13 minute read
People and Places
Appointment
Corinna Lovati Lars Wismer
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Corinna Lovati has been appointed sole director of Lovati SRL to pursue a global renewal focused on modernisation and innovation.
“I am very happy and proud of this new role. The goal is to continue to be recognized as a leading company of Italian excellence in the world of manufacturing machines for flat glass processing.”
Lovati’s, important technical figure, Rolando Locatelli, in addition to providing attentive and timely assistance to customers, continues to follow the software and electronic design part, and is also responsible for machines production.
“The company is experiencing a good time of global renewal. I will go on to be a reference between customer and company and follow step by step all the production dynamics. My focus is also on the development of software and electronic components for which we are planning important innovations for the future.”
Lovati is a manufacturer of glass processing machines.
We are specialised in the design and construction of machines for the processing of shaped glass, from simple manual grinders to the most sophisticated numerical control machining centres. Over 80 years of tradition and continuous innovation.
Jim Nixon
Jim Nixon has been appointed as Quanex's first vice president of innovation and new markets.
In this role, Nixon will develop and lead an enterprise-level innovation strategy, advance new product and market possibilities, drive revenue and EBITDA growth and ensure a return on investment for new market product launches. He will also lead strategy development, sales, new product development and market growth for Quanex Custom Mixing (formerly LMI Custom Mixing).
George Wilson, president and CEO, Quanex, said: “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jim to this senior leadership role as we continue exploring new ways to drive value for our customers and shareholders.
“Jim will be instrumental in our efforts to develop innovative new polymer solutions, expand our capabilities and diversify into new markets.”
Nixon joins Quanex with more than two decades of industry experience, serving in various operational and leadership roles of increasing responsibility. Most of his career has been focused on successfully growing LMI Custom Mixing, which Quanex acquired in 2022, where he served as the general manager for the last 21 years.
Nixon said: “I’m looking forward to helping this team identify new opportunities to innovate, in both new and legacy markets.
“I’m confident that through the combined abilities of Quanex’s polymer and extrusion expertise, and the state-of-the-art technology at Quanex Custom Mixing, we’re going to do some great things and create significant new growth for Quanex.”
Nixon holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a minor in economics from Case Western Reserve University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Ashland University.
In his new role, Nixon will report directly to Wilson and will serve as a member of Quanex’s strategy council. He will share his time between Cambridge, Ohio, and Akron, Ohio. Lars Wismer (49) has been appointed to lead glasstec, the world's leading trade fair in the glass industry, as well as A+A, the International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work, effective December 1, 2022.
In addition to overseeing these leading trade fairs, he will also be responsible for the international Glass Technologies portfolio, including glasspex and glasspro trade fairs for the Indian market, as well as the international Occupational Safety & Health portfolio, including TOS+H, CIOSH and OS+HA.
Wismer said: “I look forward to being back onboard at Messe Düsseldorf again and to working with a strong team to further expand the leading position of the two leading trade fairs and the international portfolios."
The event professional has been working as a senior project manager for 16 years. He also has extensive experience in the management and marketing of large, international events. His most recent position was as Executive Director Sports of D.SPORTS Events, Sales, PR/
Wolfgang Böhm
Wolfgang Böhm has assumed the position of Technical Director at Zschimmer & Schwarz KG Chemische Fabriken effective 1 December 2022. This position entails responsibility for the areas of production and technology, logistics, purchasing, environmental protection, and occupational safety at the Lahnstein site. During his career, he has held various management positions in the fields of production and technology at Hoechst, Clariant and Allessa. "I am looking forward to my new assignment, which will involve further developing the Lahnstein site and setting new trends with my know-how and experience," said Böhm. "Together with my colleagues in management and our employees, I would like to share the success story of Communication and Marketing at D.LIVE GmbH & Co. KG.
Petra Cullmann, executive director at Messe Düsseldorf, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to win back Lars Wismer for Messe Düsseldorf. He has many years of expertise in managing international events in Germany and abroad,”
The next glasstec will be held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre in Germany from 22 to 25 October 2024.
Zschimmer & Schwarz." "With Wolfgang Böhm, we are strengthening the management at the Lahnstein site with an experienced expert who will provide new impetus in his area of responsibility and thus further advance Zschimmer & Schwarz in the implementation of efficient processes," said Felix Grimm, COO of Zschimmer & Schwarz Chemie. "We warmly welcome Wolfgang Böhm and look forward to working together."
