SCHOTT Solar - Competitors

SCHOTT Solar Competition

Now Viewing SCHOTT Solar's competition in: Glass and Fiber Optic Manufacturing

Recent Developments

Emerging Markets Drive Flat Glass Demand - Experts believe that the surging economies of developing nations will drive growth in the flat glass industry. With its growing economy, China accounts for about one-third of the global market for flat glass, according to market research firm Research and Markets. US exports of glass and glass products rose more than 9 percent in the first seven months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007; exports to China increased more than 33 percent. Although India has a relatively low per-capita consumption of flat glass, increased construction and growth in the auto sector could raise demand.

Markets for Glass Products Decline - Shipments and new orders for some key markets that indicate demand for glass and glass products declined in the first eight months of 2008 compared to a year earlier. Shipments and new orders for motor vehicles and parts both declined more than 17 percent. Shipments of computers and related equipment dropped almost 3 percent; new orders fell nearly 4 percent. Communication equipment shipments and new orders rose 1.7 and 0.9 percent, respectively.

Drop in New Home Sales Continues - US new home sales, a demand indicator for glass, dropped more than 35 percent in August 2008 compared to August 2007, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). With a high inventory of new, unsold homes, housing starts will probably drop more than 17 percent in 2009 from 2008. However, the federal government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac could result in lower interest rates, which could spur home-buying.

Competitive Landscape

Demand comes from the construction, auto, bottling, and container industries. The profitability of individual companies depends on low-cost operations because most products are commodities that are bought based on price. Large manufacturers have large efficiencies of scale in operations, which is why the industry is so concentrated. Small manufacturers can compete effectively by producing specialty products or serving a local market. The industry is capital-intensive: annual revenue per worker is close to $200,000.

Full Industry Overview For Glass and Fiber Optic Manufacturing

Glass and Fiber Optic Manufacturing Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US glass products and containers, an indicator for glass makers, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 4.6 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Glass Products and Containers Growth Uneven

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.