A skill set that the glass making industry’s supply chain needs to acquire is a farmer’s instinct where one is able to separate the wheat from the chaff when evaluating the feasibility and viability of new product offerings.
Make no mistake about it; there will be an opportunistic and very profitable cadre of products for the astute customer. It will be up to each individual company to determine whether the new technology offering is a lemon or lemonade. This may be difficult because the future will not be an extrapolation of the past; nor will there be a clear line of demarcation. Trends will emerge from various parts of the globe as well as across industry migration. Since these new products and new markets will emerge at different “clock speeds” in each region of a country as well as the world, a global vision and awareness enhances and secures competitive advantage.
While everyone would like to be on the leading edge of this movement, there is the caveat of being too early and falling on the bleeding edge. There will be the tendency to over-hype new offerings with fuzzy jargons. This leaves the trade open for wild claims and illusions. It won’t take many failures or false starts to badly damage the image and reputation to our highly visible industry.
To cite a recent example, consider when segments of this industry introduced a new product. In hindsight, was it no maintenance glass, low maintenance, easier to clean, only works with distilled water, or when the sun is shining. The gap between what was promised and what is delivered defines not just a company’s credibility but also that of the entire industry. On the other hand, when great products are developed – and delivered in a timely manner to the marketplace--a great brand is created and a reputation generated that makes the next generation of product easier to bring to market.
While glass has been highly coveted for literally thousands of years, in a technological sense, this millennium will mark the renaissance of a new and different “glass age.”
As an example, it’s clear that the western economic model of fossil fuel based throwaway economy is not viable for the world. A new economic paradigm will be powered by renewable sources of energy and will recycle materials comprehensively. No sector of the global economy will be untouched by this environmental revolution. Already in some stock exchanges there are “green futures.” In this new economy, companies will be winners or losers. Those who participate in building the new economy will be the winners. Those who cling to the past risk becoming part of it.
The key to building a global economy for sustained economic progress is the creation of an honest marker to tell the ecological truth so that the market can allocate resources with total cost efficiencies. A properly defined green ideology will transcend politics -- it will mobilize liberals, conservatives, businesses, and environmentalists on a common agenda.
One possible case in point is the pilot program proposed by the Clinton Foundation. As part of the organization, former U.S President Bill Clinton has created a coalition of 16 of the world’s biggest cities and five banks with a pledge is of up to $5 billion in loans to upgrade energy intensive heating, cooling, and lighting systems in older buildings. Four international energy service companies would certify and guarantee a 20 to 50 percent reduction in energy costs to pay back the loans with the accrued savings. In addition to saving money, it will make money, and create jobs while favorably affecting climate change.
Politically this program would not be a millstone on economies of rich nor developing countries while shrinking the world’s carbon footprint with a pro-growth policy. While climate change is a global predicament, it requires local action to make a real difference. Finally this would help redesign the materials segment of the economy so that Mother Nature is compatible with Father Greed since the throwaway economy will be but a passing aberration.
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. To see the full text of the speech visit http://www.guardian.com
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Please direct all media inquiries to Amy Hennes by phone at (248) 340-2109
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Ebeid
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Future Of Glass Must Be A Green One
Like the case of safety, insulated, and low-e glasses, government law mandates most effective use of product acceptance. Unfortunately, the stagnant growth of wage roll employees and pandering politicians in developed economies are inspiring outcries of protectionism from globalization.
Certainly the most affected segment of the population is those with limited skills and tenure. However, public policies addressing the advantages to adding millions of consumers and disadvantaged people in poverty and terrorist regions far outweigh the shortcomings. This issue should be focused on retraining.
If you go green, what will it look like? Will it be solar? Will it be clean coal? Will it be ethanol or biodiesel? Are government subsidies required to supplement technology to make it economical to develop? How fickle is the public to taxation to promote subsidies? In the U.S., clean energy is gobbling up 10 percent of America’s venture capital. It is estimated that investment into this activity has doubled between 2004 and 2006 to $63 billion.
