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Glass Business News 

September, 1999

Crestline was "the most modern" back in 1959 

    PPG Industries’ Crestline, Ohio, glass fabricating plant began operation in 1959 as "the most modern, technically advanced glass fabricating facility in the industry." Four decades later, the plant is still distinguishing itself as an industry leader.

    "With 10 tempering furnaces, we are PPG’s largest glass tempering facility," said David Kimble, manager of the plant that was PPG’s first designed exclusively for tempering automotive glass.

    Today, the majority of the one million parts shipped each month from the Crestline plant are automotive windows produced for assembly plants in Ohio and around the world. Nearly 500 employees also make automotive replacement glass parts and windows for vans, trucks, construction equipment and tractors as well as aircraft landing light covers.

    From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, when employment peaked at more than double today’s level, glass for appliances, television sets and video display terminals also was produced.

    "We have evolved into a state-of-the-art automotive glass plant," Kimble said. "We have invested in robotics and other computerized equipment to enhance productivity, making the plant less labor intensive than it originally was to facilitate our ability to meet our customers’ tighter, more demanding tolerance requirements for glass parts."

    Kimble is proud of the Crestline workforce, which he describes as "very experienced" and the reason for the plant’s longevity.

    "The average worker here has 30 years of experience, so we have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to making automotive glass," he said. "I give our people full credit for keeping this plant competitive. Despite many changes over the past 40 years, one constant has been the employees’ work ethic."

    Evidence of that work ethic exists in the number of employees who also are celebrating 40th anniversaries with PPG at the Crestline plant. Nine "59ers," as they are called, remain of the original 225 employees hired.

    Four decades ago, polished plate and sheet glass, from flat glass manufacturing processes made obsolete during the 1960s by the then-new float glass process, were used to make the parts. Today, PPG float glass plants in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas and Ontario, Canada, supply flat glass for the Crestline plant’s fabrication operations.

    While no one from that first year of operation will likely be employed when the plant holds its 50th anniversary celebration in 2009, Kimble said that their legacy, like that of the people before them, will live on.

    "The first day I walked into the plant, someone said, ‘We’re family here.’ It’s that caring attitude of our employees, for each other and for doing what it takes to be the best, that makes this plant unique," Kimble said.

    "I see us continuing to move forward as a strong force in the automotive industry. Our glass pressing technologies offer a competitive advantage. We can meet the tightest size and edge requirements. Our technologies offer opportunities for the value-added rear and side glass we make here. We are using rapid-improvement workshops to make jobs easier while improving pattern change times. And we continue to make our plant cleaner, safer and more efficient.

    "I believe our 40th anniversary will be the threshold for another 40 years of excellence."

source: PPG Press Release #655-999