We’re pleased to present the second annual CI Top 10! Following the success of the inaugural ranking last year, and taking into account your suggestions, we’ve expanded the scope of the CI Top 10 to include not only the leading worldwide manufacturers of advanced ceramics, but also advanced glasses and refractories.

To develop the rankings, we provided a survey on our website so that company representatives could nominate their company for inclusion. The survey, which was also sent to key industry players, requested details such as annual revenues and number of employees, as well as views on the company’s past performance and future outlook. Thank you to those of you who completed the survey!

We evaluated all of the information provided in the survey and combined those details with information gleaned from company websites, annual reports, press releases, etc. in order to develop the rankings. Once we’d evaluated all of the information, we found that we couldn’t limit the ranking to just 10 companies—so we included a +1!

If you would like your company to be considered for the 2015 CI Top 10, or if you have any suggestions for future rankings, please contact Kelsey Seidler, managing editor, at (252) 509-4120 or seidlerk@bnpmedia.com.

1. Saint-Gobain
Tour Les Miroirs, 18 Avenue d’Alsace, 92 096 La Défense Cedex, France
www.saint-gobain.com
CEO: Pierre-André de Chalendar

With nearly 190,000 employees and a presence in 64 countries, Saint-Gobain is a global designer, producer and distributor of a variety of building and high-performance materials, ranging from photovoltaic glass to industrial ceramic components and more. Saint-Gobain’s Innovative Materials group, which represents 21% of total net sales, produces products such as flat glass, abrasives and ceramics.

According to Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and CEO, a 2.7% decline in net sales for 2013 is not a major cause for concern in the upcoming year. “In 2014, trends for our different markets should improve even though the climate is likely to remain uncertain,” he said.

Saint-Gobain Crystals, a Saint-Gobain company, provided its 100th set of sapphire-engineered armor to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in November 2013. The advanced ceramic-based armor was designed to improve the performance of bulletproof windshields and door windows on the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Launcher.

Earlier this year, Saint-Gobain announced plans for a new, state-of-the-art North American corporate headquarters in Malvern, Pa. The relocation is intended to position Saint-Gobain and its CertainTeed Corp. subsidiary for greater growth and expansion in North America.

Last month, Saint-Gobain completed its acquisition of Z-Tech LLC. The Bow, N.H.-based Z-Tech produces zirconia powders for applications such as pigments for ceramic tile and thermal coatings for the aeronautics industry. Z-Tech will be integrated within Saint-Gobain’s Ceramic Materials business.

Sources: company website, press releases

2. AGC Group
1-5-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8405, Japan
www.agc.com
CEO: Kazuhiko Ishimura

With more than 50,000 employees in over 30 countries, the AGC Group is segmented in four main areas of operation: Glass (48% of sales), which produces products such as float, low-e and automotive glasses; Electronics (25%), including glass substrates for various electronics applications, synthetic quartz glass, and glass frit/paste; Ceramics/Other (6%), which produces refractory materials, fine ceramics and sputtering targets; and Chemicals (21%).

In October of last year, AGC announced it would build its third automotive glass plant in China; the group also began production of an architectural glass facility in Brazil. In November, AGC announced plans to establish a new automotive manufacturing base in Mexico. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new automotive glass plant in Villa de Reyes, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was held in June 2014. The plant is expected to begin production in 2016.

Early this year, AGC unveiled plans to build an ultra-thin glass facility in Thailand. The new plant is expected to boost the group’s production capacity for ultra-thin glass used in touchscreens for notebook computers and other electronic devices by 50%.

In June-July, the world was able to view AGC’s glass roofs on all player benches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. The roofs’ chemically strengthened glass showed that the technology, which had been originally developed for small electronic devices like smartphones and tablets, could be used in larger fixtures.

Sources: company website, annual report

3. Corning Inc.
One Riverfront Plaza, Corning, NY 14831
www.corning.com
CEO: Wendell P. Weeks

According to the company’s website, “Corning’s products enable diverse industries such as consumer electronics, telecommunications, transportation, and life sciences. They include damage-resistant cover glass for smartphones and tablets; precision glass for advanced displays; optical fiber, wireless technologies, and connectivity solutions for high-speed communications networks; trusted products that accelerate drug discovery and manufacturing; and emissions-control products for cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles.”

