Essay About Nonglare Glass And Controller Of The Specialty Glass Division

Sparta Glass Products
Essay title: Sparta Glass Products
SPARTA GLASS PRODUCTS
In early August 2002, Christina Matthews, the product manager for nonglare glass at Sparta
Glass Products (SGP), met with Robert Alexander, the controller of the Specialty Glass Division, to
review the products performance and prepare a pricing recommendation for the coming quarter.
Once approved by the division president, the price would be announced and, as was customary in
this segment of the glass industry, adhered to for at least 90 days.
The flat-glass industry was a $10-billion industry worldwide, of which $2.7 billion was
generated in the United States. Approximately 57 percent of domestic production was for the
construction industry, 25 percent for the automotive industry, and the remaining 18 percent for
specialty products ranging from the mundane, like mirrors, to a wide variety of high-tech
applications. Among the many technical applications of specialty glasses were solar panels,
laminated and tempered safety glasses, heat- and bullet-resistant glasses, electrical and insulating
glasses, photo-technical and photo-sensitive glasses, aerospace glass, and cookware. Nonglare glass
was a fairly simple specialty product designed to reduce the glare of reflected light. It was used
primarily to frame and protect artwork.
With 2001 sales of $345 million, SGP was a midsized, regional glass company serving
several niche markets in the southeastern United States. The Specialty Glass Division was one of
four divisions, each of which was operated as a profit center. For a number of reasons, SGP enjoyed
a dominant market position for nonglare glass in its region: (1) SGP was known for its fast, reliable
service, and was willing to deliver glass on short notice at no extra charge in any of a variety of cutto-
order sizes, including the industry-standard delivery size (48-by-96-inch sheets) and all the
standard picture-frame sizes; (2) SGP provided an exceptionally high-quality nonglare glass with
little light loss and virtually no blemishes; (3) SGP operated its own fleet of delivery vehicles so that
delivery times were well managed and shipping charges were kept low; and (4) SGPs salaried sales
staff was widely acknowledged for its helpful, courteous service and customer orientation.
The production of nonglare glass, like many other coated-glass products, began with flat
glass, the output of one of Specialty Glasss sister divisions. For such derivative products, company
policy was for downstream products to be bought within the company at a market-based price that
was adjusted on a quarterly basis. The flat glass was treated by the Specialty Glass Division with a
patented coating that provided the desired optical characteristics. This process required specialized
UVA-QA-0592
equipment that was usable only in the production of nonglare glass. The finished, treated glass was
then cut to order, packaged, and shipped.
The business outlook for nonglare glass had been flat for the past several years, but was
expected to return to historical growth rates as the economy came out of its slump. Last September,
in response to increased corporate pressure to improve margins, Matthews and Alexander increased
the price of nonglare glass by slightly less than 10 percent, from $2.15 to $2.36 per square foot. This
pricing decision was one of many made during the past year in anticipation of the companys
considerable capital requirements to fund a recently approved long-term expansion and
modernization