Powering Ahead in Glass

Romag is the only company in the country to make solar powered glass and has built roofs over St James´s Park and the Sunderland Glass Centre. Another speciality is bomb and blast-proof glass for buildings and vehicles and high-impact windscreens for trains.

The company was formed in 1943 to create the glass panels for gas masks used in the Second World War, and now employs around 150 people at its Leadgate base. Romag´s chief executive, Lyn Miles, 52, has been with the company for 23 years.

She says: "Around 1970 the company was still making gas mask lenses and other small items mainly for eye protection. They felt technology had progressed, so products could be developed much further. The product range was extended and we built highly resistant glass for army vehicles, aircraft, banks, government buildings ( anything where a level of protection was needed.

"We started manufacturing glass which could create electricity through solar power about a year ago. We are the only UK company to create it and we believe we are the company which can create the biggest panels ( 3.3m by 2.2m ) world-wide."