1885
Norton Emery Wheel Company, later to become part of Ƶ, was founded to manufacture the world’s first precision-made, mass-produced grinding wheel.
Through strategic mergers and smart acquisitions, Saint Gobain North America has grown and expanded into all 50 states and dozens of different product categories. Here’s a history of our history.
1880s
1900s
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1904
General Roofing Manufacturing Company (later to become CertainTeed) was established in East St. Louis, Illinois, by George M. Brown.
1910s
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1913
Norton Company began manufacturing refractory products—ceramic materials used to line the interior of kilns and furnaces—as well as a wide variety of ceramic containers for chemical reactions.
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1917
General Roofing Manufacturing Company changed its name to Certain-teed Products Corporation—a contraction of the company’s slogan, “Quality made Certain, satisfaction guaranTeed.”
1960s
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1964
Norton Company purchases Clipper Manufactuing Company, a producer of concrete- and masonry-cutting equipment.
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1966
Norton Company purchases U.S. Stoneware of Akron, Ohio, a maker of engineered ceramic and metal specialty products used in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
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1967
CertainTeed and Ƶ began a joint venture to manufacture and sell insulation in the United States.
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1969
CertainTeed begins producing solid vinyl siding.
1970s
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1970
The CertainTeed/Ƶ joint venture is folded into CertainTeed. In return, Ƶ receives a large number of shares of CertainTeed stock.
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1975
CertainTeed's plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, begins manufacturing polymer products which the company uses as raw materials to make pipe, siding and window products.
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1976
Ƶ obtains 57 percent of CertainTeed stock and a controlling interest in the company.
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1978
CertainTeed opens its Technical Center in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
1980s
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1981
CertainTeed introduces "Բܱڱ®,"the world's first non-bonded loose fill fiber glass insulation product.
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1984
Norton Company introduces its patented, groundbreaking "seeded gel" abrasives – made by dispersing tiny particles in a special gel, from which water is removed and the resulting mixture is subjected to high temperature, converting the "seeds" to highly durable and long-lasting abrasive materials.
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1985
Norton Company acquires Canada-based Carborundum Abrasives (originally called Canada Sandpapers)
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1985
Norton Company opens Ƶ Research North America in Northboro, Massachusetts – now Ƶ's largest research center in the world.
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1986
Norton Company acquires a U.S. supplier of high-quality abrasives and surface finishing products, Carborundum Abrasives (having acquired its Canadian subsidiary the year before).
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1987
Corhart Refractories, a manufacturer of refactories – large ceramic blocks used to line glass and steel furnaces – is acquired by Ƶ.
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1988
CertainTeed becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Ƶ.
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1988
CertainTeed acquires Bay Mills Limited, a Canadian based manufacturer of reinforcement fabrics and building materials.
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1988
Wolverine Technologies, a manufacturer of premier vinyl building products, becomes part of CertainTeed's vinyl siding business.
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1989
CertainTeed acquires the Ludowici-Celadon clay roof tile company.
1990s
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1990
Ƶ acquires Norton Company, a leading worldwide supplier of abrasives, ceramics and high-performance plastics.
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1990
Ƶ acquires two crystals businesses: Harshaw, the first major U.S. manufacturer of scintillation crystals, and Bicron, a leading developer and supplier of crystals used in detection devices.
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1992
CertainTeed begins production and sale of “Fǰ--ٰ™,” a product which creates a foundation footing integrated with a drainage system for new home construction.
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1995
Ball Corporation and Ƶ form Ball-Foster, a joint venture to make glass food jars as well as wine and beer bottles.
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1995
Corning and Ƶ join forces to create EuroKera, a joint venture to manufacture glass cooktops.
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1996
Ƶ becomes the sole owner of Ball-Foster.
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1996
Ƶ acquires British Petroleum’s ceramic products subsidiary, Carborundum Ceramics of Niagara Falls, New York.
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1996
Norton Company acquires Ernst Winter Abrasives, the world’s largest manufacturer of diamond and cubic boron nitride tools.
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1996
CertainTeed acquires Bufftech, a manufacturer of vinyl fence, deck and railing products.
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1997
Norton Company acquires U.K.-based Unicorn International, including its North American subsidiary, Universal Abrasives.
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1998
CertainTeed opens its “K21” line in Kansas City, Kansas — the world’s largest fiber glass insulation production line.
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1998
CertainTeed acquires Bird Incorporated, one of the oldest roofing companies in the United States, headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts.
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1998
Ƶ acquires Calmar, a leading manufacturer of trigger sprayers and fluid-dispensing products.
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1998
Norton Canada acquires the Carborundum Pulpstones business in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
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1998
Norton Company acquires Flexovit, an abrasives manufacturer.
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1999
CertainTeed acquires GS Roofing Products and the Unisul insulation equipment business.
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1999
Ƶ acquires Furon, a leading supplier of highly engineered polymer products, which led to the creation of Ƶ Performance Plastics.
2000s
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2000
Ƶ acquires Meyer International, which included the U.S. company Meyer Decorative Surfaces.
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2000
Ball-Foster changes its name to Ƶ Containers.
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2000
CertainTeed acquired Celotex Roofing, expanding the company’s ability to supply roofing customers in North America.
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2000
CHEMFAB, a major supplier of high-performance plastics, is acquired by Ƶ.
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2000
Ƶ acquires Saphikon, a manufacturer of high-quality synthetic crystals used to make industrial lasers and in semiconductor applications.
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2000
Most Ƶ companies, with the notable exception of CertainTeed, begin using the Ƶ name.
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2001
Merit Abrasives, a manufacturer of specialty abrasive products, is acquired by Ƶ Abrasives.
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2001
The Bayex, Bay Mills and PermaGlass-Mesh businesses combine to form Ƶ Technical Fabrics.
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2003
Ƶ acquires Heye America (now known as GPS America), a supplier of machines, parts and services to the glass container manufacturers.
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2004
Vetrotech Ƶ North America produces the first “CDzԳٰڱ®” fire-rated glass.
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2005
Ƶ acquires BPB, a global manufacturer of gypsum wallboard, which in North America becomes CertainTeed Gypsum.