SCHOTT North America has been awarded a multimillion-dollar contract from a leading defence contractor for infrared glass. The order supplies glass for launch tube windows, a critical component of air defence systems provided to the U.S. Army. The contract was secured through the advocacy of Representative Matt Cartwright, from Pennsylvania’s eighth congressional district, who has long supported a robust defence budget. SCHOTT’s Duryea, Pennsylvania facility will manufacture the specialty glass, as it does for other products that support the U.S. Department of Defense.
SCHOTT is already producing launch tube window parts for an existing order and will now be able to extend production and further support employment at its site in Duryea. The company has been working with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) programs since 1969 as a leading developer of high-tech materials and components and is eager to continue its support of the department. The security and defence industry requires high-performance base materials and optical components to enable reliable and precise defence systems.
“Our expertise in creating specialty glass suitable for defence applications has earned the trust of the U.S. Army and the DoD, and we’re appreciative of the chance to show why they keep turning to us,” said Christopher Cassidy, President of SCHOTT North America. “This contract not only supports our production site of over 150 employees in Duryea, but also strengthens our commitment to supply the U.S. defence and security market. We especially want to thank Congressman Cartwright for his continued support of SCHOTT and the entire North-eastern Pennsylvania community.”
“America’s security and defence require the best materials available, and we’re able to build them right here in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District,” said Cartwright (PA-08), a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee. “SCHOTT has proven its mettle with a history of innovation, and its expertise allowed us to bring federal funding back to this district.”
Cartwright visited SCHOTT’s Duryea facility April 12 and highlighted the importance of this contract and its impact on the local community.
SCHOTT’s U.S. Innovation and Technology Hub, also located in Duryea, continues to be a leader in the research and development of high-tech materials. Its participation in basic materials research has helped create the supply of dual-use products for both civilian and military applications. The company’s glass-ceramic ZERODUR® has been used in space telescopes since 1968, and SCHOTT has supported NASA’s lunar missions with optical lenses for cameras since the early 1960s.