The glass industry employed over 150,000 workers in 1997.
Over 80% of glass industry employees are production workers with wages averaging about 20%
above the manufacturing average. [DOC 1997] Intense competition
between producers of glass and alternative materials has caused the industry to
significantly improve its operations. The fastest growing segments of the industry have
been pressed and blown glass (specialty glass), products of purchased glass, and mineral
wool (fiberglass insulation).
The United States is a large producer of glass products, with annual production of around
20 million tons annually. [Ross 1999] Overall, U.S. imports and
exports are roughly equal. Some glass products do not lend themselves to extensive travel
before use (e.g., beverage containers, fiberglass insulation).
The glass industry is also capital-intensive, due in part to the cost of rebuilding
furnaces every 8-12 years. Most of the industry's limited R&D funds are focused on
developing innovative products.
