Viracon plant sold; will stay open

10.19.2021

Statesboro Herald

In this file photo, using a glass manipulator equipped with large suction cups, Viracon employees Charles Burke, left, and Tim Wise, right, among his reflections, rack glass panels unloaded from the line after the heat-treating process.

Following an announcement Monday afternoon, the Viracon plant in Statesboro is expected to remain open under new ownership and preserve the jobs of most of the plant’s workforce.

In a press release, Viracon parent company Apogee Enterprises, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell the Statesboro architectural glass facility to Cardinal Glass Industries. Back in August, Apogee announced it was going to close the plant by Dec. 30 as part of a broader restructuring plan. The shuttering would have meant the loss of approximately 200 jobs.

With the purchase, Minnesota-based Cardinal Glass plans to repurpose the facility to support its residential glass business, according to the announcement.

Kyle Petersen, president of Cardinal LG, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to purchase the Statesboro facility and expand Cardinal’s residential glass capability in the Southeastern United States. We are especially impressed with the quality of the team in Statesboro and look forward to building a lasting relationship with those employees and the Statesboro community.”

The Viracon plant has operated in Gateway Industrial Park south of Statesboro since 1998.

For a time in the early 2000s, nearly 600 people worked there. Following Apogee’s decision in August, the approximately 200 people still employed after earlier reductions were expected to lose their jobs.

But, after Thursday’s announcement, it appears the Viracon employees will keep their jobs with a new boss.

According to the release, the sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.

“This sale agreement is a terrific outcome for Apogee, our employees in Statesboro, and the surrounding community,” said Ty R. Silberhorn, Apogee’s chief executive officer.

Cardinal Glass Industries was founded in 1962 and is a private, management-owned company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. According to the release, Cardinal has more than 9,800 employees, operating from 44 factories.

“This is great news for the Viracon employees and for Statesboro and Bulloch County,” said Benjy Thompson, CEO for the Development Authority of Bulloch County.

Original article can be found here.