Darko Šlogar
Darko Šlogar has been appointed by Vetropack Group, a European manufacturer of glass packaging, to lead their Croatian operations, starting on 1 January 2023. He succeeds Tihomir Premužak, who passed away unexpectedly in August.
Šlogar has already been acting as interim site manager of Vetropack Straža since Premužak’s passing. The company is also moving into new offices in Zagreb.
Šlogar draws on more than three decades of experience in glass manufacturing. Born in 1963, the father of two studied at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb. Following graduation in 1987, he began his professional career at Straža glass factory, now Vetropack Straža, as an expert in technological advances in production. Among his responsibilities was the establishment of a new mould construction department. He moved from marketing to sales in the early 1990s before being promoted to the position of director of marketing and sales in 2001.
During his career, the new general manager became involved in a variety of activities, including teaching computer science and technical drawing as a part-time teacher for the training of glass workers. Additionally, he served as mayor of the Croatian municipality of Hum na Sutli for a period of time. Šlogar said: "I am proud to have worked for this forward-thinking company for such a long time, especially since it is also an important employer for the region. Shaping the future of this growing site is a challenging task that I look forward to.” "With the new presence in an office building in Zagreb, we are counteracting bottlenecks at the plant in Hum na Sutli. This shows the positive development of the company. In this respect, I look to the future with great optimism," he added. Vitro Architectural Glass announced the passing of longtime colleague and friend Joe Sennese on 7 November at the age of 55 after a long battle with cancer.
In a statement, the company said: “Sennese’s legacy of humble service to our customers and architects in the Chicago and Great Lakes region has inspired countless Vitro team members and endeared him to all who knew him.”
Sennese began his career with Vitro, formerly PPG Glass, in 2005 as an architect representative. He quickly advanced his career in the glass business by becoming a national architectural manager before leading the architectural representatives in the Eastern US as Vitro’s director of architectural development. In June 2022, Sennese was appointed manager of product sales and business development.
Glenn Davis, vice president of international sales and sales development at Vitro, said: “Joe was an invaluable part of our team and served as a mentor to so many in the industry throughout his career,”
“We’re all deeply saddened by his loss and we’re thinking of his family in this difficult time.”
To honour Joe’s legacy, Vitro contributed to the Amyloidosis Foundation in his name.
Asian Glass would like to take this opportunity to offer condolences to Sennese's family and friends. Awards & Honours
Obituary
Envelon wins Product Design of the Year
Envelon has been named Product Design of the Year at the Architecture MasterPrize 2022, held at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, on 24 November. The company's technology enables buildings to integrate photovoltaics to achieve carbon neutrality with alternative renewable energies. In contrast to traditional rooftop solar systems, Envelon uses architectural building façades as the way to integrate aesthetics and performance, as shown by the award-winning designs of architect Peter Kuczia.
A solar façade, developed by Envelon, integrates architectural design with solar energy in a durable and application-flexible glass facade, transforming conventional buildings into sustainable power plants.
High-performance and costeffective BIPV systems are available in a wide variety of attractive colours and have been successfully installed on large-scale buildings. In order to reduce technical complexity, Envelon has been engineered on a simple, modular basis in order to turn the building's façade 'ON' with electrifying architectural elements.
Kuczia said: “Thanks to the Envelon System, the facade material – in addition to its conventional technical, protective and aesthetic functions – adds value to the building by converting sunlight to electricity."
A key objective of Envelon is to drive the vertical energy revolution. An important part of this effort involves a flexible, 360-degree approach that encompasses not only the production in Hamlar, Germany, but also custom project design for the respective locations and turnkey installation. Consequently, building owners, architects, and planners are able to benefit from holistic project management, professional support, and a reliable collaborative relationship.
Envelon offers frameless façade panels, made of highquality glass elements, to meet the needs of architects and builders. By providing customised façade kits or turnkey solutions, high quality and reliable handling can be ensured.
A thin internal glass coating releases the potential of colours, creating solar facade panels that are vibrant throughout the day.
Joe Sennese
From left: Andrea Steigerwald, head of corporate marketing and communications of the Grenzebach Group, Hans-Peter Merkelin, CEO, Grenzebach Envelon, and Peter Kuczi, architect.
