Libbey Owens Ford
Encyclopedia
The Libbey–Owens–Ford Company (LOF) was a producer of flat glass
for the automotive and building products industries both for original equipment manufacturer
s and for replacement use. The company's headquarters and main factories were located in Toledo, Ohio
, with large float glass
plants in Rossford, Ohio
, Laurinburg, North Carolina
, Ottawa
, Illinois
, and Lathrop
, California
. The company was formed by the merger of Libbey-Owens' flat-glass operation with the Edward Ford Plate Glass Company, both located in Toledo, in 1930.
In the spring of 1916, Michael Owens
and Edward Drummond Libbey
, both manufacturers of sheet glass, merged their respective companies to form Libbey-Owens. In June 1916, the new Libbey-Owens bought Graham Glass along with the Graham brothers' patents for their glass bottle-making machine, allowing them to diversify into consumer products. In 1928, LOF (then Libbey Owens) was the first company to produce automotive laminated safety glass and won a contract to supply the Ford Motor Company
with windshields for the Model A. The success of this relationship was the impetus for a merger that created LOF.
In April 1986, LOF sold its glass business and name to the Pilkington Group
, a multinational
glass manufacturer headquartered in the United Kingdom
. The remaining three business units of the company, Aeroquip, Vickers, and Sterling, were retained and the holding company was renamed TRINOVA Corporation. The Sterling business was later sold and in the late 1990s, the company adopted its two leading business unit names, and continued as Aeroquip-Vickers, Inc., until being absorbed by Eaton Corporation
in 1999.
As part of the Pilkington Group, the company retained the LOF name. However, in June 2006, Pilkington was acquired by Nippon Sheet Glass
, and the LOF name was abandoned in an effort to rebrand globally under the Pilkington name.
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
for the automotive and building products industries both for original equipment manufacturer
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
s and for replacement use. The company's headquarters and main factories were located in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, with large float glass
Float glass
Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal, typically tin, although lead and various low melting point alloys were used in the past. This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and very flat surfaces. Modern windows are made from float glass...
plants in Rossford, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Laurinburg, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Ottawa
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Lathrop
Lathrop, California
Lathrop is a city located in . At the 2010 census Lathrop’s population was 18,023, and has a projected “build out” population of 70,000. The city is located in Northern California at the intersection of I-5 and 120 freeways.-Geography:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The company was formed by the merger of Libbey-Owens' flat-glass operation with the Edward Ford Plate Glass Company, both located in Toledo, in 1930.
In the spring of 1916, Michael Owens
Michael Joseph Owens
Michael Joseph Owens was an inventor of machines that could automate the production of glass bottles.-Biography:...
and Edward Drummond Libbey
Edward Drummond Libbey
Edward Drummond Libbey is the father of the glass industry in Toledo, Ohio, where he opened the Libbey Glass Company in 1888.-Biography:Libbey was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA...
, both manufacturers of sheet glass, merged their respective companies to form Libbey-Owens. In June 1916, the new Libbey-Owens bought Graham Glass along with the Graham brothers' patents for their glass bottle-making machine, allowing them to diversify into consumer products. In 1928, LOF (then Libbey Owens) was the first company to produce automotive laminated safety glass and won a contract to supply the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
with windshields for the Model A. The success of this relationship was the impetus for a merger that created LOF.
In April 1986, LOF sold its glass business and name to the Pilkington Group
Pilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
, a multinational
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
glass manufacturer headquartered in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The remaining three business units of the company, Aeroquip, Vickers, and Sterling, were retained and the holding company was renamed TRINOVA Corporation. The Sterling business was later sold and in the late 1990s, the company adopted its two leading business unit names, and continued as Aeroquip-Vickers, Inc., until being absorbed by Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation is a global diversified power management company with 2010 sales of $13.7 billion. The company is a leading provider of electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment;...
in 1999.
As part of the Pilkington Group, the company retained the LOF name. However, in June 2006, Pilkington was acquired by Nippon Sheet Glass
Nippon Sheet Glass
is a Japanese glass manufacturer. In 2006 it purchased Pilkington of the United Kingdom. This makes NSG/Pilkington one of the four largest glass companies in the world alongside with another Japanese company Asahi Glass, Saint-Gobain, and Guardian Industries Corp.....
, and the LOF name was abandoned in an effort to rebrand globally under the Pilkington name.
External links
- Libbey-Owens-Ford During WWII
- LOF company history, from LOF records at the University of ToledoUniversity of ToledoThe University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
's Ward M. Canaday Center.