17th CENTURY: CREATION OF THE SAINT-GOBAIN GROUP
Saint-Gobain was created in 1665 as part of the plan devised by Louis XIV and Colbert to restore the French economy. Entrusted to private entrepreneurs, the company broke with the factory tradition by organizing glass production on an industrial basis.
Thanks to the invention of glassware casting (1688), Saint-Gobain established a near-monopoly in 17th-century Europe and ousted Venice, which was then the leader in this sector.
19th CENTURY: THE BEGINNINGS OF A EUROPEAN SCOPE
In the 19th century, an environment of newfound economic freedom and open international competition prompted the Saint-Gobain company to cross the French borders and organize its glass production on a European basis. This strategy led the company to establish units in Germany (1857), Italy (1889) and Spain (1904), the historic basis of Saint-Gobain's global presence today.

20th CENTURY: TRANSFORMATION OF THE GROUP
With the first half of the 20th century came the diversification of glass applications (glass wool, glass fiber, hollow glass). In 1970, Saint-Gobain's merger with Pont-à-Mousson, the world leader in cast iron piping, gave birth to a producer of materials and capital goods geared to the global dimension of its markets. Since 1997, the group focuses on business sectors in which it holds strong positions and the assets necessary for growth.
The acquisition of Poliet in 1996 completed its expertise in distribution.

A LONG-STANDING POSITION IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA
Saint-Gobain has also been established for many years in North and South America. In 1831, it opened its first glass sales depot in New York. In 1920, Saint-Gobain invested in several cast glass companies in order to build up its industrial position in the United States. After developing the TEL glass wool production process, Saint-Gobain signed its first agreements with CertainTeed in 1967. Following the acquisition of Norton in 1990, Saint-Gobain acquired Ball Foster Glass in 1995.

A LEADER IN ALL ITS BUSINESS SECTORS, ORGANIZED INTO 3 COMPETENCE CENTERS
The Saint-Gobain Group will have completed a decade of far-reaching changes in both business sectors and structure. The Group has focused its efforts on core business lines which are less cyclical or less exposed to the economic fluctuations. It has strengthened its technology and marketing skills, putting a greater emphasis on distributing to end customers. And it has also stepped up its international expansion.