Glascompetence; Credit: © Webasto Group

On Monday 22 August 2022, the Webasto Group announced the takeover of Carlex Glass Luxembourg SA which they claim will consolidate production, preserve jobs and envisage potential new markets.

Carlex Glass Luxembourg S.A. operates out of its site in Grevenmacher where it employs 500 staff and produces glass elements on behalf of many international passenger car manufacturers. The Luxembourg manufacturer was previously part of Carlex Glass America LLC, headquartered in Nashville (USA). The takeover of Carlex Luxembourg by Webasto is another important step for both companies, as Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Webasto SE underlined "The investment in our own glass production is for us an important strategic step for strengthen the competitiveness of our most important business sector in terms of turnover and therefore of the entire Webasto Group”.

Consolidation of the Luxembourg production site and preservation of jobs

Now operating under the name of Webasto Luxembourg S.A., the Grevenmacher production site and its employees (370 production jobs and 130 administrative positions) have therefore been integrated into the Webasto Group since 9 August 2022. With internationally recognised know-how, the experts at the Luxembourg site will work closely with their colleagues at Webasto's head office in Stockdorf, near Munich, who specialise in the development and validation of roofing systems for passenger cars, and are always looking for specialised, motivated and qualified personnel.

Increased customer requirements; manufacture of “tailor-made” products

At the time part of the American production company Guardian Industries Corp., the Grevenmacher site started its activities in 1992. Following the reorganisation that took place in 2014, the Luxembourg site has since operated under the name of Carlex, as part of of the Central-Glass Co. Ltd group of companies whose parent company is in Tokyo (Japan).

Covering an area of ​​more than 50,000 square metres, the Luxembourg site has benefited over the years from several improvements and expansions: in 2001 and 2004 by an additional glass coating installation and, in 2003, by a glass tempering installation. In 2004, the warehouses were also extended. With the commissioning of a new (5th) windshield production facility in 2018, the site has become fully equipped for the future of automotive glass manufacturing. The aim of these measures was to be able to meet even more effectively in future the increased demands of customers in the automotive industry, i.e. car manufacturers and suppliers, with regard to optical quality and "tailor-made product" with regard to the shape and properties of the windshield. Thanks to these efficient facilities and a highly qualified workforce, the production capacity in Luxembourg is around two million items per year.

Accordign to Webasto, one of the assets of the Grevenmacher site is its strategic geographical position which opens up ideal delivery routes to its main customers in the high-end automotive market such as, e.g., BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Jaguar, as well as Skoda, Seat and Peugeot.

Premium quality glass products

The range includes laminated glass and tempered glass products. Product ranges include panoramic roofs, windshields and rear windows, as well as soundproof glass components (for better acoustic comfort), extra-thin (to reduce vehicle weight), heated (fitted with a thin wire or a metallic layer), repelling infrared light (to reduce fuel consumption and increase comfort) and equipped with an integrated head-up display or integrated antennas.

Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and avant-garde materials, the company is constantly developing its offer in this group of products in order to meet the increased expectations of customers who are constantly evolving, in particular due to the many innovations in terms of automotive design and vehicle geometry, as well as the large number of technical innovations.

Skill developpement

“Electromobility and autonomous driving have a big influence on the development of car roofs. Thus, the demand for ever more “intelligent” roofs for opening and non-opening systems is increasing. Glass is of particular importance here. We are happy to be able to offer car manufacturers around the world, together with our new colleagues in Luxembourg, innovative and well thought-out ideas for the mobility of the future,” explained Dr. Holger Engelmann.

Freddy Geeraerds, Webasto Board of Directors, responsible for the roofing business of the group of companies, added "The development of skills in glass production opens up many new possibilities for us, for example in the areas of switchable glazing, ambient lighting and solar rooves. These features are no longer only in demand in the premium segment, but also increasingly for high-volume vehicles in the small and middle class. In addition, "Smart Glass" is also playing an increasingly important role in self-driving cars, for which we have also developed the Roof Sensor Module, for example in terms of privacy, security and entertainment. Webasto thus already offers roof systems for the electric future today.”