Company history

1946

Oberland Glas GmbH - founded in Bad Wurzach close to an area of peatland, with the idea of coking the peat in the vicinity of the factory and using the gas produced to heat the furnaces.

1956

Factory purchased by Dr. H. Wiegand - Expansion of the still predominantly manual operations to become a fully automated industrial enterprise, aim: mass production to the highest standards.

1983

Takeover of another glass manufacturing plant in Neuburg to optimise logistics by localising production.

1986

Oberland Glas AG is floated on the stock exchange.

1988

Oberland Glas AG buys out Ruhrglas GmbH, Essen and Westerwald AG, Wirges.
Today’s international leader in glass packaging – Saint-Gobain - purchases an initial equity stake in the company of 35%, a stake that is added to steadily.

1991

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain acquires a controlling interest (60%) in the company.

1997

Focus on container glass as the core business. Sale of RKL to Bormioli S.p.A..

1999

Oberland Glas AG leads the German market in container glass production.

2000

Company renamed Saint-Gobain Oberland AG to consolidate its strategic position at a global level.

2001

Acquisition of a 35% share in ISI-Zhanjiang, China.

2004

First commercial involvement in Russia with a 9% interest in the Kavminsteklo ZAO glassworks.

2005

Sale of the glass block division; increase of stake in Kavminsteklo to 60 % and purchase of a majority stake (79.7%) in the Ukrainian Consumers-Sklo-Zorya glassworks.

2006

Sale of the interest in ISI-Zhanjiang.

2008

Acquisition of more than 90 % of shares in the ZAO Kamyshinksky Steklozarny Zawod glassworks in Kamyshin Russia.

2009

Acquisition of further minority interests of Saint-Gobain Kavminsteklo ZAO, the shareholding in the Russian Company increased from 89,9% to 94,3%.

2010

Introduction of the trademark Verallia for the glass packaging unit of Saint-Gobain, a symbol of a strong identity on the international market.