Corning employs about 30,000 people at nearly 130 locations worldwide, including research centers in North America, Europe and Asia. Segments include Display Technologies (glass substrates for flat panel displays and LCDs), Environmental Technologies (ceramic substrates and filters for cars and trucks), and Specialty Materials (formulations for glass, glass ceramics and fluoride crystals), among others.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the company’s automotive ceramic substrate business. Since 1973, Corning has reportedly produced more than 1.5 billion light-duty substrates to help control mobile emissions. “Our substrates have helped capture billions of tons of air pollutants over the past 40 years,” said Hal Nelson, division vice president and business director of Corning Environmental Technologies.

Early this year, Corning completed its acquisition of Korea-based LCD glass manufacturer Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co. Ltd., which was formerly an unconsolidated equity venture with Samsung Display Co. Ltd. By gaining full control of its global fusion glass manufacturing platform, Corning anticipates greater flexibility in asset use, improved operational efficiencies, and better positioning for new specialty glass market opportunities.

Sources: company website, press releases

4. Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
10-1, Higashikotari 1-chome, Nagaokakyo-shi, Kyoto 617-8555, Japan
www.murata.com
CEO: Tsuneo Murata

Murata specializes in the manufacture of technical ceramic components for electronics applications. Its 48,000 worldwide employees produce products such as multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and piezoelectric ceramic components.

The company’s Capacitors segment saw nearly 21% growth in the 2014 fiscal year, due partially to increasing demand for applications in smartphones and automotive. The Piezoelectric Components segment, which produces products such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, ceramic resonators, piezoelectric sensors, and ceramic filters, also increased sales in fiscal 2014, by over 19%. Rising mobile phone demand led to growth for SAW filters, while automotive and home electronics helped bump sales for ceramic resonators.

Murata anticipates that its 2015 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2015) sales will increase by nearly 9% due to continually increasing demand for smartphones and tablets, as well as automotive electronics. Significant capital expenditures will target increasing production for new and high-growth products, more efficient production processes, and R&D.

Sources: company website, annual report, press releases

5. The NSG Group
Sumitomo Fudosan Mita Twin Building, West Wing, 5-27, Mita 3-Chrome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-6321, Japan
www.nsg.com
CEO: Keiji Yoshikawa

The NSG Group produces high-performance glass and glazing solutions in three business areas: Architectural and Building Products (40% of fiscal 2014 sales), producing products such as solar control glass, self-cleaning glass, and glass for solar applications; Automotive (50%); and Technical Glass (10%), which manufactures products like LCD glass and glass cord. The company operates with 28,000 employees in 30 countries and serves customers in 130 countries.

Beginning in January 2013, NSG reduced its architectural float glass capacity by placing its Cowley Hill, UK, line on hold due to the overcapacity in the European glass market. Earlier this summer, the group lit up its new ultra-thin glass float line at NSG Vietnam Glass Ltd. The new line, which is the second float line dedicated to ultra-fine flat glass for NSG, will begin production in the second half of this fiscal year.

Sources: company website, press releases

6. Kyocera Corp.
6 Takeda Tobadono-cho, Fishimu-ku, Kyoto 612-8501, Japan
www.kyocera.com
Chairman: Tetsuo Kuba

Kyocera employs nearly 70,000 people via 230 group companies located worldwide. Revenue within the Fine Ceramics segment increased 6.9% in the 2014 fiscal year, while revenue in the Semiconductor Parts segment increased 12.3%, according to Elly Yoshikawa, deputy manager of Corporate Communications. Kyocera’s financial forecast for the 2015 fiscal year calls for total consolidated revenue to increase 9.2%. (This forecast includes all business segments, both ceramic and non-ceramic. Separate forecasts for individual business segments are not available.)

