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Local and national dignitaries join for ribbon cutting ceremony.

Guardian Glass welcomed today H.E. Mister Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Mister Zoltán Dávid, Orosháza’s Mayor; Mister David Kostelancik, Chargé d’Affaires United States Embassy to Hungary; H.E. Mister Tamás Iván Kovács, Hungarian Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg; and H.E. Mister Marc Ungeheuer, Luxembourg Ambassador to Austria and Hungary, for the official inauguration of the company’s new laminating line at its float glass plant in Orosháza, Hungary.

Guardian Glass invested in the new laminated glass production line to support the increasing demand for laminated glass in Europe. The state-of-the-art line produces both standard and coated laminated glass, as well as specialty products such as acoustic, thick, coated and coloured laminated glass.

The rising demand for laminated glass is being driven by three long-term trends:

• Country-level regulations in Europe require the use of safety glass in an increasing number of fenestration and interior applications, for which laminated glass is the most effective solution.
• The desire for buildings to have more natural light is driving the trend towards larger, energy-efficient windows, which requires the use of laminated glass for higher mechanical resistance and security.
• A general rise in demand for noise reduction for both residential and commercial buildings has increased the use of acoustic laminated glass.

“At Guardian, we believe that the role of business is to help improve people’s lives.  Glass is fundamental to so many human needs. The desire for a comfortable living space with natural light will not be any different 50 years from now and the need to protect or preserve something while still being able to see it will not change either. This together with the conversion of more and more residential windows from double to triple glazing will result in an increase in glass demand across Europe in the next few years.” said Guus Boekhoudt, Vice President Guardian Glass, and Managing Director Guardian Europe s.à r.l. during the ceremony.

He adds: “We are well positioned to capture this growth through our strong European presence, the breadth of our portfolio and our business approach to create value for customers.”

The new fully automated line is already producing 150 truckloads of laminated glass per month, primarily for customers in Hungary, Romania and the Balkan countries.

The new line is also a logical continuation of a change initiated at the plant by Guardian Glass in 2016, which saw a switch from standard clear float glass production to Guardian's higher light transmission alternative, Guardian ExtraClear®, to meet the increased need for more natural daylight in buildings.

In addition to the Orosháza plant, Guardian Glass operates facilities in Częstochowa, Poland; Thalheim, Germany; and Ryazan and Rostov, Russia, among its 10 European float plant locations.