Pittsburgh Glass Works to shutter Creighton plant, affecting 193 jobs

Old facility would require extensive upgrades

A Pittsburgh Glass Works facility in East Deer will close by mid2018, affecting the jobs of nearly 200 workers and leaving the township without its largest employer and taxpayer.

The company last month said it expected to close the plant next year, but said it would engage in discussions with the union that represents workers to determine if there was an alternative.

Talks with the United Steelworkers came up short.

“We appreciate our discussions with the USW … but there was a combination of difficult realities we faced,” said Joe Stas, chief executive and president of PGW.

The union declined to comment.

The company’s decision came after it concluded its oldest plant would require extensive upgrades to produce the cutting edge technology that carmakers are seeking for windshields, mirrors and other components.

PGW, whose customers include Ford and GM, also cited a slowdown in demand for automobiles, excess capacity and the fact that the facility’s two-story layout makes it inefficient compared with single-floor factories.

Known as the Creighton plant, the facility is the original site

where Pittsburgh Plate Glass, now called PPG, began producing glass in 1883. It fronts the Allegheny River about 20 miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, and at one time employed thousands.

As part of a strategy to exit glass and chemicals and to concentrate on its paints and coatings segment, PPG in 2008 sold a majority interest in its auto glass operation to private investors who renamed the business Pittsburgh Glass Works.

When PGW was sold earlier this year to Mexican glass giant Vitro S.A.B. de C.V., PPG sold the minority stake it still held in the company.

Pittsburgh Glass Works, which is based on the North Shore, has seven other production sites in the U.S. including plants in Meadville, Crawford County; and Tipton, Blair County.

It also operates a plant in Poland, and joint ventures in Mexico and China.

Plans call for shutting down one manufacturing line at Creighton in January and transferring production of existing orders to a PGW plant in Evansville, Ind.

The second production line will be shut down in June.

The plant’s 193 employees are invited to apply for open positions at other plants, the company said.

“We are proud of our long history and continued presence in the state of Pennsylvania,” said Mr. Stas. “We greatly value our friends and colleagues in Creighton, and are working hard to ensure they have the support they need and deserve.”

East Deer officials could not be reached for comment.