This April, major US glassmakers will be increasing their prices of architectural glass products due to, they say, higher material and service costs, with regards to manufacturing and distribution.
Price increases for a variety of architectural glass products will be applied this April, as major glassmakers deal with higher material and service costs.
In a recent letter to customers, Guardian Industries announced it would increase prices for several products, as of 8 April 2013, citing “higher costs for the materials and services used in manufacturing and distribution of high quality glass products.”
“We have seen an increase in costs for everything from sand to soda ash to dolomite,” said Scott Thomsen, president of Guardian’s Global Flat Glass Group.
“Logistics costs have also played a part,” Thomsen explained. “For example, look at trucking. The US passed CSA 2010. Truck drivers can only drive so many hours per day, and trucking companies have needed to put more equipment on the truck, [more] hardware.”
Guardian will increase prices on the following products, with effect on shipments beginning 8 April 2013:
- 9.5% on clear, tinted and patterned glass products 6mm and thinner;
- 6% on clear, tinted and patterned glass products from 8mm to 19mm in thickness;
- 9% on ClimaGuard, DiamondGuard coated and SatinDeco acid-etched products;
- 9% on SunGuard products on clear float glass;
- 5% on SunGuard products on tinted and UltraWhite low-iron float glass;
- 6.5% on low-iron substrates – UltraWhite and UltraClear;
- 9% on all tempered products;
- 8% on all mirror and laminated products.
According to the letter from Bill Widmann, vice president of sales and marketing, Guardian’s energy and transportation surcharges will remain in full effect, as previously established, and adjusted quarterly.
PPG Industries is also increasing prices, effective 15 April 2013. In a letter to customers dated 14 March, the glass manufacturer reported that: “PPG Flat Glass continues to experience rising material and operating costs despite continuing implementation of productivity improvements and cost mitigation efforts. To provide sufficient reinvestment economics that will justify continuing product supply and future product development, we find it necessary to increase pricing on our primary glass products.”
According to the letter from Mark Seeton, director, sales and customer service, flat glass, PPG will implement the following price increases, starting from 15 April:
- 9% increase on clear glass; pattern glass; Solarban 60 and R100 coated glasses on clear; Solarban z50 coated glass; Sungate 400, 500 and 600 coated glasses; Clarvista coated glass; SunClean coated glass;
- 6% increase on Starphire ultra-clear glass; Solarphire glass; Solarban 70XL coated glass; Solarban coated glasses on tinted or Starphire ultra-clear glass;
- heat-strengthened and tempered glasses will increase by the amount shown above for the base substrate, while cut-to-size 6mm and above Solarban coated glasses will be addressed via the CFP cut size matrix under separate cover.
PPG also noted in the letter that a portion of energy and transportation cost inflation will continue to be addressed by the quarterly surcharge letter.