New WTC (Freedom Tower) to be made with Chinese glass!

[Hazcat]

PPG loses bid for World Trade Center


By Andrea Ciccocioppo, Sentinel Reporter, April 2, 2009

Last updated: Thursday, April 2, 2009 10:04 AM EDT

A local manufacturing plant won’t have its glass on the new One World Trade Center building after all.

Instead, the glass will be manufactured in China.

PPG Industries, based in Pittsburgh, had submitted a bid to be a subcontractor to produce some of the facade glass for the main building of the new complex in Lower Manhattan, previously dubbed the Freedom Tower..

“We did bid on providing some highly aesthetic glass for the first 20 floors for the facade section of the tower,” said PPG spokesman Jack Maurer.

But the contractor PPG hoped to work with failed to win the contract with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Instead, the contract was awarded to Solera Construction/DCM Erectors of New York.

“We accepted the lowest responsible bidder,” explained Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority.

However, Solera/DCM hired a subcontractor, Zetian Systems of Las Vegas, which in turn hired China Beijing Glass to produce the patented glass, which it will produce under the PPG license.

“They’re licensed to use our technology,” Maurer said.

He said the “Starphire” glass is patented and Beijing Glass is a licensee of the PPG technology.

“No matter which way you slice it, it is going to be manufactured in China,” Maurer said. “We’re shocked this would be awarded to a company outside of the United States.”

He said PPG put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project — including upgrades to the South Middleton Township plant — and had worked with the Port Authority, the architect and others to develop the glass for the project.

Now, “I think we’re looking for opportunities to make this glass for other contractors,” Maurer said.

He said no jobs at the South Middleton plant will be lost because of the failed contract.

One World Trade Center is one of three high-rise buildings being built on the site of the former World Trade Center along Greenwich Street, which was destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The $3.1 billion project will also include a museum dedicated to the history of the site.

Two years ago, the first steel columns were installed in the tower’s foundation. The core of the building is roughly 30 to 60 feet above street level.

Coleman said the project is expected to be completed in mid- to late 2013.

Last week, the Port Authority agreed to a 20-year lease agreement with a Chinese real estate company to rent about 190,810 square feet of office space and 4,921 square feet of mechanical space — adding up to at least five floors in the center — at the aggregate rental cost of an estimated $333.3 million.

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2009/04/02/news/local/doc49d4c130587f0460006871.txt

[Thanos]

Well we can help with that, go and break them one at a time and they will replace them one at a time with PPG.


Got any rocks?

[1776 Rebel]

However, Solera/DCM hired a subcontractor, Zetian Systems of Las Vegas, which in turn hired China Beijing Glass to produce the patented glass, which it will produce under the PPG license.

“They’re licensed to use our technology,” Maurer said.

He said the “Starphire” glass is patented and Beijing Glass is a licensee of the PPG technology.

Me thinks this is a bit of sour grapes....Let's see. PPG made and makes money by having licensed the technology to Beijing Glass. Now when they loose the RFP (where they could have made even more money) they pull the "hey they're not American" card....sounds a little like the Al Sharpton approach to business...

[twyacht]

Saw on Fox news this week with Rudy Guiliani that its not going to be called the Freedom Tower anymore either....

Nice.....Way to go NYC

It's going to be "1776" feet tall for a reason!