Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, is celebrating two centuries of glass manufacturing this year.

In its lifetime, Pilkington UK has focused on the development of new processes and technologies that enable the manufacture of the high-quality glass at an industrial scale.

This year, at its base in St Helens, UK, the company plans to unveil new coating technologies, which aim to create a new generation of architectural glass products.

Neil Syder, Managing Director of Pilkington UK, said: “In 2025, we completed a multi-million-pound investment in a new sustainable production line at our Greengate Works site.

“This was a move to decarbonise our operations and work towards achieving a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.

“This year, we continue to invest in our St Helens coating facilities.”

History

In 1826, four local families joined forces to open the “St Helens Crown Glass Company” in Merseyside, Northwest England, UK.

The business was renamed “Pilkington Brothers” in 1849 when William and Richard Pilkington acquired the company, and later “Pilkington Ltd” in 1894.

The company went international in 1892, first opening agencies to sell its products in Europe, North America, Australia and beyond.

This led to factories being built in countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, America and South Africa.

However, Pilkington remained committed to St Helens, employing more than 11,500 people in the town at its peak.

A pivotal moment came in 1959 when Sir Alastair Pilkington invented the float process, where molten glass is floated in a bath of molten tin.

This innovation meant that, for the first time, large, perfectly flat and clear sheets of glass could be reliably manufactured continually and to a uniform thickness.

It was an invention that would change glassmaking and modern architecture forever and to this day, float glass is the most widely produced form of glass in the world.

Over the years, Pilkington glass has been used in cars from the Model T Ford to classic British brands like Land Rover, Rolls Royce, and Aston Martin.

It has also been used in iconic buildings, from the Empire State Building in New York, Pyramide du Louvre in Paris, to the UK’s tallest building The Shard, London.

In 2006, Pilkington UK became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSG Group and today it employs around 3,000 people at its UK sites.

It has developed a portfolio of products with qualities that the original founders could never have imagined, including Pilkington Activ, self-cleaning glass, Pilkington Suncool, which reflects solar radiation to help keep buildings cool, and Pilkington K Glass, which acts as an insulator to help keep buildings warm.

Mr Syder said: “To play my small part in the 200-year story of such an historic and iconic British brand is truly a privilege.

“From our home in St Helens, Pilkington UK has made an impact around the world and I’m proud of all of our colleagues, past and present, who have contributed to its amazing story.”