Glass Industry News

AGC Glass Europe plans a restructuring on its site in Seneffe

, AGC Glass Europe

AGC Glass Europe announced on January 12th 2021 to the Works Council of Seneffe plant (Belgium) its intention to reduce the production capacity and the fixed costs of the Transport & Industrial Vehicles (TIV) activity.

This plan aims to recover the TIV business profitability and to sustain the activity in Seneffe. A collective dismissal is considered to decrease staff with 47 collaborators out of a total amount of 210 persons working in the plant. 

The activity Transport & Industrial Vehicles (TIV) of AGC Glass Europe located in Seneffe (Belgium) is specialized in the railway market. This part of the Seneffe plant suffers since numerous years of insufficient industrial performances leading to structural financial losses for the TIV activity of AGC. In 2019, the increase of production volume allowed to generate a first positive financial result. However, the year 2020 faced a sudden and major turnaround for the TIV activity of the plant, leading to a market decrease on the mid-term. 

The impact of the Coronavirus
The global spread of the Covid-19 virus is leading to a strong decrease of the TIV markets for its Original Equipment Manufacturing and its After-Market. Rolling Stock manufacturers are suffering from slowdown of production chain coming from a crisis with multiple aspects (sanitary crisis, supply chain crisis, etc…). Train fleet operators are decreasing drastically the number of vehicles in service, as well as their maintenance in order to limit their operating costs. The decision makers for investment in railway fleet are taking decisions to postpone or even cancel some acquisitions in order to keep the cash necessary for other purposes. 

The impact of a structural crisis
Furthermore, independently from the Covid-19 virus, the main European train fleet operators tend to reduce their orders for glazing for replacement. Some major European train operators suffered losses of income, forcing them to implement persistent cost reduction programs. 
With the aim to accelerate its energetic transition, the European Union announced 2021 as the European Year of Rail, promoting transport by railway. If this shift towards a sustainable and smart mobility is confirmed, the manufacturing and the revamping of trains should increase in 2022 & 2023, leading to an increase in glazing demand as from 2024. 

Reorganize to sustain 
In order to resist to such TIV market shrink until the recovery hoped for in 2024, AGC Glass Europe is in vital need to reduce its production capacity in Seneffe and to decrease its fixed costs by different means for the TIV activity. The purpose is to limit the TIV financial losses and its impact on the financial results of the group. 
The Seneffe plant employs 210 people and plans to reduce its workforce by 47 people. A social plan, as well as the accompanying measures, will be studied with the various partners concerned.

, © AGC Glass Europe

News material on the Site is copyright and belongs to the Company or to its third party news provider, and all rights are reserved. Any User who accesses such material may do so only for its own personal use, and the use of such material is at the sole risk of the User. Redistribution or other commercial exploitation of such news material is expressly prohibited. Where such news material is provided by a third party, each User agrees to observe and be bound by the specific terms of use applying to such news material. We do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the info contained in any news or external websites referred to in the news.

Should the content or the design of these sites violate third parties rights or legal prescriptions, we kindly ask you to send us a respective message without invoice or cost. We guarantee that passages where the claim is considered as justified will be removed immediately, without any necessity to involve any lawyer into this issue. We will reject any claim caused by submission of a honorary note in this regard without any prior contact and confirmation of the issueby us and we reserve the right ssue counter claim ourselves because of violation of aforesaid conditions.



Info Grid

Glass studies

Updated worldwide glass study 2024

plants.glassglobal.com

Updated hollow glass study 2024

Request more information

Updated float glass study 2024

Request more information

Further glass market studies

Request more information

Company Profile



Updated worldwide glass market study 2024 available now for flat, container glass and tableware

We have updated our international studies on flat glass, container glass and tableware for 2024.

This unique software provides a global overview about glass producers and technical details. Easy to use and clear tables summarize information and data about glass makers such as: Glass types: flat glass, container glass, tableware, production capacities in regions and countries, number of furnaces, furnace types, year of construction, glass types and sub-types, products, project information, special news and downloads.

Further databases supplying demoscopic data and import and export data complete the market survey. Based on these data, prepare individual country profiles with information about local production capacities, local market sizes and expected demand in the future.

Request your offer via plants.glassglobal.com.

Updated container glass study 2024

X

Updated float glass study 2024

X

Further glass studies and reports 2024

X