Glassmaker PPG Industries has restarted a furnace at its Shelby glass fibre facility in North Carolina, USA, as a result of increasing demand from automotive, wind energy and oil and gas markets.

The restart increases the plant’s capacity by 17,000 tons, as well as adding 34 employees, some of whom were called back from lay-offs.
In February 2010, PPG Industries announced the restart of another furnace at its Lexington, North Carolina glass fibre facility.
Meanwhile, the company reported first quarter earnings of $30 million on sales of $3.1 billion.