Carlex Glass America’s expansion in Nashville drives safety-critical innovation while investing in communities
As a leading manufacturer of automotive glass for original equipment automotive manufacturers (OEMs), Carlex Glass America LLC (Carlex) is a highly recognized name across North America. With four glass fabrication facilities in Tennessee and Indiana, its site in Nashville is currently undergoing a more than $55 mil-lion expansion, adding advanced production lines and creating over 140 new, high quality jobs.
Producing and distributing both OEM production and OEM replacement glass for 90 years, Carlex’s origins can be traced back to Japan in 1936, when it was established as Central Glass Co. Ltd. Following the acquisition of a North American glass facility in Seattle in 1974, the company opened its first major facility in Vonore, Tennessee, in partnership with Ford Motor Company in 1991. Built in 1956 by Ford Motor Company to produce 100 percent of the glass for all Ford’s vehicles, the Nashville Glass Plant joined the Carlex family in 2011.
In 2022, Carlex was sold to US owners who have reinvigorated the business through talent and investment with an in-market, for-market, North American-focused strategy. Carlex’s facilities are pillars of their local communities with rich history – the well-known neighborhood called Charlotte Park in Nashville was developed by Ford Motor Company for its workforce consisting of over 300 homes that still stand today. Today, Carlex still produces its own automotive float glass from raw materials and fabricates its glass to deliver a broad range of laminated and tempered vehicle glazing products – including windshields, side and back lights, and glass roofs – for OEMs such as Ford, Nissan, Stellantis and Subaru.
Building on decades of OEM manufacturing experience, Carlex’s Automotive Glass Solutions (AGS) division, located in Lebanon, Tennessee, supplies original replacement glass and serves as the sole distributor and solutions provider for multiple top OEMs. This ensures continuity in vehicle performance, structural integrity, and compliance with federal safety standards across both new production and replacement applications.
Carlex CEO Ramzi Hermiz, joined by Chief Commercial Officer Mark Hebert, and Vice President of Technology Massimo Michetti, sit down with Manufacturing Today to discuss the Nashville expansion and the company’s future ambitions. “There were three primary drivers for this investment,” Ramzi begins. “First, we saw an opportunity to improve supply chain efficiency and provide a more secure, localized solution for customers. Second, the amount of glass content per vehicle is increasing – more structural components, such as roofs, are being manufactured with glass rather than steel. Finally, we are installing a production line that incorporates the most advanced global technology, so this investment is fundamentally about elevating our manufacturing capabilities – capabilities that include everything from more complex glass bends to switchable and photovoltaic roof panel glass, and beyond. These capabilities will put us ahead of the competition and on the forefront of glass technologies for the next generation of vehicles.”
Massimo builds on this point: “On the installation side, we have multiple teams from different countries working together to commission a fully automated line, using best in class technology to prepare, bend, and laminate our products. We are doing this on an accelerated timeline, and our focus is on ensuring that development of new models proceeds in lockstep with our customers’ schedules.”
The 1.5-million-square-foot Nashville facility is the only fully vertically integrated manufacturing operation under one roof of its kind in the US. Using a float line, it transforms sand and other raw materials into glass, which is then processed into finished windshields, roofs, or backlights. “We are introducing true end to end manufacturing, supported by highly advanced technology, at the Nashville location. It is a special investment for Carlex and for the region,” Ramzi says.
Carlex maintains a rigorous review process through its supplier quality and program management teams. “How we evaluate supply partners is crucial,” explains Ramzi. “We look closely at their manufacturing, engineering, and supply capabilities, as well as their resiliency as a provider. We source our materials primarily within the markets where we manufacture – in this case, the United States. We work with local partners on the manufacturing side, while managing a global network when it comes to building and installing equipment. Our engineering team has developed an integrated process for making, cutting, moving, polishing, tempering, and bending glass. It is complex, highly specialized equipment – not something you can simply purchase off the shelf.”
This resiliency is a critical differentiator from a supply chain standpoint. “During production, we work to ensure that we have backup sources where necessary and that we are not relying on materials from countries that may be affected by geopolitical disruption,” adds Mark. “We are building a domestic supply chain that gives our customers confidence that we will have a solution for them, whatever the circumstances.”
Safety
A strong commitment to safety underpins every aspect of Carlex’s operations. “Team Carlex is extremely important,” Ramzi states. “I am incredibly proud of our focus on safety. Everything we do – from designing the layouts of our plants, to the design and utilization of equipment – puts employee safety first. The Nashville site is no different from our other facilities; they all share the same culture, passion, and dedication to Team Carlex. Ultimately, we manufacture safety critical parts that protect people, and we treat that responsibility with the seriousness it deserves, through consistent quality and a high level of service.”
Another core principle is a ‘people first’ approach. With significant growth underway at the Nashville site, Carlex has already begun hiring engineers and integrating them into the line installation process. “It is important for our people to truly understand the equipment so they can solve problems and create value over the long term,” continues Ramzi. “The same philosophy applies to our hourly workforce. Onboarding begins with safety awareness training and how to move and work around equipment in a complex manufacturing environment, followed by ongoing reinforcement of standardized processes. Training starts months before product launch. This is not just a major investment in the Carlex facility; it is a generational investment. We have multi generational employees here, and 20 years from now this facility will still be here. Carlex partners closely with its team members to ensure well-paying jobs are accessible to anyone who has a passion to work in American manufacturing – including training that allows for decades-long careers without prior education or experience. Carlex’s employment opportunities and reliance on local suppliers and contractors make the facility a central part of supporting the Nashville community. We are continuing to invest in the Nashville area, in our people and their families, and we have complete confidence in the strength of this exceptional workforce.”
For Carlex, bigger is not necessarily better; better is better. That philosophy guides the company’s three to five year vision. “Since we acquired this organization in May 2022, we have been reinvesting in both equipment and talent,” Ramzi highlights. “This business already had a tremendous base of skilled people, and we wanted to unleash that potential – to give them room to experiment, learn, and innovate as we bring new capabilities to the marketplace. It has been a great journey, and our goal is simple: we want to be the very best at what we do.”
Well-executed growth is central to Carlex’s long term success. “We want to grow with our existing customers while also diversifying our customer base,” says Mark. “The sky is the limit for us. We must make sound business decisions so that we remain here as a generational company – that is the objective. Personally, helping to build something new, creating jobs in the US, and seeing the results of that work firsthand is what motivates me every day.”
On technology leadership, Massimo is clear about the company’s ambition. “We want to be recognized as the benchmark for advanced automotive glass – large, complex shapes paired with value added technologies. Our aim is to be a development partner to our OEMs, helping them design complex products and new technologies, with the demonstrated capability to manufacture those solutions at scale in our plants. Carlex engineers are responsible for making many of the designs and technologies that drivers see and use every day a reality. Carlex is developing new products that will evolve in the coming years and bring some-thing truly relevant – and differentiating – to the automotive industry.”
Developing people is equally integral as Carlex builds pathways from the shop floor into operations and leadership roles. “Carlex has been a recognized leader in the industry for a long time,” Ramzi concludes. “It is exciting to watch technology advance and new opportunities emerge. You will continue to see Carlex help shape the automotive glass industry for many years to come.”