In its Fine Ceramic Parts Group, Kyocera is working to develop new products in a wide range of markets by leveraging fine ceramic materials technology, processing technology, and design technology accumulated since its founding in 1959. In the industrial machinery market, the company is strengthening its development of parts for next-generation semiconductor fabrication equipment to support the trend toward larger silicon wafers; parts for the environment and energy markets, such as fuel cells; and LED-related products, which are growing in demand with the proliferation of LED lighting systems.

In the automotive market, Kyocera’s R&D efforts include camera modules for rearview detection and collision avoidance, where demand is forecast to increase due to new safety regulations in the U.S. At the same time, Kyocera is concentrating development efforts on ceramic parts for diesel engines to reduce carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. In the digital consumer equipment market, including smartphones and TVs, the company is strengthening development of Smart Sonic Receiver and Smart Sonic Sound technologies that make maximum use of the exceptional piezoelectric properties of ceramics.

In order to respond to these and other market trends and expand business opportunities, Kyocera is working to develop new, high-value-added products that leverage its material, design and layering technologies. Specifically, in the ceramic packages and substrates business, Kyocera is developing high-strength, high-rigidity, ultra-small and thin microelectronic device packages made of ceramics that employ micro-wiring, as well as ceramic packages for optical communications devices capable of higher frequency operation.

Sources: company contact, company website

7. RHI AG
Wienerbergstrasse 9, Vienna, Austria 1100
www.rhi-ag.com
CEO: Franz Struzl

With roughly 8,000 employees, 33 production facilities and more than 70 sales offices, RHI serves over 10,000 customers in the steel, cement, nonferrous metals, glass, energy and chemical industries in nearly all countries of the world. RHI produces more than 1.7 million tons of refractory products per year and supplies customized product and system solutions.

According to Randolf Fochler, head of Corporate Communications, sales declined slightly (4.4%) in 2013 compared to the previous year and are expected to remain fairly flat for 2014. “The business climate for refractories remains challenging because many end-user industries tend to cautious investment behavior,” he said.

In May 2013, RHI announced that it would reduce production capacity in Europe by closing its Duisburg, Germany plant, which produced primarily magnesia-carbon brick. This move was made as a result of decreasing demand from the steel industry in the European Union.

RHI invested over $70 million in a raw material plant and mining rights in Turkey last year. It also acquired almost 70% of the shares of New Delhi-based Indian Orient Refractories Ltd. last year for about $65 million.

Sources: company contact, company website, press releases

8. SCHOTT AG
Hattenbergstrasse 10, 55122 Mainz, Germany
www.schott.com
Chairman of the Management Board: Frank Heinricht

SCHOTT’s workforce of 15,400 employees provides customers with specialty glass and materials and advanced technologies for the architecture, pharmaceutical, electronics, transportation and optics industries. According to the 2013 annual report, SCHOTT’s recent withdrawal from the polycrystalline photovoltaics business caused a decline in sales, but a strengthened focus on pharmaceutical packaging is expected to see significant growth in the coming months.

In May 2013, SCHOTT introduced a high-temperature infrared (IR) grill using heat-tolerant glass-ceramics capable of evenly dispersing heat to sear meats perfectly without drying them out. “SCHOTT’s concept home barbecue combines the advantages of IR and high-performance glass-ceramic materials to inspire the next generation of grills for the benefit of home cooks and chefs everywhere,” said Karen Elder, marketing manager at SCHOTT North America.

Earlier this year, SCHOTT North America announced the creation of SCHOTT Defense as a specialized segment. “The final completion of the SCHOTT Defense transition allows us to further strengthen and secure our long-term partnership with the U.S. military, as well as optimize market access to the most sensitive U.S. defense, intelligence, and homeland security programs,” said Major General Scott Custer, USAF (Ret.), president and CEO of SCHOTT Defense. “As the defense community continues to seek sensitive technology solutions to enhance operational capability and performance, SCHOTT Defense now has more access and flexibility to deliver innovations to protect the warfighter while reducing redundancy and minimizing lifecycle costs.”

