Laminated Sidelites, Solar Glazing, Major Topics During Congressman’s Visit to Guardian Plant

Laminated Sidelites, Solar Glazing, Major Topics During Congressman's Visit to Manufacturing Plant
January 5, 2012

Left to right: Mike Morrison, president, Guardian Automotive; Congressman Gary Dingell; Gerry Hool, plant manager, Guardian Carleton plant; and Robert Joyce, director, global governmental affairs.

U.S. Representative John D. Dingell (D - Mich.) toured a Guardian Industries plant in Carleton, Mich., yesterday, and one major point of discussion related to the growing use of laminated sidelites, according to Guardian officials.

“In specific, we talked about issues such as the use of laminated sidelites in buses and cars for safety reasons as well as federal and state fuel economy rules that give credit to auto manufacturers for the use of advanced solar glazing that improves energy efficiencies and reduces emissions,” says Guardian Automotive president Mike Morrison. The automotive industry overall was a major topic, and, going forward, company spokesperson Earnest Thompson says the company plans to continue to work closely with Dingell’s office.

“We plan to continue providing him and his staff information about energy-efficient glass and its applications in autos, homes and offices as well as innovations that carry potential for the automotive industry,” says Thompson." These are areas of ongoing dialogue in Congress and as a leader, he wants to ensure he’s at the forefront of such issues.”

This was Dingell’s second time at the plant. “[The plant] was established in 1970 and in 1990, the company’s research and development (R&D) cente—the Science and Technology Center (STC)—was established across the street, ensuing the R&D and manufacturing were closely aligned,” says Thompson. “Such a campus is unique and provided the Congressman with an update on manufacturing issues, innovation developments and the state-of-the-art in the glass business. He was interested in the overall status of manufacturing and R&D in his home state. He had visited once many years ago so was very interested in the manufacturing process and the wide variety of application areas for glass products.”

Plant manager Gerry Hool escorted Dingell through the plant.

“I took him around from soup to nuts,” says Hool. ”I showed him the entire float process. We drove around in a cart and talked with people along the way. He’s a quick study, of course, asked excellent questions about our issues, challenges and plans for the future. Above all, he said that he’s ‘behind (us) all the way...’“

“Guardian’s Carleton plant is proof positive that we can make it right here in America,” says Dingell in a press release issued after the visit.

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