Saint-Gobain at AIA June 2010 The more than 17,500 attendees of the American Institute for Architects (AIA) annual convention and design exposition, held recently in Miami, Florida, had the opportunity to visit several different Saint-Gobain booths: Vetrtotech Saint-Gobain North America, CertainTeed, Saint-Gobain Swisspacer and Saint-Gobain Glass Exprover were all exhibitors at this year’s event. Among the products highlighted at the show were CertainTeed’s new Sustainable Insulation and the AirRenew™ sustainable gypsum board that improves indoor air quality by reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which circulate indoors. GlassXcrystal - was displayed by Greenlite Glass Systems showing solar glass that stores, heats and cools. Quantum Glass had a Planilum glass light display. An active glass panel that becomes a living material, glowing with pure, sensual light.  Light-pieces structure, animate and illuminate space.

Saint-Gobain cuts the ribbon at new manufacturing facility   PUYALLUP, WA (May 11, 2010) -- Saint-Gobain marked the completion of the move of the its Performance Plastics manufacturing facility from Seattle to a new location in Puyallup with a ceremony earlier today attended by Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, company executives from throughout North America, as well as business and community leaders.   The 94-employee facility at 507 North Levee Road in Puyallup manufactures high-performance plastics and composite parts, primarily for the aerospace industry.   The new 109,000-square-foot Puyallup plant has a layout superior to the Seattle premises, allowing the operation to transition from six different buildings to a single building with all stages of production under one roof.  The move gives the operation room to expand, and also enables the company to streamline production and reduce energy consumption.  Saint-Gobain installed new energy-efficient lighting in the building and doubled the power available to run plant machinery.  Laboratory and product inspection facilities were also added.   The move from Seattle to Puyallup began last spring and was completed earlier this year without production interruptions.   “The move to Puyallup emphasizes our commitment to our customers and employees, and to the state of Washington,” says Gilles Colas, Saint-Gobain’s General Delegate for North America.  “This helps to keep our company competitive and lays the foundation for future growth, and is an important investment in the Pacific Northwest.”   Saint-Gobain’s Performance Plastics business, of which the Puyallup operation is a part, is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio, and employs 4,400 people in 15 countries.  It is a world leader in high-performance plastics, including flexible tubing applications, seals, coated fabrics, films, foams, polymer products and bearings.

QUANTUM GLASS™ on display   After its international launch at the end of 2009, QUANTUM GLASS™, the umbrella brand of Saint-Gobain Glass Solutions’ active glazing, has begun rolling out its regional organization. Its teams recently took part in two major trade gatherings: Batilux Monaco, the exclusive tradeshow dedicated to upmarket interior solutions and construction, and the Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair, the largest interior design event in Scandinavia. The goal: to enhance the brand’s presence in geographic regions which, highly sensitive to design and innovation, have significant sales potential.   For its first-time appearance at Batilux Monaco, QUANTUM GLASS™ attracted many visitors to its stand, while the brand was highlighted during a cycle of conferences dedicated to the energy stakes in the building sector, and gathering well-known figures from the world of architecture and design.   As for the Stockholm Furniture Fair and Light Fair, this marked the Scandinavian launching of QUANTUM GLASS™ and its innovative glass solutions.   These two events have contributed to enhancing the brand visibility of QUANTUM GLASS™ and enabled international architects and designers to discover the extent of its range in terms of solutions and services.

http://www.quantumglass.com/ QUANTUM GLASS WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN MIAMI AT THIS YEARS AIA EXPO.  VISIT BOOTH 2317 US representative - SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS EXPROVER NA http://usa.saint-gobain-glass.com Starting this month, “A Glass house”, the display center for the Quantum Glass™ brand experience, will be open to the general public on the weekend. The “magic” Quantum Glass™ windows are on display in a loft with an emphasis on design in the heart of Paris (France). Watch the video to see what it is all about: Discover Quantum Glass™

KAWNEER / FORSTER co-operation KAWNEER Company Inc. and FORSTER Profile Systems have formed a strategic partnership for distributing steel and stainless steel framing systems. VETROTECH Saint-Gobain North America is proud to be a provider of the Fire Rated Glass for the Fire Rated KAWNEER / FORSTER systems.  VETROTECH’s glass products have been tested and listed with Underwriters Laboratories as complete Fire Rated Storefront and Curtain Wall systems for interior and exterior applications with ratings up to 2 hours.

Saint-Gobain Glass game on Facebook Saint-Gobain Glass has launched its own game on Facebook: Eco Energy House. Using this application, internet surfers can build a comfortable, eco-friendly home and equip it with the latest high-performance materials. Eco Energy House is also a way for Saint-Gobain Glass to promote eco-responsible habitat. Entertaining and educational, the application shows players how efficient insulation can have a positive impact on both their energy bill and residents’ living comfort. At the start of the game, the surfer is presented with a plain and simple house to be fitted out according to four criteria: Insulation enhanced using thermally-reinforced insulation (TRI) double or triple-glazing, etc. Fixtures and fittings: space to be gained through installing an efficient veranda and the serenity coming from acoustic windows, etc. Activities: easy maintenance with self-cleaning glass units, etc. Alternative energies: PV panels, windpower, etc. By choosing the right equipment, the housing energy bill comes down as residents’ comfort goes up. Players can also invite their network of Facebook friends to reduce the energy consumption of their Eco Energy House by offering them efficient equipment and, in doing, increase their own score. Eco Energy House is accessible in French, English, Dutch and Flemish on this link after setting up a Facebook account.

