Plant positions Sage as global leader in 'smart glass'

A new $150 million factory in Faribault, Minn., aims to bring down the cost of its variable-tint glass and open up a worldwide market.

Fresh off its acquisition by a French industrial giant, Sage Electrochromics has finished building a $150 million factory in Faribault, Minn., and is poised to ramp up sales of its variable-tint glass. And reap its first profits.

The market for smart glass is expected to grow eightfold to nearly $700 million by 2020, according to recent report by Pike Research. Sage's technology, which alters light transmission with a flip of a switch, offers energy savings on lighting, heating and cooling, especially in large buildings.

Sage, now a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, a French building products company with $54 billion in annual sales, believes the market could be even bigger. And for now, Sage stands to be the key player.

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