TOLEDO, Ohio — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Thursday a "major new investment" in glass production at Libbey Glass in Toledo.
According to Brown's office, the $721,778 investment is to help overhaul the current glassmaking systems and replace four regenerative furnaces with two larger hybrid electric furnaces, "improving efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring the region remains at the forefront of global glass production."
Brown's office said the Department of Energy awarded the investment through the Industrial Demonstrations Program and was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
According to Brown's office, this new technology will preserve domestic glass production capabilities and continue to create and support union jobs.
Brown's office said by working with its unions, including the United Steelworkers and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and local education institutions, Libbey Glass will expand its apprenticeship program for skilled trades, including electricians and master tradesmen, in an effort to increase employment and advancement opportunities in the local community.
"This investment will ensure that USW and IAM workers remain at the forefront of global manufacturing. This is why we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act – to ensure Ohio manufacturing continues to lead the world in the technologies that will drive our economy for decades to come,” Brown said. “With this support, Libbey Glass will continue to create good-paying jobs, and ensuring that Ohio remains a national leader in manufacturing and innovation.”
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