Dear Vitro Certified® Network Member,
It's hard to believe another year has passed. Time flies when you're having fun, as the saying goes. Speaking of flying, we're excited to announce that we will soon launch our BirdSmart™ Bird Safe Glass. Before we take flight, let's take a moment to reflect on what was quite an eventful 2024 for Vitro.
As an industry leader in sustainability, Vitro Architectural Glass emphasizes innovations that improve thermal performance. Last year, we significantly contributed to this cause by introducing two new products: Sungate ThermL™ glass, a fourth-surface low-e coating, and Solarban® 65 glass, an additional solar control, low-e option to help meet building energy requirements. We also refined one of our highest-performing products, VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass (VIG), which now delivers R-values up to R20, rivaling the thermal performance of traditional walls.
We’re pleased to say that we also reached additional sustainability milestones in 2024. First, we updated our third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to indicate that our architectural glass products all meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material category based on standards set by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). This low embodied carbon designation applies to all Vitro products manufactured at all Vitro plants, all the time. In addition, we earned renewal of our Cradle to Cradle Certified® status, which included an increase in the certification levels of Material Health to the platinum level, the highest achievable certification, and Material Reutilization to the gold level.
Now, let’s turn our attention to the present and future. We’re very excited to provide a sneak beak at our soon-to-be-launched BirdSmart™ Bird Safe Glass. Available in four dot patterns laser etched onto the first surface of our clear, Starphire® or Acuity® glasses, BirdSmart™ Bird Safe Glass is available with the most popular Solarban® low-e coatings on the second surface for improved thermal performance. These products are all manufactured at our Wichita Falls plant, ensuring an efficient supply chain and allowing for direct shipping, which reduces transit times, speeds up delivery and contributes to the product's cost-effectiveness.
We are also developing several additional advancements to enhance customer experience, simplify performance calculations and streamline information and resources. You can read more about one of these advancements in this edition’s Technical Forum, which dives into the differences between Center of Glass (COG) performance and Framing Performance. We’re excited to share more details on these initiatives in the future. Stay tuned!
Finally, we’ve also included in this edition a project spotlight showcasing Lafayette College’s renovated Hugel Welcome Center, which boasts VacuMax™ VIG, and a Get-to-Know feature about Vitro’s Director of Customer Experience, Patrick (PJ) Campbell.
On behalf of Vitro Architectural Glass, we wish you a wonderful 2025 and beyond!
Thanks for your continued support.
Sincerely,
