Posted in | News | Optics and Photonics | Fibre Optics

Glass and Fiber Optic Products Have High Demand in Construction, Auto and Other Sectors

Reviewed

Mar 11 2010

Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d7c09c/glass_and_fiber_op) has announced the addition of the "Glass and Fiber Optic Manufacturing" report to their offering.

First Research is the leading industry intelligence company that helps sales teams perform faster and smarter, open doors, and close more deals. First Research performs the "heavy lifting" by synthesizing hundreds of sources into an easy to digest format that a sales person can consume very quickly to better understand a prospect's business issues.

Executive Summary

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

The US glass and fiber optic manufacturing industry includes about 2,000 companies with combined annual revenue of $25 billion. Large companies include PPG Industries, Owens-Illinois, and Corning. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies hold close to 90 percent of the market.

Most companies in the industry manufacture products from bulk glass bought from a handful of primary glass manufacturers. Production of optical fiber from glass is included in the industry; use of that fiber to produce fiber optic cable is not.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand comes mainly from the construction, auto, bottling, and container industries. The profitability of individual companies depends on low-cost operations, because most products are commodities that are bought based on price. Large manufacturers have large efficiencies of scale in operations, which is why the industry is so concentrated. Small manufacturers can compete effectively by producing specialty products or serving a local market.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are glass containers, flat glass, fiberglass, and specialty products such as TV tubes, glassware, lenses, mirrors, and optic fiber. Specialty products account for more than half of industry revenue, containers about 25 percent, and flat glass about 10 percent.

Bulk glass is made by melting quartz sand and adding various substances such as limestone, soda ash, metals, and other materials to produce a "melt." The melt is then formed, cooled, and further processed by grinding, cutting, and polishing into finished products.

Key Topics Covered: