Japan-based Central Glass finalizes plant deal

Japan-based Central Glass Co. Ltd. on Friday completed its purchase of the former Ford Glass Plant off Briley Parkway in west Nashville, and the affiliated Carlite warehouse operation in Lebanon.

The plant was acquired from Zeledyne LLC., based in Allen Park, Mich., which bought the facility from Ford Motor Co. in 2008.

It has been in continuous operation since the 1950s and has about 550 employees, most of whom are represented by the United Auto Workers union.

The plant makes windshields and other glass for the auto industry.

A Central Glass subsidiary, Carlex Glass America, LLC., will operate the glass plant and warehouse facility, along with another plant the company owns in Vonore, Tenn., near Knoxville.

Terms of the sale were not released.

The deal was announced in January, pending an agreement with the UAW on a new contract and other details. The union said it had worked out a deal with Carlex that helps keep the glass plant competitive while preserving jobs.

"Adding the Nashville facility and the automotive replacement-glass distribution operations (in Lebanon) to Carlex's business expands our market and customer base and enhances our customer service, while affording strategic synergies with our established Tennessee operations," said Masami Wakatsuki, president of Carlex Glass America.

Carlex now becomes the sole U.S. distributor of Ford's Carlite brand of automotive replacement glass.

With the acquisition, Carlex has more than 1,000 employees in Tennessee, including some former Zeledyne administrative and executive employees who are relocating to Nashville and Lebanon from Michigan, the company said.

Carlex also will operate a technical center in the Detroit area.