialized coatings to its glass products. The move was made in response to the changing market for glass, Daoust says.
Customers now are looking for value-added products, he notes. The coatings allow buildings to meet demanding new energy-efficiency standards and gain valuable points in programs like Energy Star.
The coating equipment has also allowed the Geneva plant to produce glass used for shower doors, according to Guardian. The coating in that case makes the glass easier to clean.
Glass like that produced in Geneva is rapidly becoming a commodity product so manufacturers must seek ways to help themselves stand out from the pack, Daoust says. The future of the plant will be focused on working with Guardian research and development to develop new coatings that can help the company get its products into even more markets.
“The more we do that, the more we can differentiate ourselves,” Daoust says.
Guardian Industries, which is privately held, employs 18,000 people in 25 countries. In addition to glass like it produces in Geneva, the company manufactures fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation, and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications.
