Sale of Zeledyne Nashville Plant, Carlite Aftermarket Business to Carlex Completed
April 1, 2011

The sale of Zeledyne's Nashville glass plant and its Carlite aftermarket automotive glass distribution operations and business to Carlex Glass America LLC, a subsidiary of Central Glass Co. Ltd., was finalized today, according to separate announcements from both companies. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The facilities included in the sale included both the Nashville auto glass manufacturing facility and the company's Carlite distribution center in Lebanon, Tenn., and the Carlite brand, according to Zeledyne spokesperson Della DiPietro.

The acquired operations join Carlex Glass Co., which produces automotive glass for original-equipment and replacement applications in Vonore, Tenn., as subsidiaries of Central Glass Co. Ltd., based in Japan. Carlex Glass America and Carlex Glass Co. will be known in the market as Carlex.

The purchase provides Carlex with the "ability to manufacture automotive-quality float glass," according to Masami Wakatsuki, Carlex Glass America president.

The company previously did not have the ability to manufacture float glass, according to Carlex spokesperson Jean Verlich.

"Carlex identified a business opportunity to expand its customer manufacturing base and to provide an internal float glass supply," she adds.

Company officials also felt the "the transaction [would] provide longer-term stability to the Nashville plant," according to Verlich.

For Carlex customers, it should be business as usual on the distribution side.

"Customers should see no change, since Carlite parts will continue to be available in the normal range of windshields and tempered parts through Carlex," she adds.

With the acquisition, Carlex becomes the sole U.S. distributor of Carlite® brand automotive replacement glass.

"Adding the Nashville facility and the automotive replacement glass distribution operations to Carlex's business expands our market and customer base and enhances our customer service, while affording strategic synergies with our established Tennessee operations," Wakatsuki adds.

Approximately 600 employees total work at the two facilities, and, as a result of the sale, have transferred to employment with Carlex Glass America, according to DiPietro.

"Almost everyone accepted employment with Carlex, so as of today they are Carlex Glass America employees," says DiPietro.

Carlex officials say they plan to maintain an automotive technical center in the Detroit area, though details were not available at press time.

With the completion of the sale, Zeledyne now has about 550 employees at manufacturing plants in Tulsa, Okla. and Juarez, Mexico, and offices in Allen Park, Mich.

The two companies had announced that they had agreed to the sale earlier this year.

Asked if further changes are expected for Zeledyne, DiPietro advised, "At this time there are no further changes to be announced."

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