Solar Gard® Opens New High-Tech Manufacturing Facility in China

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar Gard^® a company of Saint-Gobain and global leader in the development, manufacturing and distribution of specialty films and backsheet materials, opened its new facility in Qingdao, China, today. Located in the Shandong province, the modern manufacturing plant was officially opened by Pierre-André de Chalendar, Chairman and CEO of the Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, during a ceremony attended by a number of Saint-Gobain and Solar Gard executives, in addition to local and state officials and dignitaries.

“The opening of this cutting edge facility is a further step for Saint-Gobain to expand its investment and commitment in China”

The new state of the art coating facility will focus on the production of architectural and automotive window films providing safety and security, glare reduction, energy saving and C0₂ emission reduction solutions for the Asian market.

With a network of more than 1,800 Quantum and Solar Gard outlets in China, Saint-Gobain Solar Gard is considered to be the fastest-growing window film brand in the country; and the investment in the new plant consolidates Solar Gard’s market leadership and commitment to serve the rapidly growing Asian market.

“The opening of this cutting edge facility is a further step for Saint-Gobain to expand its investment and commitment in China," said Pierre-André de Chalendar. “As the world leader in the construction and habitat markets, it has been a priority for us to do everything we can to both serve and accompany market growth here in China and beyond. This significant investment in Qingdao will enable us to be much closer to the rapidly growing market for specialty films in China. In recent years Solar Gard has significantly expanded its customer base throughout Asia, especially in China. This new facility will dramatically improve time to market and give the company a unique advantage over the competition in what is considered to be one of the world’s most innovative markets.”

The Qingdao manufacturing plant meets California’s stringent EPA standards and will pursue ISO 14001:2004 certification. These investments are in line with the Company’s commitment to environmental responsibility; Solar Gard was the first manufacturer of window films to publish an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The EPD is based on a life cycle analysis of the cradle-to-grave impacts of Solar Gard’s products and fulfills the requirements of an ISO-compliant product category rule. The results are third-party verified in line with international standards (ISO 14044 and ISO 14025).

About Solar Gard

Solar Gard positively impacts lives every day with products that protect, save and renew. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Solar Gard makes industry leading architectural and automotive window films, photovoltaics and custom coatings. A Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Activity and subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, Solar Gard’s architectural solar control window films are proven carbon negative and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Solar Gard products are sold in more than 90 countries under the Solar Gard^®, Panorama^®, Quantum^® and Solar Gard Armorcoat^® brands. For more information, visit www.solargard.com.

About Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction markets, designs, manufactures and distributes building materials providing innovative solutions to meet the challenges of growth, energy-saving and environmental protection. With 2011 sales of € 42.1 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has nearly 195,000 employees. World leader in high performance plastics, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio (USA). The company employs 4,500 employees in 16 countries. Its product offer includes films, foams, coated fabrics, bearings, seals and fluid systems. For more information, visit www.saint-gobain.com and www.plastics.saint-gobain.com.