As an example, a detailed analysis on the real cost of gasoline, done by the International Center of Technology Assessment, estimates the indirect costs of subsidies, tax breaks, depletion allowances, security costs, climate change, and health care costs of treating respiratory illnesses amounts to about $9 per gallon—in addition to the current price of $3 to $6 in world prices. This additional cost to the state could be offset by a significant reduction in individual tax rates instead of being spent on excessive social and medical programs.
Currently almost all clean energy relies on government subsidies to make it competitive with fossil fuels. Therefore voters pay either way in direct subsidies or higher prices. Unfortunately, government subsidies are an unstable foundation on which to build a business since politicians are a vacillating lot.
This is especially true because people look at green products and technology as a bonus with bragging rights for owners.
But these same people are less willing to pay the difference in price since future savings is a non-starter. This tendency will change, of course, as energy prices rise and the price of technology falls. The cost of generating wind power, for example, has come down to less than half per kwh.
The first solar powered cells were over 65 times more expensive than they are today. While people may see a three-year payback, they can’t see beyond the benefits because people in the U.S. frequently move every five to seven years. Convincing data is not enough since final decisions are wallet driven. Even with the law of diminishing returns consumers will have a pecking order of upgrades that they are willing to pay for because green is still the color of money.
The price of oil hits the pocket of consumers in every non-energy producing country in the world. This influences greatly both manufacturing and transportation costs in Europe and the United States and will soon have an impact on China, India, and other oil-dependent regions. So something has to yield. In our industry, we have the opportunity to make a contribution – and it is the issues we discuss at meetings like this that set the tone and direction for solutions.
Are we in the glass business or are we in the environmental business and we just happen to make glass? The answer to this question will impact the future of our industry.
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. To see the full text of the speech visit http://www.guardian.com
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Please direct all media inquiries to Amy Hennes by phone at (248) 340-2109
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Ebeid
Certainly the most affected segment of the population is those with limited skills and tenure. However, public policies addressing the advantages to adding millions of consumers and disadvantaged people in poverty and terrorist regions far outweigh the shortcomings. This issue should be focused on retraining.
If you go green, what will it look like? Will it be solar? Will it be clean coal? Will it be ethanol or biodiesel? Are government subsidies required to supplement technology to make it economical to develop? How fickle is the public to taxation to promote subsidies? In the U.S., clean energy is gobbling up 10 percent of America’s venture capital. It is estimated that investment into this activity has doubled between 2004 and 2006 to $63 billion.
As an example, a detailed analysis on the real cost of gasoline, done by the International Center of Technology Assessment, estimates the indirect costs of subsidies, tax breaks, depletion allowances, security costs, climate change, and health care costs of treating respiratory illnesses amounts to about $9 per gallon—in addition to the current price of $3 to $6 in world prices. This additional cost to the state could be offset by a significant reduction in individual tax rates instead of being spent on excessive social and medical programs.
Currently almost all clean energy relies on government subsidies to make it competitive with fossil fuels. Therefore voters pay either way in direct subsidies or higher prices. Unfortunately, government subsidies are an unstable foundation on which to build a business since politicians are a vacillating lot.
This is especially true because people look at green products and technology as a bonus with bragging rights for owners.
But these same people are less willing to pay the difference in price since future savings is a non-starter. This tendency will change, of course, as energy prices rise and the price of technology falls. The cost of generating wind power, for example, has come down to less than half per kwh.
The first solar powered cells were over 65 times more expensive than they are today. While people may see a three-year payback, they can’t see beyond the benefits because people in the U.S. frequently move every five to seven years. Convincing data is not enough since final decisions are wallet driven. Even with the law of diminishing returns consumers will have a pecking order of upgrades that they are willing to pay for because green is still the color of money.
The price of oil hits the pocket of consumers in every non-energy producing country in the world. This influences greatly both manufacturing and transportation costs in Europe and the United States and will soon have an impact on China, India, and other oil-dependent regions. So something has to yield. In our industry, we have the opportunity to make a contribution – and it is the issues we discuss at meetings like this that set the tone and direction for solutions.
Are we in the glass business or are we in the environmental business and we just happen to make glass? The answer to this question will impact the future of our industry.
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. To see the full text of the speech visit http://www.guardian.com
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive markets. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Please direct all media inquiries to Amy Hennes by phone at (248) 340-2109
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russ_Ebeid
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