Blog

The April U.S. Census data for new residential construction are out, and both single-family and multifamily housing starts took a COVID-19-driven hit. Multifamily starts (buildings with five or more units) in particular saw a 39% decline in starts for the month on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis compared to...

The North American automotive glass manufacturer market is valued at well over $3 billion, according to the new U.S. and North American Auto Glass Market Report [2020 Edition] from KMR Research, a division of Key Media & Research (KMR). KMR is the primary provider of information for the automotive glass and related...

Key Media & Research (KMR) recently released its U.S. and North American Auto Glass Market Report [2020 edition]. The 35-page report is a comprehensive look at the domestic aftermarket and OEM automotive glass industry, covering manufacturer market shares, annual replacement estimates, market landscape, regional and state-by-state demand, and much...

As the second quarter of 2019 approaches its midpoint, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the first quarter of the year and see what kind of momentum (if any) has been built in U.S. glass- and glazing-related construction. Glass and glazing...

Spending on glass- and glazing-related construction increased in 2018, though at a moderately lower rate than overall construction, according to Key Media & Research analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Total construction spending increased 1.6 percent in 2018 compared to 2017 on a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate, the Census...

The results are in, and demand for architectural flat glass remains strong. Four of the major float glass suppliers in North America are publicly traded, and net sales among those companies either edged up or remained at high levels in 2018. Mexico-based Vitro Glass, which operates what was previously...

The year 2018 finished with a bang in terms of glass and glazing industry-related employment. While employment spiked in December across the U.S. economy in most major sectors, construction and manufacturing were particularly strong, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construction employment increased...

The February construction spending numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau came out this week, and they were pretty friendly to the architectural glass and glazing industry. Nonresidential construction as a whole increased just 0.1 percent from January and 1.3 percent from February 2017. However, a deeper look at the...

Manufacturers in the residential fenestration market are facing many of the same challenges of late, according to some of the latest financial releases from industry companies. The most common factor mentioned across virtually all of the reports was an increase in material costs. Cost Inflation Ply Gem reported that...