The Wall Street Journal March 1, 2010 COMMERCIAL, FABRICATION French construction materials group Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA doesn't intend to spend much money on acquisitions in 2010 to help keep credit agency ratings firm, chief executive Pierre-Andre de Chalendar said Friday [Feb. 26]. Meantime, the company's shares surged 7.9 percent Friday, as markets reacted favorably to better-than-expected operating earnings and a relatively upbeat 2010 outlook. In an analyst meeting following the company's disclosure a day ago of an 85 percent fall in 2009 net profit that was hurt by weak demand in its markets, Chalendar said Saint-Gobain is targeting a substantial increase in operating profit in 2010, as the global economy and its markets improve, albeit unevenly. Saint-Gobain's markets remain tough, with contrasting trends from country to country, and despite improving global economic conditions, Chalendar said. But overall he sees cost savings helping earnings and margins recovering significantly, especially in the innovative materials and building distribution sectors, according to a Feb. 26 report in The Wall Street Journal.

www.glassmagazine.com basics: TheNew York University’s subterranean Stern School of Business features an innovative glass exterior walking surface/ceiling. The 2,000-square-foot load-bearing skylight floods natural light from the outside plaza into the underground school. The glass floor system also acts as a ceiling, and had to meet the city’s 1-hour fire-rated requirements for roof assemblies. The players: Architect, Perkins+Will, New York City; glass system supplier, Greenlite Glass Systems Inc., Port Coquitlam, BC; textured glass supplier, Saint-Gobain, France; fire-rated glass supplier, Vetrotech Saint-Gobain, with North American headquarters in Auburn, Wash.; general contractor, Structure Tone, New York City; contract glazier, A-Val Architectural Metal Corp., Mount Vernon, N.Y. The glass and systems: LiteFlam glass system that features a textured walking surface glass and 60-minute fire-rated glass. The structural system can handle loads up to 100 pounds per square foot, according to an article from Architectural Products. Photo by Perkins+Will, New York City

http://usa.saint-gobain-glass.com

Saint-Gobain helps Haiti  The Group has decided to assist Haiti following the earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010, by donating nearly 75,000 euros to various relief agencies contributing to the cause. The Compagnie de Saint-Gobain has donated 25,000 euros to Action Against Hunger and the North American Delegation has given 25,000 U.S. dollars to the American Red Cross and 25,000 U.S. dollars to Habitat for Humanity. In due course, the international foundation, Saint-Gobain Initiatives, will evaluate any actions that it can take toward the reconstruction of the country’s social housing.

Saint-Gobain joins DOE’s Save Energy Now LEADER Program VALLEY FORGE, PA, December 17, 2009 -- Saint-Gobain has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s recently launched Save Energy Now® LEADER Program, signing a voluntary pledge to reduce its industrial energy intensity by 25 percent over the next decade. Together with other LEADER companies, Saint-Gobain--named the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Partner of the Year in 2009--will serve as an energy efficiency role model and pace setter for others in the industrial sector.  In return, LEADER companies receive access to select DOE resources, as well as national recognition for energy management achievements.   “These commitments to energy efficiency not only generate significant energy and carbon savings, but also show the entire business community the profitable steps that can be taken to move us all toward a clean energy future,” says Department of Energy Secretary Stephen Chu.  “Working together with American manufacturers, we will leverage the potential of energy efficiency to create new jobs, make our economy more competitive, and reduce carbon pollution.”   The U.S. industrial sector accounts for more than 18 million jobs in the United States, as well as nearly 30 percent of the energy used nationwide and 27 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.  The Obama Administration has made major commitments to improving energy efficiency as a path toward enhancing the country’s energy security and strengthening the American economy, including more than $250 million in Recovery Act investments to improve the efficiency of the industrial and information technology sectors.   The LEADER program is a new component of the existing and successful Save Energy Now initiative, which provides participating businesses with access to tools and training to help them reduce energy use and lower operating costs. More than 2,000 plants received energy assessments through Save Energy Now from 2006 to 2009.  To date, those assessments have identified opportunities for $1.3 billion in identified cost savings, 119 trillion Btu of natural gas savings, and 11.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide savings.  About Saint-Gobain With more than 1,000 subsidiaries in 57 countries, Saint-Gobain (http://www.saint-gobain.com/en) is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of building materials, and a leader in the production of high performance materials and glass containers.  Founded in 1665 and headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain had worldwide sales of $64.4 billion in 2008 and employs approximately 209,000 people.  In the United States and Canada (http://www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com/), Saint-Gobain employs approximately 20,000 people, and had sales of $8.1 billion in 2008.  The company has approximately 160 manufacturing plants and more than 150 distribution outlets throughout North America.  Saint-Gobain has been an ENERGY STAR partner since 2005.  Saint-Gobain businesses include CertainTeed (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania), Norandex Building Materials Distribution (Hudson, Ohio); Saint-Gobain Crystals (Hiram, Ohio); Saint-Gobain Containers (Muncie, Indiana); Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics (Grand Island, New York); and Saint-Gobain Abrasives (Worcester, Massachusetts).

Saint-Gobain presents its PlayHouse

For the Copenhagen Summit (Denmark), the Saint-Gobain PlayHouse - a low energy-consuming children's playhouse/garden house - has been set up in downtown Copenhagen until December 18. This cube-shaped playhouse is built using all the energy-saving solutions of Saint-Gobain Scanglas, Isover, Gyproc, Weber, Ecophon, Saint-Gobain Glass, and Vetrotech. Last week-end, the PlayHouse  was visited by Princess Benedikte of Danemark. The house is available for use by other Saint-Gobain companies to promote their sustainable habitat solutions at any relevant event.

Saint-Gobain renews commitment to R&D with completion of major research center expansion 
NORTHBORO, MA (July 31, 2009)