Sources: company website, annual report, press releases

9. Morgan Advanced Materials
Quadrant, 55-57 High St., Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1LP, England
www.morganadvancedmaterials.com
CEO: Mark Robertshaw

As the company name implies, Morgan Advanced Materials produces advanced materials, including ceramics, carbon-based materials and composites. Products range from insulating refractories and silicon carbide seals to piezoelectrics and lightweight armor systems. With customers in over 100 countries, the company has more than 100 manufacturing sites and employs over 9,000 people.

Earlier this year, Morgan Advanced Materials announced that it had increased capabilities at its facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The site produces injection molded ceramic components for use in the investment casting of turbine engine blades, as well as vanes for aircraft and power generation, aircraft hardware, pumps, valves, and sporting goods.

The company also announced an agreement to acquire microporous insulation materials producer Porextherm Dämmstoffe GmbH. (Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the German competition authority.) “The addition of Porextherm to the Morgan Group enhances our existing portfolio of high-performance insulating systems, and also gives us the chance to share knowledge and processes that will lead to future product development,” said Mark Robertshaw, CEO. “In line with our strategic priorities, the acquisition brings with it the opportunity to explore new markets and expand our range to benefit both new and existing customers.”

Last month, Morgan Advanced Materials announced that it will partner with The University of Manchester to develop a new process for manufacturing graphene. “With decades of expertise in developing specialist carbon-based materials, Morgan’s material scientists will be based full-time at the university, working closely with academic colleagues to understand the manufacturing mechanism and properties of graphene, helping us explore the applications where the technology can be used for optimum benefit,” said Mike, Murray, Ph.D., Morgan Advanced Materials’ chief technology officer.

Sources: company website, annual report, press releases

10. CoorsTek, Inc.
16000 Table Mountain Pkwy., Golden, CO 80403
www.coorstek.com
CEO: John K. Coors

CoorsTek has 48 facilities located in 13 countries on four continents. The company produces hundreds of technical ceramic products for applications in aerospace and defense; semiconductor; oil and gas; automotive; household durables; and heavy industries such as rail, energy, and mining.

Last year, CoorsTek acquired Dynamic-Materials (Ceramics) Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Dynamic-Ceramic Ltd., which specializes in advanced ceramic manufacturing, trading and consulting. “Dynamic-Ceramic offers exceptionally high-end components to their international base of customers,” said Mark Chenoweth, COO of CoorsTek. “We will significantly expand their offering to include advanced materials and capabilities for an even broader range of products.”

CoorsTek recently announced the opening of a new plant in the Coors Technology Center producing lightweight ceramic proppants. Leveraging more than a century of ceramics manufacturing experience, ceramic scientists, analytical labs, and a breadth of ceramic materials, CoorsTek has developed exceptionally strong and lightweight ceramic proppants to optimize conductivity in formations with high closure stress.

Sources: company contact, company website, press releases

+1: Vesuvius plc
165 Fleet St., London EC4A 2AE, England
www.vesuvius.com
CEO: François Wanecq

Vesuvius plc was created in late 2012, following the decision of Cookson Group plc to spin off its Engineered Ceramics and Precious Metals Processing divisions. According to the company’s website, “Vesuvius is a global leader in metal flow engineering, providing a full range of engineering services and solutions to its customers worldwide, principally serving the steel and foundry industries.”

The company’s 10,800 employees primarily work with steel flow control, foundry technologies and advanced refractories for a range of end markets. Vesuvius’ engineered refractory linings aim to reduce energy consumption and maintenance downtime via specialized compositions and installation techniques.

The company has embarked on a restructuring (particularly in South America and the NAFTA region) following its creation, which has reportedly resulted in increased efficiencies and product performance. New facilities are in development in Ras Al Khaima, United Arab Emirates; Port Kembla, Australia; and Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Sources: company website, annual report

Editor’s note: The CI Top 10 ranking is based, in part, on publically available financial information, including annual sales, along with details supplied by company contacts. Where this information was not readily available, some companies unfortunately had to be left out. For details regarding how to have your company considered for future CI Top 10 rankings, please contact Managing Editor Kelsey Seidler at seidlerk@bnpmedia.com.