The Phoenix Award Committee announced Li Sheng Hua as the 50th recipient of the Phoenix Award and ‘Glass Person of the Year 2022’
Li Shen Hua is the founder of Huaxing Glass in 1978. Under his leadership, Huaxing has grown from a small glass factory into the largest group producing container glass in China with an annual production capacity of more than three million tonnes, or about 16% of the total output in the country. The group has 13 factories across China. Today, Huaxing has 34 glass furnaces and 167 production lines.
Li served as executive chairman of China Daily Glass Association for several years.
Being the China daily glass industry leader, he has won the China Light Industry Meritorious Enterprise Prize for six consecutive years.
The Phoenix Award Committee has also selected Li to receive this year’s prestigious Phoenix Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the glass industry and his leadership in pollution reduction in China.
Li was among the first to respond to the call to reduce industrial pollution in China.
In 2007, he introduced a series of actions to transform Huaxing into green and environment friendly production units in response to the country's promotion of energysaving and emission reduction.
Through his effort, Huaxing Glass was named the ‘Green Label Enterprise’ and received an environmental credit for the achievement. It also set the benchmark of environmental protection in Guangdong Province for advanced energy-saving and safety production enterprises.
He has promoted the principle of quality and set up two national quality inspection centres in Central and Southern China respectively to enhance the quality of the company’s products and effectively promoted the rapid upgrading of product quality in the glass industry. The company is also an active member of the China Quality Inspection Association.
Li will receive his award from Kevin Lievre, the PAC 2022 Chairperson, at the occasion of a future Banquet. The Banquet and Award Ceremony will be conducted in China as soon as travel restrictions permit.
Places
Ireland - The Keep Well Glass Quilt Project
An exhibition of glasswork collaboratively created by 50 glassmakers is now on display at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, located in Turlough Park in Castlebar, County Mayo.
Designed by members of the Glass Society of Ireland, the display is entitled 'A Breath of Fresh Air, The Keep Well Glass Quilt Project'.
The project was undertaken during the third wave of COVID-19 and the twelve weeks that followed the lockdown.
Confined to within five kilometres of their homes and studios, 50 glassmakers came together virtually to collaborate on a large glass quilt.
Professional and amateur glassmakers are represented in the artwork, as well as all techniques of glassmaking, from traditional cutting, glass painting, kiln working, etching, engraving and lampworking.
In making their individual pieces, each glassmaker interpreted their own ideas around what the theme meant to them. Themes include, nature, poetry, textiles, patterns, mental health, capturing actual air, and emotional responses.
As each piece was added to the artwork, a unique story of a unique time evolved. Testimonies emerged from participants on how this project was critical to their creative process and well-being at a very difficult time.
Each of the four provinces of Ireland is represented, bringing the whole island together in one collaborative piece. Some of Ireland’s best glassmakers are represented in The Glass Quilt, making this artwork a unique and historic portfolio of Irish artists and their generosity of community spirit during a difficult time.
The project was made possible by the support of the Health Service Executive ‘Keep well’ campaign and Design and Crafts Council Ireland.
Encirc named ‘BITC NI Responsible Business of the Year’
Glass container manufacturer and filler, Encirc, has been awarded the ‘NI Responsible Company of the Year’ accolade at the BITC NI Responsible Business Awards, marking the first time Encirc has won the award.
The company, initially created in 1998 in Derrylin Northern Ireland, has been a pillar of the community in County Fermanagh, NI, since its inception. Now part of the Vidrala Group, Encirc has three sites in England, Northern Ireland and Italy and is a well-known name in the production of sustainable packaging, creating more than four billion glass containers a year while continuing to innovate and drive forward the manufacturing sector to be more sustainable and inclusive.
In 2022, Encirc and its parent company Vidrala became one of the first organisations of its kind to have its Science Based Targets approved by the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative), ensuring the company operates in a way which helps prevent the planet’s temperature from rising more than 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
At the same time, the company announced its ambition to be the first glassmaker to create net-zero glass containers. From its original site in Derrylin, Northern Ireland, Encirc will be supporting its parent company in reducing its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 47%, and its Scope 3 emissions by 28% by 2030, helping prevent the worst effects of climate change whilst also future-proofing the company.
Encirc is also active as a BITC climate champion, and member of its Environmental Leadership Team. The glass bottle manufacturer supports BITC with speaking slots aimed at the wider industry, outlining how it is acting on the climate emergency, and inspiring others to drive change in their organisations.
It also works heavily within its local communities through its HOCAM (Helping our Communities Achieve More) programme, partnering with schools and colleges to raise awareness of diversity issues, sustainability considerations and career opportunities.
